Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been sworn in for a second time period amid tight safety, following an election marred by violent protests and rejected by the opposition as a sham.
The inauguration ceremony was held at a navy parade floor within the capital, Dodoma, as an alternative of a stadium as in earlier years. It was closed to the general public however was proven reside on state TV.
Samia was declared the winner on Saturday with 98% of the vote. She confronted little opposition with key rival candidates both imprisoned or barred from working.
Worldwide observers have raised issues concerning the transparency of the election and its violent aftermath, with a whole lot of individuals reportedly killed.
On Monday, election observers from southern African regional physique Sadc, of which Tanzania is a member, issued a powerful assertion, saying that in most areas, “voters couldn’t categorical their democratic will”. The observers highlighted restrictions on the oppostion and suspected poll stuffing.
The authorities have sought to downplay the dimensions of the violence. It has been troublesome to acquire data from the nation or confirm the loss of life toll, as a nationwide web shutdown was in place from election day, final Wednesday, till Monday afternoon. Entry stays severely restricted, particularly to social media websites and messages platforms, reviews web monitor NetBlocks.
After being sworn in, President Samia thanked the electoral fee for working the elections with “unquestionable effectivity”.
She expressed unhappiness over the violence that had resulted in “lack of lives and destruction of public property”, describing it as a blot on Tanzania’s picture.
Some Tanzanians have instructed the BBC they haven’t seen their kinfolk since polling day.
A girl who requested to solely be recognized as Mama Kassim instructed the BBC that she has not seen her two sons since election day final Wednesday – and was unable to succeed in considered one of them.
“I do not know the place he’s, I do not know whether or not he has been arrested, I do not know if he’s injured, I do not know if he’s hospitalised, I do not know if he’s useless.”
“Oh God, defend my son. He is solely 21 years previous,” she stated.
One other Tanzanian instructed the BBC he had not but returned residence in Dar es Salaam from his office since Wednesday attributable to an absence of transport.
“I had solely 10,000 shillings ($4) on my telephone. I despatched it to my household on Friday to purchase meals, but it surely wasn’t sufficient and it ran out yesterday. I’ve no more cash. My kids are hungry,” he stated.
Opposition leaders and activists have stated a whole lot have been killed in clashes with safety forces. The opposition Chadema celebration instructed the AFP information company that it had recorded “a minimum of 800” deaths by Saturday, whereas a diplomatic supply in Tanzania instructed the BBC there was credible proof that at the very least 500 folks had died.
The UN human rights workplace earlier stated there have been credible reviews of at the very least 10 deaths in three cities.
Following the unrest, the costs of meals, gas and different necessities have doubled or tripled in lots of areas. Faculties and faculties are closed and there’s no public transport.
Throughout her inauguration ceremony, attended by the presidents of Somalia, Zambia, Mozambique and Burundi, Samia ordered authorities to right away make sure that folks’s lives returned to regular.
She stated “it was not stunning” that a few of these arrested weren’t Tanzanians, including that safety companies have been investigating.
Chadema – which was barred from competing – rejects the outcomes introduced by the electoral fee, saying that they had “no foundation in actuality as the reality is that no real election came about in Tanzania”. It has known as for a contemporary election.
On election day, polling stations remained largely empty – however the electoral authorities later stated turnout had been 87%.
It’s not clear how many individuals died within the protests [Reuters]
On Sunday, police spokesman David Misime blamed motorcycle operators and overseas nationals for the violent demonstrations and vandalism.
He stated there have been people who had “entered the nation illegally with the intention of inflicting chaos”.
Mr Misime urged Tanzanians to report “any foreigner who’s unknown or whose actions in Tanzania are unclear” to the authorities.
His remarks come amid reviews that a number of Kenyan nationals have gone lacking in Tanzania. Kenyan activist Hussein Khalid stated on X that he had acquired reviews of a Kenyan instructor being killed and others nonetheless unaccounted for.
The scenario in Tanzania has sparked international concern, with Pope Leo XIV on Sunday calling for prayers, saying post-election violence had erupted “with quite a few victims”.
EU overseas affairs chief Kaja Kallas urged Tanzanian authorities to train restraint to protect lives, whereas UN Secretary-Common António Guterres stated he was “deeply involved” concerning the scenario “together with reviews of deaths and accidents”.
The nation’s two primary opposition leaders didn’t contest the election – Tundu Lissu is being held on treason costs, which he denies, whereas Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo celebration was excluded on authorized technicalities.
Sixteen fringe events, none of whom have traditionally had vital public assist, have been allowed to run.
The ruling celebration, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), and its predecessor Tanu, have dominated the nation’s politics and have by no means misplaced an election since independence.
Forward of the election, rights teams condemned authorities repression, with Amnesty Worldwide citing a “wave of terror” involving enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings of opposition figures.
The federal government rejected the claims, and officers stated the election could be free and honest.
Samia got here into workplace in 2021 as Tanzania’s first feminine president following the loss of life of President John Magufuli.
Extra about Tanzania from the BBC:
[Getty Images/BBC]
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