In Tanzania, accusations have been raised against the state for the deaths of hundreds of people

• Hundreds of people are being accused in the state of the raid due to protests.
• The authorities issued orders for the arrest of prominent opposition figures.
• The president received over 97% of the votes in the elections.

In Tanzania, the local government raised accusations against the state for the deaths of hundreds of people due to protests that took place after the controversial elections last month. This has marked a significant escalation of political tension in the country, where the aftermath of the violence has resulted in an unknown number of casualties.

In addition to dozens who were accused in Dar es Salaam, several people received similar accusations in other regions of the country. The police also issued orders for the arrest of some prominent representatives of the opposition, who were not previously detained, including Brendie Rupi, a director of the Chadema party communications, and John Mniku, the general secretary of the party.

Chadema is the leading opposition party in Tanzania. Its leader Tundu Lissu has been in exile for several months and is also being accused in the state raid following the closure of the electoral reform before the voting on July 29.

The authorities are facing questions about the number of victims after the military structures were reportedly involved in the crackdown and protests against the opposition after the elections. The Chadema party claims that over 1,000 people were killed, while the military is believed to have attempted to cover up the scale of the killings, including using bodies. The Catholic Church in Tanzania also stated that, presumably, hundreds of people were killed.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who automatically took office as vice president in 2021 after the death of her predecessor, received over 97% of the votes according to official data. She competed against 16 candidates from smaller parties after Lissu and Lugaga Mpina from the ACT-Wazalendo party were disqualified from participating in the elections.

Human rights organizations describe the climate of repression before the elections. According to Amnesty International, there were incidents of violence, numerous arrests, and extrajudicial killings. The Tanzanian government prohibits such accusations.

The African Union stated this week that its observers concluded that the elections "did not adhere to the principles of the AU and international standards for democratic elections." AU observers confirmed the presence of ballot stuffing in several electoral districts and incidents where voters were issued multiple ballots. Furthermore, it was noted that the elections "did not promote a peaceful environment and acceptance of electoral results," as stated in the statement.

Single-party rule has been the norm in Tanzania since the introduction of multi-partyism in 1992. However, critics of the government note that previous leaders tolerated the opposition while maintaining control over the power, which Hassan is accused of in an authoritarian style of governance, which suppresses the youth democratic movement in other regions.

The Chama cha Mapinduzi party, which maintains ties with the Communist Party of China, has ruled Tanzania since its independence from Great Britain in 1961, and Hassan has continued this tradition with the elections.

Tags: Politics