Nearly 700 Supposedly Killed in Tanzanian Election Unrest, Opposition Claims

Based on the primary rival group, around 700 civilians have reportedly died during a three-day period of poll-related unrest in Tanzania.

Unrest Begins on Voting Day

Demonstrations erupted on election day over what activists called the suppression of the rival camp after the exclusion of key hopefuls from the presidential race.

Death Estimates Reported

An opposition representative stated that hundreds of civilians had been killed since the unrest started.

"At present, the death toll in the port city is approximately 350 and for another city it is over 200. Combined with figures from elsewhere around the nation, the total figure is approximately 700," the spokesperson stated.

He noted that the death count could be even larger because killings could be taking place during a evening curfew that was implemented from Wednesday.

Additional Accounts

• An official insider allegedly mentioned there had been reports of more than 500 dead, "possibly 700-800 in the entire nation."
• The human rights organization stated it had obtained information that no fewer than 100 people had been slain.
• The opposition claimed their figures had been gathered by a group of party members attending clinics and health clinics and "documenting dead bodies."

Appeals for Action

Rival officials urged the government to "stop targeting our demonstrators" and demanded a transitional government to facilitate free and fair elections.

"Stop excessive force. Honor the voice of the people which is electoral justice," the official declared.

Authorities Reaction

Officials reacted by imposing a curfew. Web outages were also observed, with global watchdogs stating it was countrywide.

On Thursday, the army chief criticized the clashes and labeled the protesters "lawbreakers". He said authorities would try to contain the unrest.

Global Response

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed it was "worried" by the deaths and injuries in the unrest, noting it had gathered reports that at least 10 people had been slain by authorities.

The office mentioned it had received credible reports of casualties in the port city, in a northwestern region and Morogoro, with law enforcement using live ammunition and teargas to break up demonstrators.

Legal Opinion

A civil rights advocate remarked it was "unreasonable" for authorities to use force, stating that the country's leader "must cease deploying the police against the public."

"She needs to pay attention to the public. The feeling of the nation is that there was no election … We cannot elect a single contender," the advocate stated.