Tanzania Opposition claims Security Forces Concealing Election Violence Death Toll
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, alleges that security forces are secretly disposing of the bodies of victims following recent post-election violence, perhaps obscuring the true scale of the deaths. The claims come as life slowly returns to normal in major cities after a six-day internet shutdown and a period of unrest following the March presidential election.
Chadema leaders report at least 400 deaths in the Tunduma area of the Mbeya region alone,with hundreds more reported across other regions. The party alleges security forces are “holding dead bodies” and secretly dumping remains to minimize the reported number of killings.
“We want to see those who shot Tanzanians being held accountable,” stated Chadema official Deogratius Munishi, adding the party will not engage in political negotiations with the government until electoral and judicial reforms are implemented to ensure justice.
Independent human rights lawyer Tito Magoti, based in Dar es Salaam, described Tanzania as being “in such crisis,” with citizens searching for missing relatives and grappling with a death toll he believes exceeds Chadema’s figures. Magoti reported receiving a message Tuesday from a source near Arusha detailing two army trucks leaving a hospital mortuary loaded with corpses – one full, the other half-full – and a suspicion that authorities planned to bury the bodies in a forest as part of a cover-up. He also expressed concern about hospital complicity.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, inaugurated Monday as Tanzania’s first female leader, acknowledged loss of life in her inaugural address and called for a return to normalcy.
Authorities have warned against sharing photos and videos that could incite panic, and sent text messages to mobile phone users threatening “treason charges” for disseminating images deemed to demean human life or cause unrest. A social media page sharing images and videos of alleged election protest victims was taken down monday after rapidly gaining followers.
On Tuesday, Dar es Salaam and Dodoma saw a gradual resumption of normal activity, with gas stations, grocery stores, and public transport reopening. The government spokesperson on Monday instructed public workers to return to work, ending a work-from-home order implemented after a Wednesday curfew.
