700 killed and a nation under curfew: How disputed elections pushed Tanzania to the brink | Explained

People protest in the streets of Arusha, Tanzania, on election day Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/str)

Gunfire, internet blackouts, and burning streets have turned Tanzania’s biggest cities into scenes of chaos after what began as protests over a disputed election erupted into a national crisis. For three days, the country has been gripped by some of the bloodiest demonstrations in its recent history, exposing deep cracks in its political system and raising fears of an authoritarian relapse under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

A nation in turmoil

Dar es Salaam, the commercial hub of more than seven million people, has been the epicentre of the violence. Protests that started on Wednesday quickly spread to other cities, including Mwanza and Arusha, transforming major avenues into battlegrounds. Witnesses reported soldiers firing tear gas and live ammunition as armored vehicles rolled through residential neighborhoods. Demonstrators, refusing to back down, chanted “We want our country back!” while setting government vehicles and buildings ablaze.

Authorities responded with curfews, military deployment, and a total internet shutdown that has severed communication across the nation. “The figure for deaths in Dar es Salaam alone is around 350, and for Mwanza, over 200,” said Chadema party spokesman John Kitoka, adding that the nationwide toll stands near 700. He said the numbers were based on reports from party members who had visited hospitals and morgues “counting dead bodies.”

Amnesty International has confirmed at least 100 deaths, describing the crackdown as “deeply disturbing,” while the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva cited “credible sources” indicating at least 10 deaths caused by security forces. “We call on the security forces to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal weapons, and to make every effort to de-escalate tensions,” UN spokesperson Seif Magango said.

How the crisis began

The unrest began after the country’s electoral commission disqualified two major opposition candidates ahead of the vote, leaving President Hassan virtually unchallenged. Hassan, who came to power in 2021 after the death of John Magufuli, was once praised for loosening restrictions on the press and political opposition. But in recent years, her administration has been accused of silencing critics, manipulating the judiciary, and carrying out what Amnesty International called a “wave of terror” involving disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

Her main rival, Tundu Lissu, is on trial for treason and faces a potential death sentence. Another key opposition leader, Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, was disqualified on technical grounds. The exclusions left voters with few alternatives to Hassan’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has been in power since independence in 1961.

As the polls closed, state television announced preliminary results giving Hassan’s party more than 96 percent of the vote in eight constituencies. Opposition leaders rejected the results outright, calling the process “a farce” and urging the formation of a transitional government to oversee new elections. “There was no election at all,” Kitoka told AFP. “Our message to the government is clear: Stop killing protesters, stop police brutality, and respect the will of the people.”

Curfews, internet blackout and global reaction

Government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa announced that a work-from-home order for civil servants would continue “until Friday,” advising citizens to stay indoors “unless absolutely necessary.” The move, along with the internet shutdown, has been widely criticized as an attempt to conceal the extent of state violence.

International reaction has been swift but cautious. The United States issued a Level Two travel advisory, warning its citizens to “exercise increased caution.” The US Embassy in Dar es Salaam reported that major roads, including access to Julius Nyerere International Airport, were closed and that communication was severely disrupted. “There are reports of nationwide demonstrations resulting in outbreaks of violence and roadblocks,” the advisory said.

Meanwhile, members of the European Parliament declared that the elections were “neither free nor fair,” calling on Tanzania’s government to ensure accountability and transparency.

A fight for democracy or a descent into repression?

The violence has raised urgent questions about the state of democracy in Tanzania. Once seen as a beacon of stability in East Africa, the country now faces growing international scrutiny over its political trajectory. The ruling party’s heavy-handed tactics, combined with its dominance of the electoral commission and security forces, have effectively closed off peaceful political expression.

As smoke rises over Dar es Salaam and the streets remain under military control, Tanzanians find themselves at a crossroads. The protests have become more than a contest over a single election—they represent a broader struggle for political freedom in a country where dissent increasingly carries a deadly price.