Tanzania Urged to Investigate Election-Related Abuses

Several countries have called on Tanzania to urgently investigate allegations of human rights violations linked to the October 2025 General Election. The concerns were raised during Tanzania's fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 5, 2026. The review followed the presentation of Tanzania's fourth national report on human rights by Constitution and Legal Affairs Minister Abdallah Ulega.

The UK expressed concern over reports of excessive use of force by security agencies, civilian deaths, and the detention of opposition leaders, including Chadema chairman Tundu Lissu. The UK called for accountability and recommended an independent judicial investigation, with legal action against officers found responsible for abuses. It also urged Tanzania to end prolonged pre-trial detention and review the use of non-bailable offences.

Germany, Ireland, and Lithuania also raised concerns over alleged enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and pressure on journalists and civil society organisations. Austria called for an end to the harassment of activists and recommended setting 18 as the minimum legal age of marriage for both girls and boys. Australia urged Tanzania to end the use of excessive force by state agencies and abolish the death penalty.

Armenia called for the restoration of freedom of expression and the right to hold public political gatherings, while Angola recommended strengthening human rights education and translating the country's laws into Kiswahili to make them more accessible to citizens. The UPR is a United Nations process through which the human rights records of all 193 member states are examined every four and a half years.

Despite the concerns, some countries recognised Tanzania's progress in social and economic development. Japan, Vietnam, and Mongolia commended the country for improvements in maternal and child healthcare, efforts to protect women's rights, and initiatives aimed at reducing discrimination against vulnerable groups.

The recommendations made during the review are expected to be considered and formally adopted on November 13, 2026. The Tanzanian government will then indicate which recommendations it accepts and intends to implement, and which it notes, ahead of the next review cycle.

The government has defended its decision not to publish the full report of the Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the violence of October 29, 2025. It said releasing the report at this stage could interfere with or undermine ongoing investigations by state agencies into those involved in the incidents.

Key points

• The UK called for an independent judicial investigation into election-related abuses.
• Several countries raised concerns over human rights violations linked to the 2025 General Election.
• Tanzania's progress in social and economic development was recognised by some countries.