Around 700 Supposedly Killed in Tanzania Voting Protests, Rival Declares

As per the main opposition party, around 700 people have purportedly lost their lives during three days of voting unrest in Tanzania.

Clashes Begins on Voting Day

Protests broke out on election day over claims that demonstrators described as the stifling of the opposition after the exclusion of key contenders from the election contest.

Casualty Estimates Claimed

An opposition spokesperson claimed that numerous of individuals had been slain since the demonstrations started.

"As we speak, the number of deaths in the port city is around 350 and for Mwanza it is over 200. Added to figures from other regions across the nation, the total figure is around 700," he remarked.

The spokesperson noted that the toll could be much higher because deaths could be happening during a nighttime restriction that was enforced from election day.

Additional Estimates

• An security source allegedly claimed there had been reports of more than 500 dead, "perhaps 700-800 in the whole country."
• The human rights organization reported it had obtained reports that a minimum of 100 people had been slain.
• The opposition claimed their numbers had been compiled by a group of party members going to hospitals and health clinics and "tallying fatalities."

Calls for Action

Rival officials called for the authorities to "halt harming our activists" and demanded a caretaker government to enable just and transparent polls.

"End police brutality. Honor the choice of the citizens which is electoral justice," the official declared.

Authorities Measures

Officials reacted by implementing a lockdown. Web outages were also observed, with international monitors stating it was nationwide.

The following day, the army chief denounced the violence and referred to the protesters "offenders". He stated authorities would try to manage the situation.

International Response

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated it was "deeply concerned" by the fatalities and harm in the protests, noting it had obtained reports that no fewer than 10 individuals had been slain by security forces.

The organization stated it had received trustworthy accounts of deaths in the port city, in a northwestern region and Morogoro, with security forces using gunfire and chemical irritants to break up demonstrators.

Legal Perspective

An civil rights advocate stated it was "unjustified" for authorities to use force, adding that the country's leader "should avoid using the police against the public."

"The president should heed the public. The sentiment of the nation is that there was no fair vote … We are unable to elect one candidate," the lawyer said.