Tanzania has mobilised police and soldiers in Dar es Salaam ahead of planned protests by activists calling for justice over the violent crackdown on demonstrations following last year’s elections.
Authorities warned that any public demonstrations on the anniversary of the country’s independence from Britain in 1961 could amount to a coup attempt and urged residents to remain indoors.
Eyewitnesses told Reuters that security forces were patrolling major streets and checking identification, while small protests reportedly began in some parts of the city, although these reports could not be independently confirmed.
The elections on 29 October, which saw President Samia Suluhu Hassan secure a new term with almost 98 per cent of the vote after opposition leaders were barred from contesting, triggered the worst political violence in Tanzania since independence. According to UN human rights experts, at least 700 people were extrajudicially killed, though the government has not provided its own death toll.
The unrest and reports of abductions of critics in the lead-up to the vote have prompted international concern. The United States is reviewing its relationship with Tanzania over issues including violence against civilians, restrictions on free speech and religious freedom, and barriers to investment.
President Hassan said she had ordered investigations into reported abductions, but no findings have yet been released. As Dar es Salaam braces for further unrest, the situation remains tense and closely monitored by both residents and international observers.
