Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan Has Been Declared Winner in Landslide Victory Amid Violent Protests.
A disputed election has sparked widespread unrest, with violent protests erupting across the country. The electoral commission has announced that Hassan has won the presidency with a massive 97% of the vote, securing her a five-year term to govern one of Africa's largest nations.
The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party's landslide victory has raised eyebrows, given its rarity in the region. Only authoritarian leaders like Rwanda's Paul Kagame have managed to win by such a margin. The CCM party's grip on power was at stake, with opposition figures hoping to challenge decades of rule.
However, human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have documented a pattern of repression ahead of the polls. Reports of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings have been cited by UN human rights experts. In June, over 200 cases of enforced disappearance were reported since 2019, with the UN expressing "alarm" at the reports of a "pattern of repression."
Protests broke out during the vote for president and parliament, with demonstrators targeting government buildings and police. The protests were sparked by concerns over the electoral commission's exclusion of Hassan's main challengers from the race and what witnesses described as widespread repression.
Opposition leaders have faced intimidation and arrest in the run-up to the election. In April, Tundu Lissu, vice-chair of the Chadema party, was arrested on treason charges. His party was disqualified from participating, while another opposition leader, Luhaga Mpina, was also barred from contesting.
The government has rejected criticisms of its human rights record, dismissing reports of at least 10 deaths during the protests as "hugely exaggerated." The main opposition party claims that hundreds have been killed, but the UN human rights office confirms credible reports of at least 10 fatalities in three cities.
A disputed election has sparked widespread unrest, with violent protests erupting across the country. The electoral commission has announced that Hassan has won the presidency with a massive 97% of the vote, securing her a five-year term to govern one of Africa's largest nations.
The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party's landslide victory has raised eyebrows, given its rarity in the region. Only authoritarian leaders like Rwanda's Paul Kagame have managed to win by such a margin. The CCM party's grip on power was at stake, with opposition figures hoping to challenge decades of rule.
However, human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have documented a pattern of repression ahead of the polls. Reports of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings have been cited by UN human rights experts. In June, over 200 cases of enforced disappearance were reported since 2019, with the UN expressing "alarm" at the reports of a "pattern of repression."
Protests broke out during the vote for president and parliament, with demonstrators targeting government buildings and police. The protests were sparked by concerns over the electoral commission's exclusion of Hassan's main challengers from the race and what witnesses described as widespread repression.
Opposition leaders have faced intimidation and arrest in the run-up to the election. In April, Tundu Lissu, vice-chair of the Chadema party, was arrested on treason charges. His party was disqualified from participating, while another opposition leader, Luhaga Mpina, was also barred from contesting.
The government has rejected criticisms of its human rights record, dismissing reports of at least 10 deaths during the protests as "hugely exaggerated." The main opposition party claims that hundreds have been killed, but the UN human rights office confirms credible reports of at least 10 fatalities in three cities.