Unrest Erupts Across Tanzania Over Disputed Election Results

Tanzania has been rocked by violent demonstrations following the disputed general election, with hundreds of protesters clashing with police in the country’s commercial hub, Dar es Salaam, on Friday.

The unrest broke out amid growing anger over the electoral commission’s continued release of results from Wednesday’s vote, which opposition groups claim was marred by irregularities. In response, authorities have deployed the army nationwide and imposed an internet shutdown to curb communication and mobilization.

State media has continued announcing tallies from the mainland, where the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party—at the helm since independence in 1961—seeks to maintain its long-standing grip on power.

Several key opposition contenders were disqualified from the race, leaving President Samia Suluhu Hassan to face a field of 16 largely underfunded rivals from smaller parties.

In Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous island region, CCM also retained the presidency. The Zanzibar Electoral Commission declared incumbent Dr. Hussein Mwinyi the winner with 78.8 percent of the vote, amid a strong military presence.

Opposition leaders have rejected the results, accusing the electoral bodies of “massive fraud” and announcing plans for further political action.

By Friday, the demonstrations had entered their third day, with confrontations between crowds and heavily armed police units continuing in Dar es Salaam. The protests first flared up on Wednesday, driven mainly by young people angered by reports of opposition harassment and restricted political participation. During the chaos, several vehicles, a police post, and a fuel station were torched.

The disturbances have since spread to other parts of the country, forcing the government to postpone the reopening of universities and colleges initially set for Monday.

Army Commander General Jacob John Mkunda condemned the violence, assuring the public that the military was working closely with police to restore peace and stability.

Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, confirmed that the UN had received credible accounts of at least ten fatalities in Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga, and Morogoro, after security forces reportedly used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds. She urged Tanzanian authorities to exercise restraint and prioritize dialogue to prevent further escalation.

The current turmoil follows a tense campaign season that saw reports of arbitrary arrests, detentions of opposition figures, and disappearances of government critics among them a former Tanzanian ambassador to Cuba.