Tanzania Inauguration Amid Internet Blackout as Opposition Alleges Hundreds Killed

Tanzania president to be inaugurated amid blackout and contested vote

Dodoma, Tanzania — President Samia Suluhu Hassan is set to be sworn in at State House in Dodoma on Monday as the country remains under a near-total internet blackout following violent election-day unrest that the opposition says left hundreds dead.

The national electoral commission has declared Hassan the winner with 98% of the vote. The main opposition party, Chadema — which was barred from competing — has rejected the result as a "sham" and called for fresh elections.

Inauguration without the public

State television announced that the public would not attend the ceremony, which will take place inside State House rather than in a stadium as is customary. The move comes amid tight security, a curfew in many areas and widespread closures of schools and colleges.

Internet blackout and limited verification

A full internet shutdown has been in place since clashes began on election day, leaving only a trickle of independently verifiable information from inside the east African country. Observers say that the communications blackout is severely limiting independent reporting and verification of events.

Opposition claims: Chadema told AFP it had recorded "no less than 800" deaths by Saturday. A diplomatic source cited reports of hundreds — possibly thousands — of deaths registered at hospitals and clinics across Tanzania. These figures have not been independently confirmed.

The government has not acknowledged any deaths and has rejected accusations that security forces used "excessive force." Over the weekend, Dar es Salaam and other cities saw a near-total lockdown with heavy policing: checkpoints, identity and bag checks, and restrictions on shop hours were widely reported.

Allegations of unmarked security forces and abuses

AFP journalists in Zanzibar reported seeing masked armed men patrolling without visible insignia or identification in the days after the vote. Rights groups and regional organizations have relayed troubling accounts, and a Kenyan rights group released graphic footage it said originated in Tanzania — material that could not be independently verified.

One diplomatic source told reporters there were "concerning reports" that police were using the internet blackout to buy time while they hunted for opposition members and protesters who might have video evidence of alleged abuses.

International concern

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was "deeply concerned" about the situation, including reports of deaths and injuries during demonstrations. Media reports also described a papal appeal for prayers and dialogue; note that some original reports named "Pope Leo XIV," which appears to be an erroneous attribution in those sources. The Vatican called for calm and urged all parties to pursue dialogue.

Analysts say Hassan — who became president after the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli in 2021 — sought a decisive victory to consolidate her authority and silence internal critics. Rights groups have accused the administration of presiding over a campaign of intimidation before the vote, including reported abductions in the run-up to election day.

With communications cut and movement restricted, independent verification remains limited. International observers and rights groups are calling for transparent investigations into the violence and reported fatalities.