The escalation of the political situation in Tanzania following the recent presidential and parliamentary elections has raised deep concerns both in the European Union and the United Nations. The mass protests that followed the elections resulted in significant losses among the civilian population.
According to international agencies, hundreds of people have died as a result of clashes with law enforcement, and estimates from AFP suggest that this number is between 700 and 800 casualties.
On November 2, Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, expressed "extreme concern" over the high number of fatalities and urged the country's authorities to exercise "maximum restraint to preserve human lives."
The European Union also insists on the need to release all detained political activists, conduct open and fair judicial proceedings, and thoroughly investigate cases of abductions and violence.
Borrell noted: "We call for an open and inclusive dialogue with the opposition and civil society to achieve reconciliation."
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also expressed deep concern over the high number of casualties and injuries, emphasizing the need for an urgent investigation and the protection of citizens' rights.
According to official data, the incumbent president Samia Suluhu Hassan was re-elected with 97.66% of the votes. The opposition party "Chadema," which was barred from the elections, rejected the results, calling the situation "a mockery of the democratic process."
Immediately after the announcement of the election results, mass protests erupted across the country, which escalated into bloody clashes. The opposition claims that the number of dead has exceeded 800 people.
In April of this year, Chadema leader Tundu Lissu was arrested on charges of treason, which resulted in a death sentence. Human rights organizations had already accused President Suluhu Hassan's regime of a "wave of terror" and regular abductions of opposition activists before the elections.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been in power since 2021, succeeding the late John Magufuli.
