Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has won re-election with 97.66% of the votes amid unrest and violence.
Opposition groups allege mass killings and vote suppression during the tense October 29 election.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, securing 97.66% of the votes, according to results released by the national electoral commission on Saturday, November 1. The announcement was broadcast live on state television, with officials confirming that the president would be sworn in immediately.
The outcome followed a tense and violent election period marked by widespread unrest, arrests of opposition figures, and severe communication restrictions. Major opposition party Chadema alleged that hundreds of people were killed when security forces clamped down on protests that erupted on election day, October 29. A spokesman for the party told reporters that about 700 deaths were recorded from data gathered across hospitals and health centers nationwide. Diplomatic and security sources in Dar es Salaam also said the number of casualties was likely in the hundreds.
Hassan, 65, first rose to power in 2021 following the sudden death of former President John Magufuli. Her re-election, analysts say, was aimed at consolidating power and neutralizing internal rivals within the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party and the military. Several observers described the vote as one-sided, with opposition parties either disqualified or suppressed through intimidation and arrests. Chadema’s presidential candidate was reportedly facing treason charges before the election began.
Rights groups and activists accused the government of orchestrating widespread human rights abuses in the run-up to the polls. Reports emerged of opposition members abducted, journalists harassed, and civil society organizations silenced. Despite the heavy military presence, protests broke out in multiple regions, leading to clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Polling stations were reportedly burned, and streets across major cities were placed under curfew as authorities shut down the internet to control the flow of information.
A senior security source described the scale of violence as unlike anything Tanzania had seen in recent decades. President Hassan has not addressed the unrest publicly since the crisis began, and government officials have denied claims of excessive force. Media access has also been restricted, making it difficult to independently verify reports of deaths and injuries.
The United Nations expressed deep concern over the situation. Secretary-General António Guterres called for calm, urging Tanzanian authorities to respect human rights and ensure accountability for any abuses. Much of the public anger has been directed at Hassan’s son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, who has been accused by opposition supporters of influencing the security crackdown.
Despite mounting criticism, Army Chief Jacob Mkunda reaffirmed the military’s loyalty to the president, calling the demonstrators “criminals.” Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo told Al Jazeera that claims of mass killings were exaggerated and that no official death toll had been confirmed.
The government’s victory declaration has done little to ease tensions, with many citizens and international observers questioning the credibility of the process and the future of democracy in Tanzania.
