Tanzania, 31 October 2025 - Mass anti-government protests have intensified across Tanzania following, October 29, disputed general elections, with demonstrators clashing with police in major cities including Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Dodoma. Witnesses say hundreds of protesters took to the streets on Friday, accusing President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government of orchestrating what they call a “sham election” designed to extend the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party’s decades-long dominance.
Local media and citizen videos shared on X (formerly Twitter)—which remain independently unverified by Dawan Africa—show crowds chanting pro-democracy slogans and police dispersing them with tear gas. Reports also indicate a continued internet blackout since election day, disrupting communication and hampering independent reporting.
Police in Dar es Salaam imposed an overnight curfew from 6 p.m. Thursday, while military patrols were deployed to guard key installations after incidents of vandalism and fires were reported. Several protesters have been arrested, though authorities have not confirmed the numbers.
The demonstrations were sparked by the disqualification of key opposition leaders from the presidential race. Tundu Lissu, head of the main opposition party Chadema, has been detained since April on treason charges—allegations he denies. Chadema was later disqualified from the election after rejecting a new electoral code widely seen as repressive.
Luhaga Mpina, the ACT-Wazalendo candidate, was also disqualified on technical grounds, leaving President Suluhu facing mostly CCM-aligned contenders in what critics describe as an uncontested race. Opposition groups have since called for nationwide protests under the slogan “No Reforms, No Election.”
In a statement issued Thursday, the European Parliament condemned the polls and the government’s handling of the opposition. Lawmakers declared, “Lissu must be released immediately and unconditionally. No election can be credible when the main opposition is silenced, when freedom of assembly and expression are denied, and when independent media are intimidated and censored.”
The European Union urged Tanzanian authorities to restore civil liberties, lift restrictions on the press, and engage in open dialogue with opposition leaders.Meanwhile, Kenyan security forces at the Namanga border reportedly blocked a small group of activists attempting to cross into Tanzania in solidarity with protesters, citing regional security concerns. The Kenyan government has warned its citizens against participating in “unlawful demonstrations.”
As tensions persist, human rights organizations warn that Tanzania’s democracy is facing its most serious test in decades.
