Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has been sworn in for another term following a disputed election marred by bloodshed and a near-total internet blackout. The opposition claims hundreds, possibly thousands, of people were killed in a wave of state violence that erupted during and after the vote.
The Electoral Commission announced that Hassan secured a staggering 98 percent of the votes cast in last Wednesday’s poll, but the main opposition party, Chadema, which had been barred from participating, dismissed the results as a “sham.” The group has since called for fresh elections, accusing the government of orchestrating mass killings to silence dissent.
The swearing-in ceremony took place on Monday at the State House in Dodoma, with only government officials and foreign dignitaries in attendance. For the first time in years, the event was closed to the public, a move that underscored the tense atmosphere gripping the East African nation.
Tight Security and Internet Silence
In the days following the election, Tanzania has been cut off from the world. A nationwide internet blackout has crippled communication, leaving families desperate for news of missing relatives and businesses struggling to process payments or coordinate supplies.
A diplomatic source told AFP that there were credible reports of hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of deaths recorded at hospitals and clinics across the country. Chadema claimed at least 800 people had been killed by Saturday, though the figures could not be independently verified.
While the government has denied accusations of excessive force, eyewitness accounts paint a grim picture. Police have been reportedly stopping civilians on the streets, checking identification cards and searching bags. Shops were allowed to open only in the afternoons, while schools, colleges, and even some church services have been suspended.
Rights groups in neighbouring Kenya say they have received disturbing footage smuggled out of Tanzania showing piles of bodies and evidence of extrajudicial killings. None of the footage has been independently verified due to the blackout.
