Election Violence Claims Over 500 Lives in Tanzania

Thu Apr 23 2026 18:05:13 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

An inquiry report reveals that over 500 people died in Tanzania following election-related violence last year, with calls for accountability and further investigations into the unrest.

An inquiry in Tanzania disclosed that 518 individuals lost their lives due to severe violence during the aftermath of the 2026 general election. The report pointed to a lack of clarity regarding those responsible for the deaths, calling for further investigations, while opposition parties and human rights groups have accused security forces of brutal crackdowns on protestors. The violence raised significant concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the government's response.

A total of 518 people died in Tanzania from unnatural causes in the wake of widespread protests that followed last year's general election, the commission of inquiry set up to investigate the violence has announced.

However, commission chairman Mohamed Chande Othman did not say who was responsible for the deaths and recommended further investigations.

Opposition parties and human rights groups had previously accused the security forces of unleashing a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the 29 October poll with 98% of the vote - which the opposition described as a mockery of democracy.

At the time, the president said the election was fair and transparent and blamed foreigners for the violence, suggesting it was part of a plot to overthrow her.

International observers, however, last year raised concerns over the lack of transparency in the vote, with the African Union and the southern Africa bloc Sadc saying the election had fallen short of democratic standards.

Last year, the BBC verified multiple videos of police shooting towards groups of protesters. Footage posted online showed that demonstrators were confronted by heavily armed police units blocking their progress and firing tear gas to disperse crowds. In many of the videos, gunfire can clearly be heard as people scatter in the ensuing chaos.

The scale of Tanzania's election violence was shocking for a nation that had cultivated an image of calm, consensus, and order for nearly six decades.

Speaking after receiving the report on the violence, Samia said it shook our nation and the government would take lessons from it.

She also defended the actions of the security agencies, saying they had prevented the state from sliding into anarchy.

More than 2,000 people were injured, including 120 security officers, with opposition and religious groups claiming thousands more could have perished, alleging bodies were taken from hospitals and buried in mass graves.

The commission found that among the deceased, 490 were male, 21 were children, and 16 were security officers, with 197 dying from shotgun wounds. However, the death toll might be higher as some had been buried without official notice.

The inquiry suggested that social and economic issues, as well as demands for political reforms, fueled the protests, which it deemed neither peaceful nor lawful. The commission recommended criminal inquiries and emphasized the need for accountability regarding the violence.

This is the first time the authorities have officially acknowledged the death toll, following accusations of a cover-up by opposition leaders.