Tanzania’s political crisis has deepened following last week’s disputed elections, with the main opposition party, Chadema, accusing security forces of carrying out mass killings and secretly disposing of bodies. The allegations have cast a dark shadow over President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s landslide victory and her swearing-in for a second term.
Protests erupted across the country after opposition figures were barred from participating in the October 29 polls, leaving Hassan to run virtually unopposed. Demonstrations that began as peaceful quickly descended into chaos as security forces reportedly opened fire on protesters, imposed a nationwide curfew, and enforced an internet blackout.
According to Brenda Rupia, Chadema’s director of communications, the party has documented at least 2,000 deaths since the unrest began. “As days go by, we’re discovering that more people have died in different regions,” she told CNN. “We have 2,000 people documented so far, including more than 100 of our members.”
Rupia further claimed that police have been disposing of bodies to conceal the real death toll. “Most bodies are still in hospitals, and the police are preventing families from collecting them,” she said. “They’ve thrown away over 400 bodies. We don’t even know where they’ve taken them.”
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The Tanzanian government has not publicly addressed the latest claims. A police spokesperson declined to respond to CNN’s request for comment, and government officials have previously dismissed the opposition’s death toll as “hugely exaggerated.”
International concern is mounting. The African Union, along with the foreign ministries of Canada, Norway, and the United Kingdom, has expressed alarm over reports of widespread violence and fatalities. The African Union Commission said it was “extremely concerned” by the situation, noting that the ongoing internet restrictions made it difficult to verify the exact number of deaths.
A joint statement from Canada, Norway, and the UK highlighted “credible reports of large numbers of fatalities and significant injuries,” while also condemning the pre-election environment marked by harassment, abductions, and intimidation of opposition figures, journalists, and activists.
Human Rights Watch accused Tanzanian authorities of responding to the protests “with lethal force and other abuses,” while local reports indicate that social media users are being warned against sharing images or videos of the violence that could “cause panic.
President Hassan, the first woman to lead Tanzania, acknowledged during her inauguration that people had died during the protests but provided no figures. Observers from the region have criticized the election process, saying it “fell short” of democratic standards.
As fear spreads across the country, many opposition members have gone into hiding. Brenda Rupia, speaking from an undisclosed location, voiced deep concern for her own safety.
“A lot has happened in the past few days ever since the election,” she said. “And I know that the worst is yet to happen.”
Rupia’s words reflect the mood of uncertainty and fear gripping Tanzania, a nation now facing one of its most serious political and humanitarian crises in decades.
