Tanzanian president secures landslide victory amid deadly protests

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has claimed a landslide election victory, official results revealed on Saturday, following a vote marred by the jailing or disqualification of key opposition candidates and several days of violent protests.

The electoral commission announced on state television that Hassan had won 97.66 per cent of the vote, dominating every constituency across the country. A swift swearing-in ceremony was scheduled to take place on Saturday, according to state TV.

The main opposition party, Chadema, has accused security forces of killing hundreds of people since protests erupted on election day, Wednesday.

Hassan first assumed office as vice-president after the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in 2021. She has faced resistance from segments of the army and from Magufuli’s allies, and analysts suggest she sought to consolidate her position with an emphatic electoral win.

Human rights groups have criticised her administration for overseeing a “wave of terror” in the lead-up to the election, citing a string of high-profile abductions that intensified in the final days before voting. Chadema was barred from participating in the election, and its leader was placed on trial for treason.

Despite a heavy security presence, election day descended into chaos. Crowds took to the streets nationwide, tearing down Hassan’s posters and attacking police and polling stations. The unrest prompted an internet shutdown and a nationwide curfew.

A Chadema spokesperson told AFP on Friday that “around 700” people had been killed, based on figures collected from hospitals and health clinics. A security source and a diplomat in Dar es Salaam also reported that the death toll was “in the hundreds”.

Hassan has not made any public statement since the unrest began. Her government denies using “excessive force”, but the nationwide lockdown, curfew, and internet restrictions have made it difficult to obtain independent information. News websites have not been updated since early Wednesday, and journalists are not operating freely in the country.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed that he was “deeply concerned” about the situation in Tanzania, including reports of deaths and injuries during demonstrations, his spokesperson said in a statement.

Public anger has largely been directed at Hassan’s son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, who has been accused of overseeing the crackdown. There have been unconfirmed reports that the army sided with protesters in some areas, though army chief Jacob Mkunda firmly supported Hassan on Thursday, labelling the demonstrators “criminals”.

Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo told Al Jazeera on Friday that his government had “no figures” on casualties. “Currently, no excessive