Police in Tanzania fired tear gas and live rounds on Thursday to disperse protesters who returned to the streets a day after a tense general election marked by violent demonstrations and reports of fatalities.
According to witnesses, fresh protests broke out in Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial capital, as well as in the northern cities of Arusha and Mwanza. Demonstrators were protesting what they called “unfair elections” following the exclusion of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s two main challengers from the presidential race, alongside growing accusations of government repression.
Authorities imposed an overnight curfew across Dar es Salaama city of more than seven million people—after government offices and other public buildings were reportedly set ablaze during the unrest. Internet services, which were disrupted during Wednesday’s vote, appeared to be returning intermittently on Thursday.
Tanzanian human rights activist Tito Magoti told Reuters he had received reports of at least five deaths from Wednesday’s protests. A diplomatic source, who declined to be identified, said there were credible reports of at least 10 people killed in Dar es Salaam. Reuters could not independently verify the figures, and both government and police officials declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation began releasing provisional election results, showing President Samia Suluhu Hassan in a commanding lead across several constituencies.
The British government announced that international flights to and from Dar es Salaam had been suspended, while airports in Arusha and near Mount Kilimanjaro were also closed. The U.S. Embassy in Tanzania advised its citizens to shelter in place, warning that movement by road remained dangerous and that several airlines had cancelled flights.
By Thursday afternoon, dozens of protesters in at least three Dar es Salaam neighborhoods were still defying police orders, chanting and waving placards calling for “justice” and “democracy.” Officers responded with gunfire and tear gas, forcing crowds to scatter.
In Arusha and Mwanza, witnesses reported similar scenes, with police using tear gas to break up smaller gatherings.
The situation remains tense, as opposition supporters discuss plans for fresh marches in the coming days, despite heavy police deployment and warnings from authorities.
