Curfew Lifted in Dar es Salaam Following Post-Election Unrest
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Authorities in Dar es Salaam have lifted a curfew imposed following widespread protests related to recent elections, though concerns remain regarding alleged abuses and the whereabouts of missing individuals. The lifting of the curfew comes amid reports of bodies being removed from mortuaries by vehicles marked “Municipal Burial Services” during nighttime hours, according to a doctor at Muhimbili Hospital who spoke to the BBC on Tuesday, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.
“[Thay] are getting into the mortuary at night to pick bodies of those believed to have died during protests, they leave and take them to unknown destination,” the doctor stated. He also alleged that relatives are being denied access to bodies and that injured protesters are being taken from emergency departments to undisclosed locations by police, sometimes before fully recovering.
The unrest follows elections where President Samia Suluhu Hassan was inaugurated, acknowledging “loss of lives and destruction of public property” but also stating it was “not surprising” that some of those arrested were foreign nationals.
Families are desperately seeking details about loved ones. Mama Kassim, a Tanzanian woman, told the BBC she has not seen her two sons since polling day and is unable to locate one of them. “I don’t know where he is, I don’t know whether he has been arrested, I don’t know if he is injured, I don’t know if he is hospitalised, I don’t know if he is dead. Oh God, protect my son. He’s only 21 years old,” she said.
A Kenyan family has requested government assistance in repatriating the body of John Okoth Ogutu, a 33-year-old teacher at Sky School in Dar es Salaam, who was allegedly shot by police while purchasing food at Gaba Center. His sister, Celestine Ogutu, described him as a “loving, hard-working man who hated arguments.”
Human rights Watch (HRW) has accused authorities of responding to the protests “with lethal force and other abuses,” calling for investigations and prosecutions of those responsible. Amnesty International expressed alarm over the “excessive force” used to suppress the demonstrations, resulting in deaths and injuries.
President samia Suluhu Hassan assumed office in 2021 following the death of President John Magufuli. While initially praised for easing political repression, the political climate has reportedly become more restrictive under her leadership.
