The situation in Tanzania is spiralling into violence and repression. The 29 October general elections were marred by the exclusion of major opposition parties and electoral irregularities. A wave of popular protests erupted on the same day in response and were met with severe suppression by the authorities.

On the evening of the vote, the authorities imposed a curfew and shut down the internet amid violent repression in several parts of the country on 31 October. The day after the total internet blackout began amid bloody repression, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, seeking re-election, was declared the winner with 98% of the vote.

Although restrictions have gradually eased since 29 October, mobile internet remains limited, making it difficult for information to circulate and intensifying  the lack of transparency surrounding the ongoing events. According to NetBlocks, these restrictions form part of a deliberate strategy to silence dissenting voices.

Since the election, thousands of Tanzanians have taken to the streets to denounce the rigged electoral process, and to express their deep frustration about corruption, unemployment and authoritarian governance. The spokesperson for the main opposition party, Chadema, claims that 700 people have been killed, whereas Amnesty International reports around 100 deaths, alongside mass arrests, enforced disappearances and torture.

President Hassan was sworn in on 3 November, at a time when the main opposition figures and their parties had already been excluded from the electoral process. The Chadema party was disqualified for refusing to sign an electoral code it considered to be unfair. Its leader, Tundu Lissu, remains in detention and is on trial for treason, an offense punishable by death. Luhaga Mpina, leader of the second-largest opposition party, ACT-Wazalendo, was also disqualified, thereby limiting citizens’ choices  in this election.

In a preliminary statement on the elections, the Southern African Development Community Election Observation Mission (SADC-EOM) highlighted several violations, such as political restrictions, the detention of opponents, internet shutdowns, media censorship and insufficient reforms to guarantee transparency in the electoral process.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged security forces to refrain from using “disproportionate force”, while Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, condemned the loss of life, emphasising the importance of respecting fundamental rights and freedoms, such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The political climate in Tanzania has continued to deteriorate since Samia Suluhu Hassan came to power in March 2021 following the death of John Magufuli, marking a steady erosion of civil liberties. 

AfricTivistes strongly condemns the violent suppression of Tanzanian citizens exercising their constitutional right to protest as enshrined in Articles 17, 18 and 19 of the Tanzanian Constitution as well as in Articles 10 and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). Without political pluralism, freedom of expression and the safety of citizens, no electoral process can be considered credible.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has condemned the “digital blackout”, noting that Article 9 of the ACHPR enshrines the right to receive and disseminate information and that Principle 38 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa prohibits unjustified internet interruptions.

AfricTivistes is calling on the Tanzanian government to honour its constitutional and international obligations regarding freedom of expression, assembly and access to information, and to respect fundamental rights.

We urge African regional organisations and the international community to go beyond mere statements of principle and take firm action in response to this authoritarian shift. Urgent support is needed for Tanzanian civil society actors, who are campaigning for inclusive governance, justice and human dignity at great personal risk.

The AfricTivistes network pays tribute to the victims of this repression, reaffirming its commitment to democracy, peace, and human rights in Africa.