Suluhu Hits Back at Critics Accusing Tanzania of Police Brutality
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu has strongly pushed back against accusations that her government used excessive force against protesters during the country’s recent general election.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, December 2, she defended the actions of security agencies, saying the officers were deployed to prevent what she described as an attempted coup aimed at destabilising the nation.
Suluhu suggested that most of the criticism was coming from a neighbouring country, though she did not reveal its name.
She argued that the same neighbours condemning Tanzania had themselves faced widespread protests a few months earlier, where their own governments responded with heavy force.
According to her, Tanzania was now being unfairly judged for actions that other countries had taken under similar circumstances.
“I heard people saying we used a lot of force. But what do they consider little force?” she asked in her address. “Should we have watched silently as protesters tried to overthrow the government? We had to take the necessary steps to protect the country.”
She went on to say that protests were not unique to Tanzania and that even neighbouring states had witnessed similar unrest. In those cases, she claimed, security forces used significant force to restore order, yet those governments did not face the same level of international scrutiny.
Suluhu criticised what she termed a double standard by the global community, questioning why only Tanzania was being singled out while the neighbouring country’s actions went unchallenged.
She emphasized that maintaining peace and safeguarding the country remained her top priority, adding that the police would continue searching for individuals believed to have played a role in the election-related chaos.
Her remarks come at a time when opposition leaders and several international organisations are demanding accountability for the deaths and injuries reported during the Tanzanian elections.
Human rights groups have intensified their pressure, filing a petition before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to open formal investigations into the alleged killings and abuses committed during the electoral period.
According to the petition, filed on November 25 by the Madrid Bar Association in collaboration with multiple human rights organisations, the Tanzanian security forces are accused of committing serious crimes.
These alleged crimes include murder, torture, enforced disappearances, and systematic violence against civilians.
The general election held on October 29 was marred by violence across several regions, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
Among the victims was a Kenyan teacher, whose killing drew regional attention and increased calls for justice.
The violent aftermath has continued to raise questions about the conduct of the security forces and the government’s commitment to upholding democratic principles.
Suluhu, however, remains firm in her stance, insisting that the government acted in defence of national stability and would not allow any attempts to disrupt the peace that Tanzanians rely on.
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