1,000 People Have Been Killed In Tanzania After Police Cracked Down On Protests Over Rigged Elections
Authorities heavily cracked down on protesters, including violence, arrests and nationwide internet blackout and curfew.
More than 1,000 have been killed in Tanzania during protests over a rigged election after key opposition figures were banned from running.
Protests erupted across Tanzania on Wednesday, Oct. 29, with the beginning of the general election, which included voting for the president, members of the National Assembly and local councilors, after President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government excluded two main opposition presidential candidates, which people saw as a way to rig the election in Hassan’s favor.
The 65-year-old became Tanzania's first female president after the death of president John Magufuli in 2021.
Hassan initiated reforms that seemed to represent a radical departure from her predecessor's authoritarian policies, according to BBC.
Her four Rs policy - "reconciliation, resilience, reform and rebuilding" - reopened Tanzania to foreign investors, restored donor relations and mollified the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.
She also lifted the ban on pregnant girls to be able to go to school, on social media and on opposition rallies during electoral periods.
But during the recent presidential election period from August to the end of October, Hassan’s government began cracking down heavily on opposition in a way more ruthless than it ever was under Magufuli, with regular abductions and killings reported.
Hassan’s government then disqualified ACT-Wazalendo’s Luhaga Mpina and detained Chadema party leader Tundu Lissu on treason charges, preventing them from participating, leaving Hassan to win against only minor candidates.
On the election day, on Wednesday, the government had reportedly shut down the internet but still thousands of people took to the streets in protest.
Protesters demanded constitutional reforms, the establishment of an independent electoral commission and free and fair elections.
Authorities heavily cracked down on protesters, including violence, arrests and nationwide internet blackout and curfew.
Main opposition party Chadema official, John Kitoka, said that the party collected reports of up to 1,000 people killed by police and unidentified security forces.
The election results were announced on Saturday, Nov.1, with incumbent President Hassan declared the winner, with approximately 97.66% of the vote.
Hassan said the election was free and democratic and was officially sworn in on Monday, Nov. 3, despite ongoing protests.
Human rights condemned the government's violent crackdown and called for investigations into the abuses.
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