One year after a disputed presidential election left at least 500 people dead across Tanzania, grieving families and international human rights organisations are demanding post-poll accountability amid fresh accusations that President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration is weaponising counterterrorism legislation to silence political dissent, the BBC reported.
Families Bear Physical and Financial Scars of Election Unrest
The unrest erupted around the Oct. 29, 2025, general election, which saw President Samia declared the winner with 98% of the vote after her two main challengers were excluded. A government-appointed commission of inquiry, chaired by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman and commonly referred to as the Chande Commission, subsequently recorded 518 deaths from unnatural causes, including 197 individuals shot dead, alongside more than 2,000 injuries.
For survivors and the relatives of those killed, the official inquiries have brought little relief or restitution. Mwajuma Hamisi, from Arusha, lost her husband, George Kisivani, who was shot on the day of the vote and died two days later. She is left to fight for the family on her own. Similar financial ruin haunts Meshack Sane, who was also shot in the leg in Arusha. Sane has undergone five operations but can no longer afford the medical treatment he desperately needs, telling the BBC that local officials informed him the government had allocated no budget to assist victims of the violence.
DW reported that other families in cities like Mwanza are still searching for missing relatives or awaiting a basic government acknowledgment. Raha, whose name was changed for safety reasons, told DW that justice for her family would begin simply with the government asking for forgiveness or offering condolences for the death of the nephew she raised.
Accusations of Counterterrorism Abuses and Ongoing Crackdowns
On the eve of the election’s anniversary, Amnesty International issued a scathing assessment, accusing Tanzanian security agencies of operating with impunity. The rights group said it is imperative that the new commission comprehensively address the role of security forces in the election-related crackdown. Amnesty accused the government of weaponising counterterrorism laws to instil fear and suppress critics.
Amnesty documented a continuing crackdown between Sept. 3 and Sept. 17, 2026, targeting individuals who supported banned demonstrations called for July 7 to demand democratic reforms. One 26-year-old man detailed being arrested in Dar es Salaam on July 24 and held without charge for 47 days. He described being blindfolded, denied food, and subjected to threats by interrogators demanding to know who funded the protests.
Tanzanian authorities did not respond to requests for comment from either the BBC or Amnesty regarding the allegations of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests.
Legal Battles and Unanswered Questions Surrounding Inquiry Reports
Political tensions remain high as the nation awaits a crucial legal verdict. Tundu Lissu, the 58-year-old leader of the main opposition Chadema party, was put on trial for treason ahead of the 2025 poll, preventing him from standing. Lissu recently staged a hunger strike after he was not being allowed access to his lawyers. His lawyer, Dickson Matata, confirmed to the BBC that a meeting was eventually granted, allowing Lissu to resume eating ahead of his scheduled court verdict.
Meanwhile, criticism persists over the handling of investigative findings. While the Chande Commission submitted its report to President Samia in April, human rights advocates have condemned the government’s decision not to make the full document public, arguing that it entrenches a culture of secrecy. Although the president has established a secondary commission to identify those responsible for the violence, families and international observers maintain that true justice will require transparent investigations into the conduct of the security forces themselves.
