A minimum of 700 lifeless in Tanzania's post-election protests, opposition says

[ad_1] Some 700 folks have been killed in three days of election protests in Tanzania, the principle opposition social gathering mentioned Friday, with protesters nonetheless on the streets within the midst of an web blackout.

“As we converse the determine for deaths in Dar (es Salaam) is round 350 and for Mwanza it's 200-plus. Added to figures from different locations across the nation, the general determine is round 700,” John Kitoka, spokesman from the principle opposition social gathering Chadema, mentioned.

“The loss of life toll may very well be a lot larger,” he warned, saying killings may very well be occurring throughout the nighttime curfew.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, whose authorities is accused of a marketing campaign of repression, had sought to cement her place and silence critics in her social gathering within the nearly uncontested polls, with the principle challengers both jailed or barred from standing.

Learn extra Tanzania beneath curfew, Web blackout after tense elections flip violent

Wednesday’s election descended into chaos as enormous crowds took to the streets of Dar es Salaam and different cities, tearing down her posters and attacking police and polling stations, resulting in an web shutdown and curfew.

With international journalists largely banned from protecting the election and a communications block getting into its third day, data from the bottom has been scarce.

Chadema, which was barred from the election, mentioned protesters have been marching on the town centre in Dar es Salaam on Friday, met by a heavy police and armed forces presence.

A safety supply advised AFP they have been listening to experiences of greater than 500 lifeless, “possibly 700-800 in the entire nation”, whereas Amnesty mentioned it had obtained data of a minimum of 100.

A number of hospitals and well being clinics have been too afraid to speak on to reporters.

Native information websites had not been up to date since Wednesday, and Hassan has not commented on the unrest.

The one official assertion got here from military chief Jacob Mkunda late Thursday who referred to as the protesters “criminals”.

Zanzibar ‘robbed’ In Zanzibar, a vacationer hotspot, Hassan’s ruling social gathering had already been declared winner of the native vote on Thursday.

The opposition social gathering, ACT-Wazalendo, rejected the outcome, saying: “They've robbed the folks of Zanzibar of their voice... The one resolution to ship justice is thru a recent election.”

A senior social gathering official mentioned poll containers had been stuffed, folks had been allowed to vote a number of occasions with out ID and that their election observers had been kicked out of counting rooms.

The ruling social gathering (Chama Cha Mapinduzi: CCM) was because of give a press convention later within the day.

At a gathering place for opposition supporters on Zanzibar, there was dismay and worry.

“There has by no means been a reputable election since 1995,” mentioned a 70-year-old man, referring to Tanzania’s first multi-party vote.

None of these interviewed gave their names.

“We're afraid of talking as a result of they may come to our homes and choose us up,” mentioned one.

Crackdown Hassan has confronted opposition from components of the military and allies of her iron-fisted predecessor, John Magufuli, since she took over upon his loss of life in 2021, analysts say.

They mentioned she needed an emphatic victory to cement her place, and the authorities banned the principle opposition social gathering, Chadema, and put its chief on trial for treason.

Within the run-up to the vote, rights teams condemned a “wave of terror” within the east African nation, together with a string of high-profile abductions that escalated within the closing days.