By Spy Uganda
Police in Tanzania fired tear gas and live rounds on Thursday to disperse protesters who returned to the streets a day after a general election marred by violence, allegations of repression, and widespread anger over the exclusion of major opposition candidates.
Demonstrations erupted in Dar es Salaam and several other cities on Wednesday after the country’s electoral commission barred President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s two main challengers from contesting the presidency. Protesters accused the government of tightening its grip on dissent and undermining democracy.
Witnesses said security forces used force to clear crowds in at least three neighbourhoods of Dar es Salaam, while similar confrontations were reported in Arusha and Mwanza. Police later imposed an overnight curfew across the commercial capital a city of more than seven million people after several government buildings were set ablaze.
“We heard gunshots and saw people running everywhere,” said one resident of Kinondoni District, who requested anonymity. “It was chaos.”
Internet services, which had been disrupted during the election, appeared to return intermittently on Thursday. Human rights activist Tito Magoti told Reuters that he had received reports of at least five deaths in Wednesday’s unrest, while a diplomatic source said there were “credible reports” of at least ten fatalities in Dar es Salaam alone.
Meanwhile, state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) began airing provisional election results showing President Hassan with commanding leads in multiple constituencies.
“The people are rewriting our political culture — from being passive citizens to active participants,” Magoti said, describing the protests as a sign of growing public frustration.
The British government said all international flights to and from Dar es Salaam had been suspended, while airports in Arusha and near Mount Kilimanjaro were also closed due to the unrest. The Tanzanian government extended a work-from-home order for civil servants through Friday and advised the public to stay indoors “unless absolutely necessary.”
The election was overshadowed by the disqualification of the main opposition party, CHADEMA, in April after it refused to sign a government-imposed code of conduct. Its leader, Tundu Lissu, was later charged with treason. Another opposition candidate from ACT-Wazalendo was also disqualified, leaving only minor parties to challenge Hassan.
The unrest poses a major test for President Hassan, who initially won praise for relaxing some of the authoritarian restrictions that characterized the rule of her predecessor, John Magufuli. However, rights groups say recent months have seen a resurgence of abductions, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation of opposition figures and activists.
Hassan said last year that she had ordered an investigation into the alleged disappearances of government critics, but no findings have been made public.
As calm remained elusive Thursday evening, smoke continued to rise over parts of Dar es Salaam, and many residents feared further clashes.
“The tension is palpable,” said a local journalist. “People are afraid, but they also feel something has broken the fear barrier.”
