UN Demands Probe into Fatalities After Tanzanian Polls

The United Nations on Tuesday publicly requested an investigation into the alleged killings of numerous individuals.

These fatalities reportedly occurred during protests that followed last month’s disputed national elections in Tanzania.

This demand for an official probe is raised amidst reports that Tanzanian authorities have filed treason charges against hundreds of people involved in the demonstrations.

Accusations of Concealing Evidence

The UN’s top human rights official, Volker Türk, voiced serious concern regarding the situation. He spoke of “an apparent attempt [from the government] to conceal evidence” related to the deaths of protesters.

This accusation follows unverified reports suggesting that security forces were removing the bodies of those killed during the unrest from mortuaries and taking them to undisclosed locations. Türk urged the national authorities to release the bodies to the families for proper burials.

He described the search by grieving relatives as harrowing: “Reports of families desperately searching everywhere for their loved ones, visiting one police station after another and one hospital after another are harrowing.”

Conflicting Casualty Counts

The country’s main opposition party stated that approximately 2,000 people were killed during three days of protests following the disputed October 29 poll.

The government has not yet provided any official death toll. The UN reported that “hundreds” of people are believed to have died. However, the organization stated it was unable to independently verify these figures due to the volatile security conditions in Tanzania and a six-day internet shutdown that was implemented after the elections.

The Catholic Church in Tanzania has publicly condemned the recent killings of protesters. Church leaders warned that achieving lasting peace would be impossible without justice.

Legal Crackdown on Dissent

Tanzanian authorities have filed treason charges against hundreds of individuals linked to the post-election demonstrations. Among the suspects currently sought by police is Josephat Gwajima, an influential preacher.

Gwajima’s church had been previously deregistered earlier this year after he publicly criticized the government over alleged rights abuses.

Police have also issued arrest warrants for several of the nation’s highest-ranking opposition officials who have not yet been taken into custody.

The leader of the opposition party, Tundu Lissu, is already serving a jail sentence. He, too, faces treason charges. Lissu’s legal troubles began after he advocated for electoral reforms ahead of the recent vote.

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