It's been a year since Tanzania's general election, which was marred by deadly violence, and many citizens are still reeling from the aftermath. President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the election with 98 percent of the vote, but the opposition and rights groups claim that thousands were killed during the protests that followed. A government-appointed commission put the death toll at 518. For many, life has not been the same since the violence erupted.
Twaha Bomeza, a 61-year-old man, was one of those affected by the violence. He was shot in the eye during a shootout between protesters and security forces, leaving him with shrapnel lodged in his eye and in need of surgery he cannot afford. Bomeza told AFP that he tried to save himself, but was shot and fell down, losing four front teeth in the process. He is still nursing an internal wound in his eye and experiences shortness of breath and constant headaches.
The Catholic Church held masses to honor the victims of the violence, while the main opposition party, Chadema, announced a seven-day mourning period. Chadema described Tanzania as a "dictatorship" and an "authoritarian state" that neither upholds the rule of law nor guarantees human rights. The streets of Dar es Salaam were quiet, with a heavy police presence, as citizens reflected on the past year.
Many citizens, like Asma, 22, vividly remember the "horrifying" day of the violence. She witnessed someone being shot in front of her and described the situation as "terrible." Asma told AFP that many people died that day, and it's a memory that still haunts her. The US ambassador warned that the killings "will not be swept under the rug," criticizing Tanzania's handling of the situation.
President Hassan has responded to the criticism by trying to build closer ties with Moscow. She was represented by her prime minister at a Russia-Africa summit in Moscow this week. However, analysts say that Tanzania is "tense," with arbitrary arrests on the rise. The treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, whose verdict is due on November 6, is another potential flashpoint.
Lissu began a hunger strike this week to demand access to his lawyer, and another opposition official, John Pambalu, was charged with treason. A Tanzanian dissident, Twaha Mwaipaya, was abducted in Kenya and remains missing. Rights activist Tito Magoti described the situation as a "state of terror," where people live in paranoia. Many have still not been able to bury their loved ones.
Human rights groups have criticized Tanzania for failing to hold those responsible for the violence to account. Amnesty International said that the state is "weaponising counterterrorism laws to silence critics and instil fear." The government-appointed commission's report has been disputed, with critics saying it was established in "bad faith" to help the government "clean Tanzania's image" internationally.
Key points
- A year after Tanzania's bloody election, many remain traumatized by the violence.
- The government-appointed commission put the death toll at 518, but opposition and rights groups claim thousands were killed.
- Human rights groups have criticized Tanzania for failing to hold those responsible for the violence to account.
