Tanzanian Commission Report on Post-Election Violence Records 518 Fatalities; Opposition Dismisses Findings as Inadequate
Introduction
A government-appointed commission in Tanzania has released its inquiry into the violence that followed the October 2025 presidential election, documenting at least 518 deaths. The opposition has rejected the report, describing it as a cover-up.
Main Body
The unrest began after President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with 97.66% of the vote (some reports cited 98%). Main opposition parties had boycotted the election, claiming there were problems with the voting process and that key candidates were excluded. As a result, youth-led protests broke out in Dar es Salaam and other cities, leading to clashes with security forces. The government responded by imposing a curfew and shutting down the internet, stating that this was necessary for security reasons. The commission, led by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman, gathered testimony from over 63,000 people across 11 regions. It reported that the violence was planned and funded by trained individuals, but it did not name any perpetrators. Othman stated that the death toll of 518 was likely an undercount because some burials were not reported. The commission recommended further investigation into the use of firearms by security forces. Furthermore, it rejected independent reports of mass graves and the seizure of bodies from hospital mortuaries, arguing that these claims could not be confirmed. President Hassan welcomed the report, calling it a step toward national healing. She characterized the protests as pre-planned and suggested that foreign actors were involved. She also alleged that foreign media had spread misinformation. In contrast, the opposition, represented by Chadema party official John Kitoka, dismissed the report as a whitewash designed to protect the government from accountability. Opposition figures have called for an independent international inquiry, arguing that without prosecutions, the report lacks political significance. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have alleged that security forces used disproportionate and lethal force against peaceful protesters.
Conclusion
The release of the commission's report has not resolved the fundamental disagreement between the government and opposition regarding the scale of violence and the need for accountability. The report's recommendations for further investigation have yet to be implemented, and the political impasse persists.