Pressure Mounts on ICC to Investigate as Kenyans Reported Among Hundreds Killed in Tanzania
Calls are growing for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to step in and investigate the deadly violence that erupted during Tanzania’s recent elections, where hundreds of protesters are believed to have been killed — including some Kenyans.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday, November 2, the opposition party Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) urged the ICC to open investigations into what it described as state-sponsored killings and human rights violations.
The party accused the Tanzanian government of using excessive force against civilians who were peacefully protesting alleged election irregularities.
CHADEMA also appealed to the United Nations (UN) and the wider international community to take urgent action, citing disturbing footage circulating on social media that showed lifeless bodies lying on the streets in several towns.
Reports suggest that the death toll could already be in the hundreds, with many more people nursing life-threatening injuries.
“Given the high number of deaths and injuries being reported across the country, we are appealing to the international community — especially the United Nations and the International Criminal Court — to urgently launch an independent investigation into these killings committed by the Tanzanian government against its own citizens,” CHADEMA said in its statement. “Justice must be served, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
The violence broke out on Wednesday, October 29, shortly after election day, plunging the nation into chaos. Opposition figures accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her administration of manipulating the electoral process, intimidating voters, and silencing dissent.
According to critics, the situation worsened when opposition leaders such as Tundu Lissu, CHADEMA’s presidential candidate, and Luhaga Mpina from the ACT-Wazalendo party were arrested and barred from contesting the polls.
This, they say, fueled anger among citizens who felt that democracy had been stolen from them.
Videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed chaotic scenes in major cities including Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Tunduma, Tanga, and Mwanza, where crowds of protesters clashed with police.
Some protesters were seen burning mattresses and barricading roads, while police responded with tear gas and live bullets. In one clip, an officer was captured being attacked by angry demonstrators.
As the protests intensified, authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Dar es Salaam. Regional Commissioner Alfred Chalamila warned residents that the government would not tolerate any attempts to disrupt public order or interfere with the election process.
Despite the chaos, widespread condemnation, and numerous reports of irregularities, the Tanzanian Electoral Commission declared President Samia Suluhu the winner of the polls.
She reportedly garnered 98 percent of the total votes, securing more than 31 million ballots in her favor — a result that the opposition and many international observers have questioned.
The aftermath of the election has left Tanzania reeling. Protests continue in several towns, and reports indicate growing shortages of fuel, food, and cash, worsening the humanitarian situation.
Foreign governments, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have issued travel advisories warning their citizens against visiting the country due to rising insecurity and political unrest.
Observers say the escalating crisis threatens to destabilize not only Tanzania but also the broader East African region.
The alleged killing of Kenyans in the violence has already drawn attention from Nairobi, with human rights groups urging the Kenyan government to demand accountability and protection for its citizens caught up in the conflict.
As international pressure mounts, all eyes are now on the ICC and the UN to see whether they will respond to CHADEMA’s appeal and initiate an independent investigation into what is being described as one of the darkest moments in Tanzania’s democratic history.
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