Tanzanian authorities have charged hundreds of citizens with treason following widespread demonstrations over last month’s disputed elections, marking a sharp escalation in the country’s political crisis. The unrest has left an unknown number of people dead, with human rights groups and opposition leaders alleging mass killings and disappearances.
Court documents released Saturday reveal that dozens of individuals in Dar es Salaam and other regions face treason charges linked to protests surrounding the October 29 vote. Among those wanted is Josephat Gwajima, a prominent preacher whose church was deregistered earlier this year after he criticized the government’s human rights record.
Arrest warrants have also been issued for senior opposition figures, including Brenda Rupia, communications director for Chadema, and John Mnyika, the party’s secretary-general. Chadema’s leader, Tundu Lissu, has been jailed for several months and also faces treason charges for advocating electoral reforms prior to the vote.
Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi announced that President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration has “taken steps to restore harmony,” though critics accuse the government of authoritarianism and violent suppression of dissent.
The death toll from the unrest remains unclear. Chadema claims more than 1,000 people were killed, alleging that security forces secretly disposed of bodies to conceal the scale of the violence. The Catholic Church has estimated the number of deaths in the hundreds, while the Kenya Human Rights Commission issued a statement Friday asserting that 3,000 people were killed and thousands remain missing.
President Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 following the death of her predecessor, won over 97% of the vote according to official results. Key opposition candidates, including Lissu and ACT-Wazalendo’s Luhaga Mpina, were barred from running, leaving Hassan to face 16 minor party challengers.
International observers have raised serious concerns about the integrity of the election. The African Union reported ballot stuffing and multiple ballot issuance at polling stations, concluding that the vote did not meet AU or international standards for democratic elections. Amnesty International and other rights groups documented enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings in the lead-up to the vote allegations the government denies.
Tanzania has been under the rule of the Chama cha Mapinduzi party since independence in 1961. While previous leaders maintained tight control, they allowed limited opposition. Critics say Hassan’s leadership marks a shift toward more repressive governance, defying democratic movements gaining momentum across East Africa.
