Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan Wins Re-Election Amid Deadly Unrest
Samia Suluhu Hassan re-elected with 98% of votes as opposition cries foul and violence claims hundreds of lives.
- President Samia declared winner with nearly 98% of votes amid widespread unrest.
- Opposition and international observers decry vote as undemocratic; hundreds feared dead.
- Internet shutdown, curfew, and tight security follow days of deadly protests across Tanzania.
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, securing an overwhelming 98% of the vote amid widespread unrest and allegations of electoral fraud.
According to the Tanzania Electoral Commission, Samia received 31.9 million votes, representing 97.66% of ballots cast, with voter turnout reported at nearly 87% of the country’s 37.6 million registered voters.
In her victory speech on Saturday, President Samia described the poll as “free and democratic”, accusing protesters of being “unpatriotic” and praising security forces for maintaining order during the voting process.
“We thank the security forces for ensuring that the violence did not stop voting. The government strongly condemns the violent incidents. These incidents were not patriotic at all,” she said.
However, opposition parties have rejected the results, calling the election a “mockery of democracy.” They allege that key opposition figures were either imprisoned or barred from contesting, making the race unfair from the outset.
International observers and rights groups have expressed deep concern over the conduct of the polls, citing a lack of transparency and reports of widespread violence.
A nationwide internet blackout has made it difficult to confirm the scale of the unrest, but diplomatic and opposition sources told the BBC that between 500 and 700 people may have been killed in clashes with security forces since election day.
The government has sought to downplay the violence, with Foreign Minister Mahmoud Kombo Thabit describing it as “a few isolated incidents” that were swiftly contained. Authorities have also extended a curfew across major cities, including Dar es Salaam, where tensions remain high despite a lull in protests on Saturday.
In Zanzibar, where residents elect their own president, CCM’s Hussein Mwinyi was re-elected with nearly 80% of the vote. The opposition there has also alleged “massive fraud”, according to reports from the Associated Press (AP).
Demonstrations across Dar es Salaam and other cities on Friday saw young protesters tear down posters, attack polling stations, and clash with police, defying warnings from the army to cease demonstrations.
The unrest follows months of growing discontent, with rights organisations accusing the government of repression, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings of opposition figures in the lead-up to the election.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced alarm over the escalating crisis, urging all parties to prevent further violence and respect human rights. The UK, Canada, and Norway also issued statements citing “credible reports of a large number of fatalities and injuries resulting from the security response to protests.”
Despite mounting international criticism, President Samia’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party — which, along with its predecessor Tanu, has ruled Tanzania since independence — remains firmly in power.
