Tanzania Election Violence Kills Over 500 People, Official Inquiry Reveals
Dar es Salaam, 23 April 2026
A government commission has documented 518 deaths following Tanzania’s October 2025 general election, including 490 men, 21 children, and 16 security officers. The inquiry, led by former chief justice Mohamed Chande Othman, deliberately avoided identifying perpetrators despite opposition accusations against security forces. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who won with 98% of votes, claimed the violence was orchestrated to destabilise her government, whilst opposition parties dismissed the findings as a ‘cover-up’. International observers had already declared the election below democratic standards.
Commission Findings Reveal Scale of Violence
The commission’s report, delivered on 22 April 2026, documented extensive casualties beyond the headline death toll [1]. More than 2,000 people sustained injuries during the post-election violence, including 120 security officers [1][2]. The geographical distribution of deaths showed concentrated violence in urban centres, with Dar es Salaam recording 182 fatalities and Mwanza accounting for 90 deaths [1][2]. Commission chairman Mohamed Chande Othman warned that the actual death toll could be higher due to burials conducted without notifying authorities [2].
Timeline of Violence Following October Election
Violence erupted immediately after the 29 October 2025 general election, with protests beginning in Dar es Salaam on the same day before spreading nationwide [1][2]. President Samia Suluhu Hassan had been declared the winner with 98% of the vote, a result that opposition parties called a ‘mockery’ of democracy [2]. The commission of inquiry began its work on 20 November 2025 with a mandate to determine root causes, actors, consequences, response and recommendations [1]. International observers from the African Union and Southern African Development Community (SADC) had already concluded that the election fell short of democratic standards [1][2].
Opposition Alleges Security Force Brutality
Opposition parties and human rights groups accused security forces of conducting a brutal crackdown during the protests [1][2]. The BBC verified multiple videos showing police shooting towards protesters, armed police blocking progress, firing tear gas with audible gunfire [2]. Opposition and religious groups claimed thousands were killed, with reports of bodies being removed from hospitals and allegations of mass graves [2]. However, commission chairman Othman deliberately avoided identifying who was responsible for the deaths and recommended further investigations without providing a timeline [1].
Political Tensions and Regional Stability Implications
The commission attributed the violence to economic, political and social causes, including demands for political reforms, unemployment, and what it termed ‘lack of patriotism’ [1][2]. President Hassan defended the security agencies’ response, claiming they prevented anarchy, whilst asserting that ‘all the violence was planned coordinated, financed and executed by people who were trained and given equipment for committing crimes’ with aims ‘to create a leadership vacuum’ and make the country ‘ungovernable’ [1][2]. The main opposition party Chadema dismissed the inquiry as a ‘cover-up’ and ‘an attempt to whitewash the regime’s crimes’ [1][2]. For the broader East African region, this level of electoral violence raises concerns about political stability and could influence refugee movements, particularly affecting repatriation considerations for Tanzanians abroad and potentially impacting border security with neighbouring countries [GPT]. Opposition leaders Tundu Lissu, currently in detention on treason charges, and Luhaga Mpina, whose candidacy was rejected, were blocked from contesting the poll [1].
Commission Recommendations for Reconciliation
The commission has proposed several measures aimed at addressing the aftermath of the violence and preventing future incidents [1][2]. Recommendations include providing free medical treatment and psychosocial support for victims, establishing a national day of mourning, and creating a commission of criminal inquiry to determine accountability [1][2]. More substantially, the commission called for a new constitution to be in place by 2028 and the establishment of a new reconciliation commission [1][2]. President Hassan acknowledged that the violence had ‘shook our nation’ and promised that those responsible would be held accountable, though the commission’s reluctance to identify perpetrators may complicate such accountability efforts [1][2].