Tanzania Deploys Security to Prevent Independence Day Protests Amid Election Criticism

Security Measures in Tanzania

• 👮 Security forces were deployed in Dar es Salaam to prevent expected anti-government protests on Independence Day.
• 🚫 The government had warned that any protests would be considered a coup attempt.
• 🏙️ Streets in the commercial capital were largely deserted, with ID checks and closed businesses in the central district.

Activist Calls and International Scrutiny

• 📢 Activists called for protests to denounce the violent suppression of demonstrations during the October elections.
• 🌍 A solidarity protest took place across the border in Nairobi, Kenya, where activists were arrested by police.
• 🗣️ Protesters voiced solidarity with Tanzanians denied their right to peaceful assembly and free speech.

Election Irregularities and Human Rights Concerns

• 🗳️ President Samia Suluhu Hassan won re-election with nearly 98% of the vote, but leading opposition candidates were barred from running.
• 📉 African Union observers deemed the vote not credible, citing evidence of ballot box stuffing.
• ⚖️ The Tanzanian government dismissed criticism, calling the election fair, despite a UN human rights report estimating at least 700 extrajudicial killings.
• 🔍 A commission was appointed to investigate election-related violence, though the president has denied improper actions by security forces.