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Tanzania remained under lockdown on Thursday, its communication networks crippled by a nationwide blackout, following a day of election turmoil that spiralled into deadly violence with unconfirmed reports suggesting numerous fatalities.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan had sought to consolidate her authority and quell dissent within her ruling party in the virtually uncontested polls, after her key challengers were either jailed or disqualified.
In the weeks leading up to the vote, rights groups condemned what they described as a “wave of terror” sweeping through the East African nation — a surge of intimidation, abductions, and harassment that intensified in the final days before the election.
Despite a visible and heavy security deployment across Dar es Salaam and other major towns on Wednesday, hundreds of protesters poured into the streets, chanting slogans such as “We want our country back.”
Unverified footage circulating on social media appeared to show initially peaceful demonstrations turning violent as the day wore on, with reports alleging that police opened fire on crowds near polling stations and targeted vehicles and businesses linked to the ruling party.
A source told AFP that the unrest continued deep into the night despite a police-imposed curfew.
By Thursday morning, the internet blackout was still in force, and checkpoints manned by police and army units had been set up around Dar es Salaam and other cities, the source said.
According to an AFP reporter, schools and universities were closed, while civil servants were instructed to work from home.
The government has remained silent on the violence, and state-controlled media outlets have avoided any mention of the chaos or updates on the election results.
The diplomatic source added that “upwards of 30 people may have been killed” in Wednesday’s clashes, though the figures could not be independently verified. “It’s unprecedented… Where we go from here is unclear,” the source said, describing President Hassan’s position as “uncertain.”
Reports of unrest also emerged from regions including Songwe in the west and the tourist city of Arusha.
Foreign journalists, meanwhile, have been largely barred from entering mainland Tanzania to cover the elections, further limiting independent reporting from within the country.
