UN Says Hundreds Killed in Tanzania Election Protests

UN Says Hundreds Killed in Tanzania Election Protests
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The UN Human Rights Office said on Tuesday it believes hundreds of people were killed in Tanzania during protests following last month’s elections, adding it has received reports that security forces removed bodies to hide evidence, Reuters reported.

The unrest erupted after the October 29 vote, which handed President Samia Suluhu Hassan nearly 98% of the ballots after her two main challengers were disqualified. Opposition party CHADEMA and rights activists claim more than 1,000 people were killed, though the government has dismissed that figure as exaggerated and has not released its own toll.

The UN said volatile security conditions and an internet shutdown had hindered verification but cited credible reports of large-scale killings, injuries, and detentions. UN rights chief Volker Turk said bodies were allegedly taken from streets and hospitals to undisclosed locations. Tanzanian authorities have denied excessive use of force, saying security units responded to violent unrest.

Police have charged more than 300 people, including at least 145 with treason, while four senior CHADEMA officials were released on bail this week. Observers from the African Union said the election failed to meet democratic standards, while Hassan has defended its fairness and rejected rights abuse allegations.