🔗 Share this article

As per the leading rival party, about 700 people have supposedly been killed during three days of voting unrest in the East African nation.

Clashes Erupts on Election Day

Uprisings started on election day over allegations that activists called the suppression of the rival camp after the exclusion of major contenders from the election contest.

Death Figures Reported

A rival official claimed that scores of individuals had been slain since the demonstrations started.

"At present, the death toll in Dar es Salaam is about 350 and for another city it is 200-plus. Added to estimates from other regions around the nation, the final number is about 700," he stated.

The spokesperson noted that the death count could be significantly greater because fatalities could be occurring during a evening lockdown that was enforced from election day.

Additional Estimates

• A official insider allegedly stated there had been accounts of more than 500 deaths, "possibly 700-800 in the nationwide."
• The human rights organization said it had received data that no fewer than 100 individuals had been killed.
• Rival groups asserted their estimates had been gathered by a network of supporters visiting hospitals and health centers and "tallying fatalities."

Calls for Intervention

The opposition demanded the authorities to "cease targeting our protesters" and demanded a transitional administration to enable free and fair elections.

"End police brutality. Respect the will of the citizens which is fair elections," the official said.

Government Response

Authorities responded by imposing a restriction. Online restrictions were also reported, with international monitors indicating it was across the nation.

The following day, the military leader denounced the violence and labeled the protesters "lawbreakers". The official stated law enforcement would attempt to control the crisis.

Global Concern

United Nations human rights office said it was "alarmed" by the deaths and injuries in the protests, mentioning it had gathered information that no fewer than 10 individuals had been killed by security forces.

The office mentioned it had obtained trustworthy reports of fatalities in the port city, in Shinyanga and an eastern area, with security forces firing live ammunition and chemical irritants to break up demonstrators.

Expert View

A civil rights advocate stated it was "unacceptable" for authorities to resort to arms, adding that the country's president "should cease sending the police against the public."

"The president should listen to the citizens. The feeling of the nation is that there was no election … The people cannot choose only one option," the lawyer stated.