Roughly 700 Apparently Killed in Tanzanian Election Uprisings, Opposition States

As per the chief rival party, about 700 people have supposedly perished during three days of voting demonstrations in Tanzania.

Unrest Erupts on Voting Day

Protests started on election day over allegations that activists called the suppression of the opposition after the disqualification of key contenders from the election contest.

Death Estimates Stated

An rival official claimed that scores of civilians had been slain since the unrest began.

"As we speak, the fatality count in Dar es Salaam is nearly 350 and for another city it is over 200. Including estimates from elsewhere throughout the nation, the overall number is around 700," the spokesperson stated.

The spokesperson mentioned that the number could be much higher because fatalities might be occurring during a nighttime restriction that was imposed from election day.

Other Accounts

• A official source supposedly stated there had been accounts of exceeding 500 dead, "possibly 700-800 in the whole country."
• Amnesty International reported it had obtained data that a minimum of 100 individuals had been slain.
• Rival groups claimed their estimates had been gathered by a team of activists visiting hospitals and health clinics and "counting fatalities."

Appeals for Change

The opposition urged the authorities to "cease targeting our protesters" and requested a transitional government to facilitate democratic votes.

"Stop excessive force. Uphold the voice of the citizens which is electoral justice," the official stated.

Authorities Measures

Authorities reacted by enforcing a curfew. Online restrictions were also observed, with global observers indicating it was countrywide.

The following day, the army chief condemned the violence and referred to the protesters "offenders". He announced security forces would seek to control the crisis.

International Reaction

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed it was "alarmed" by the casualties in the unrest, mentioning it had gathered accounts that a minimum of 10 people had been lost their lives by security forces.

The organization stated it had obtained credible accounts of deaths in the port city, in a northwestern region and Morogoro, with officials discharging live ammunition and chemical irritants to disperse demonstrators.

Expert Perspective

A civil rights attorney stated it was "unjustified" for law enforcement to employ violence, noting that the country's leader "should refrain from using the law enforcement against the civilians."

"The president must pay attention to the people. The mood of the nation is that there was an unfair process … We are unable to choose one candidate," the lawyer commented.