At Least 518 Died in Tanzania's Post-Election Crackdown, Inquiry Found

Families in Tanzania say they have received neither answers nor official condolences a year after a post-election crackdown that a government-appointed inquiry attributed to at least 518 deaths. Raha, whose name was changed for safety reasons, said her nephew, whom she raised, was killed during protests that followed the October 2025 general election. "The government should have asked for forgiveness for what happened. Even just offering condolences," Raha said.

The unrest unfolded after an election campaign in which the main opposition candidate was barred from contesting. Tundu Lissu, who leads the Tanzanian Party for Democracy and Progress, known as Chadema, was arrested and charged with treason in April 2025, and his party was excluded from the race. On voting day and in the days after, demonstrators demanded political reforms and the resignation of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

The Chande Commission, a government-appointed body chaired by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman, reported that at least 518 people died from "unnatural causes," many from gunshot wounds, and that more than 2,000 were injured. Othman said the count could be higher because some families buried relatives without taking bodies to morgues or reporting to the commission. Oryem Nyeko, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the toll is "very clear that it's far more than the 518 people that were presented by the commission."

Reviews of video footage, police guidelines and a leaked police report indicate officers likely went beyond their training and rules. Tanzania's guidelines restrict firearm use to circumstances where it is absolutely necessary. Material reviewed documented protesters killed by gunshot wounds to the head and upper body, non-protesters shot while fleeing or during a government-imposed curfew, and people in uniform beating or degrading individuals. The Field Force Unit, identifiable by red berets, helmets, shields and riot-control equipment, appeared repeatedly in that material.

In one Mwanza incident, videos showed the bodies of young men reportedly killed by people in police uniforms while they watched television in a video hall. Human Rights Watch cited the case and the Chande Commission flagged it for further investigation. The Centre for Information Resilience documented incidents in Dar es Salaam in which uniformed people beat civilians with sticks, and in which they were positioned near where protesters were shot and killed.

Security analyst Nicodemus Minde said the commission left central questions open. "The Commission did not really tell us who was responsible and why," Minde said. The Chande Commission recommended further investigation but did not identify security bodies, individual officers or commanders responsible. The Tanzanian Ministry of Home Affairs declined to comment, saying it would interfere with the legal process, and no response had been received from police. A second inquiry chaired by retired Justice Shaban Ally Lila began gathering evidence in August 2026; its findings are pending.

Zuri, whose name was changed for safety reasons, said her brother and her son were killed in the violence. "We lost our children; we lost our brothers. Why hasn't the government taken any initiative to at least visit us?" Zuri said. "They behave as if nothing happened. Is this justice? There is no justice in Tanzania."