More than 700 demonstrators have reportedly died during three days of protests in Tanzania following the country’s presidential election, which saw the increasingly authoritarian incumbent, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, run unopposed after her main challengers were jailed or barred from standing
Reacting to the crisis, Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, said the death toll had reached over 700.
Spokesperson John Kitoka told AFP on Friday, “As we speak, the overall figure for deaths is around 700.”
He added that approximately 350 people died in Dar es Salaam and over 200 in Mwanza, with additional fatalities reported across the country.
The general election, held on Wednesday, saw incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party declared the winner, prompting nationwide demonstrations.
Protesters clashed with security forces as unrest spread across several regions.
In response, the Tanzanian government imposed a nationwide curfew, shut down internet access, and barred foreign journalists from covering the events.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
