Tanzania Lifts Curfew in Dar es Salaam After Deadly Post-Election Clashes
Curfew lifted in Dar es Salaam as Tanzania returns to fragile calm after election violence that left hundreds feared dead and opposition crying foul.
- Police lift curfew in Dar es Salaam after days of deadly post-election unrest
- President Samia sworn in with 98% of votes amid fraud allegations and rights abuses
- Opposition, rights groups report hundreds killed as calm slowly returns
Tanzanian authorities have lifted the night-time curfew in Dar es Salaam following days of deadly unrest triggered by disputed election results, as the nation slowly returns to normalcy.
Shops have reopened, traffic has resumed, and internet restrictions are easing, though long fuel queues and lingering fear remain after several days of violent clashes between security forces and opposition supporters. Many families are still mourning loved ones or searching for missing relatives.
Reports from medical personnel and rights groups suggest a significant death toll, with conflicting figures ranging from 10 to over 800 casualties. Opposition groups accused security forces of using lethal force to suppress protests, while the government has downplayed the scale of the violence and blamed foreign agitators.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was declared winner with 98% of the vote, has been sworn in for a new term despite international observers, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC), noting that the election failed to meet democratic standards.
Two major opposition leaders, Tundu Lissu and Luhaga Mpina, were unable to contest—one jailed on treason charges and the other disqualified on technical grounds.
In her inauguration address, President Samia acknowledged the loss of life and property damage, describing the unrest as “regrettable but unsurprising.”
