Tanzania rocked by unrest as election sparks clashes

Demonstrations have flared across Dar es Salaam and beyond after rivals were barred and internet access shut down

Unrest has erupted in Dar es Salaam and other cities across Tanzania following a disputed general election in the East African nation. The clashes on Wednesday and Thursday drew large crowds as internet access was disrupted nationwide.

In the Dar es Salaam, witnesses reported police firing live shots and launching tear gas to disperse demonstrators, according to Reuters, while Al Jazeera, citing Amnesty International, reported of two deaths.

The government has ordered civil servants to stay home. The US Embassy reported major road closures, including to the international airport.

According to the BBC, Tanzania’s police chief, Camelius Wambura, announced the start of a curfew at 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT) and urged residents to remain indoors, without indicating when the restrictions would be lifted. Simultaneously, the country experienced a major internet disruption, which the global monitoring group NetBlocks described as a “nationwide digital blackout.”

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The election held on October 29 featured President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party seeking her first full term. Hassan’s two biggest challengers were excluded from the presidential race. The main opposition party, CHADEMA, was disqualified in April after it refused to sign a code of conduct and its leader Tundu Lissu was charged with treason.

The commission also barred the ACT-Wazalendo candidate, Luhaga Mpina, the leader of the country’s second largest opposition party. The party dismissed the disqualification as “baseless.”

President Hassan, who took office in March 2021 following the death of former President John Magufuli, is seeking election for the first time in her own right. She previously served out the remainder of Magufuli’s term, and the 2025 vote marks her bid for a first full mandate as an elected president.

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Government officials have not yet published verified casualty figures or responded publicly to the unfolding violence.