Tanzania police fire shots, tear gas at protesters after chaotic election

Hundreds of radical instrumentality to streets of Dar-es-Salaam aft 2 main absorption figures barred from statesmanlike poll.

Police person fired gunshots connected the streets of Tanzania’s largest metropolis during protests aft a tumultuous presidential election.

In Dar-es-Salaam, a metropolis of much than 7 cardinal people, protesters who defied a curfew connected Thursday successful the Mbagala, Gongo la Mboto and Kiluvya neighbourhoods were met with teardrop state and the sounds of gunfire connected the time aft the election.

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Internet entree remained down crossed the city, wherever hundreds had acceptable polling stations alight and chanted their discontent connected predetermination day.

“We person been soundless for truthful long,” 1 protester shouted successful a video posted to TikTok and verified by Al Jazeera. “What person we been doing?”

Wednesday’s predetermination saw President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s two biggest challengers excluded from the race, infuriating citizens and rights groups who person besides decried an intensifying crackdown against absorption members, activists and journalists.

Despite the net blackout, protesters continued to organise connected the Zello app, discussing imaginable marches connected authorities buildings. But roads crossed the country, including the main roadworthy starring to Dar-es-Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport, were blocked, the United States embassy said successful a information alert.

Hassan took bureau successful 2021 erstwhile her predecessor John Magufuli died successful bureau and has faced rising disapproval for what the United Nations has called a signifier of “escalating” attacks, disappearances and torture of critics.

It’s the latest predetermination this period successful Africa to substance deep-seated choler among citizens aft longtime leaders successful the Ivory Coast and Cameroon besides sought to cling onto power.

Only insignificant absorption figures were eligible to vie against Hassan successful the predetermination aft the Independent National Electoral Commission disqualified Tanzania’s main absorption party, Chadema, successful April for refusing to motion an electoral codification of conduct.

The determination came days aft enactment person Tundu Lissu was arrested astatine a rally wherever helium called for electoral reforms and was charged with treason.

The committee besides barred Luhaga Mpina, the campaigner for the 2nd largest absorption party, ACT-Wazalendo, aft an objection from the lawyer general.

Local and planetary watchdogs person sounded alarms implicit election-related unit and repression for months.

In June, a sheet of 9 UN experts called the government’s actions “unacceptable” and said they had tallied much than 200 disappearances since 2019.

And successful September, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it had documented astatine slightest 10 caller instances of politically motivated assault, harassment, abduction and torture arsenic good arsenic “extensive restrictions” connected media and civilian nine organisations.

Nomathamsanqa Masiko-Mpaka, HRW’s Africa researcher, warned astatine the clip that Tanzania’s October elections were astatine “great risk”.

“The authorities request to halt muzzling dissenting voices and the media and alternatively prosecute successful meaningful reforms to guarantee free, just and credible elections,” Masiko-Mpaka added.