Police Officer and Civilian Killed During Election Protests in Tanzania
Tanzania witnessed a day of chaos and unrest on Wednesday, October 29, after violent protests erupted during the country’s general elections, leaving a police officer and a civilian dead.
According to a statement released late Wednesday by Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, the organization confirmed the two deaths and called for calm amid growing tension across the country.
“Reports indicating that a member of the public and a police officer have been killed during protests on election day in Tanzania are deeply concerning,” Chagutah stated.
He further urged law enforcement officers to avoid using unnecessary and excessive force when dealing with protesters. “The risk of further escalation remains high, and we urge the police to exercise maximum restraint,” he added.
The unrest erupted as Tanzanians went to the polls, with thousands of frustrated citizens taking to the streets to denounce what they described as a violation of their democratic rights. Anger flared after the country’s electoral commission barred two prominent opposition presidential candidates — Tundu Lissu of Chadema and Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo — from contesting the election.
Videos obtained by Newshub.co.ke revealed scenes of widespread demonstrations across major cities, including Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Tunduma, Tanga, and Mwanza. In some areas, protesters were seen clashing violently with police officers, leading to running battles that left several people injured.
Protesters were also captured setting mattresses ablaze, barricading roads, and chanting anti-government slogans. One disturbing video showed a police officer being attacked by a group of angry demonstrators.
In response to the unrest, Tanzanian authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Dar es Salaam. Regional Commissioner Alfred Chalamila issued a stern warning, saying that security agencies would not tolerate any attempts to disrupt the electoral process. “Anyone found causing chaos or interfering with the elections will face the full force of the law,” he warned.
Despite the government’s threats, sporadic violence continued in several polling centers, with reports indicating that irate youth vandalized ballot boxes and destroyed voting materials in protest against what they called a “rigged process.”
Earlier in the day, the internet observatory NetBlocks reported a nationwide internet disruption, describing it as a “digital blackout.” This outage, which affected communication and social media platforms, was confirmed to have impacted three major service providers in Tanzania.
The shutdown sparked widespread outrage among citizens and human rights organizations, who accused the government of attempting to silence dissent and restrict access to information during the election period.
As the nation awaits official election results, concerns continue to grow over possible escalation of violence, with human rights groups urging both the government and the opposition to prioritize peace and dialogue to prevent further bloodshed.
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