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Nineteen embassies urge Tanzania to address post-election killings and detentions
Nineteen diplomatic missions in Tanzania — among them the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and several European states — have issued a rare joint appeal calling on authorities to respond urgently to allegations of post-election abuses, including killings, disappearances, and arbitrary detentions.
In a statement released in Dar es Salaam on Friday, the envoys said they “deeply regret the tragic loss of life and the numerous injuries reported after the recent elections.” They noted that credible accounts point to extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and the concealment of bodies following unrest that erupted after the Oct. 29 vote.
The diplomatic missions urged Tanzanian authorities to return the bodies of those killed, ensure unrestricted medical and legal access for detainees, and release individuals held in connection with the protests.
They also pressed the government to implement recommendations issued by African Union and Southern African Development Community observer missions, which documented various irregularities during the electoral process.
The group emphasized that any investigation into the violence must be independent, transparent, and inclusive of civil society and political stakeholders, while reiterating the need to uphold constitutional protections for freedom of expression and access to information.
Their intervention came just a day after the United States warned that what it described as Tanzania’s “ongoing repression” and “disturbing violence against civilians” risked damaging bilateral relations.
Tanzania has come under intensifying international scrutiny since the National Electoral Commission declared President Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner with 97.66% of the vote. Opposition groups and human rights advocates allege that the number of people killed in clashes is significantly higher than official reports indicate.
While acknowledging the government’s stated commitment to maintaining peace, the embassies urged security forces to exercise restraint and encouraged authorities to address community concerns swiftly. They also called for the immediate release of political prisoners and the return of victims’ bodies to their families as a necessary step toward restoring public trust.
