Tanzania in Turmoil: Alleged Post‑Election Massacre and Rise of a Presidential 'Cabal'

Tanzania in Turmoil After Alleged Post‑Election Killings

Sources told AFP that many Tanzanian politicians are in shock and afraid to speak publicly after what opposition and eyewitnesses describe as the massacre of hundreds of mostly young protesters following the October 29 election. Graphic images circulated online amid a five‑day internet blackout, and the opposition alleges that security forces killed more than 1,000 people as demonstrations were suppressed. The government has not released an official casualty tally.

Eyewitness Accounts and Allegations

AFP interviewed multiple eyewitnesses who described violent scenes, including people shot at close range by police and unidentified armed men. One witness said they saw a bystander shot in the head by a soldier in Dar es Salaam on election day. Another witness described police lining up three people and shooting them repeatedly in the legs the following day. These accounts are alarming but have not been independently verified in all cases.

Claims of Mass Graves

A senior government official, speaking anonymously to AFP because they feared for their safety, provided coordinates for two suspected mass‑grave sites near Dar es Salaam at Kondo and Mabwepande. AFP could not independently verify those sites. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said there are 'disturbing reports' that bodies were removed from streets and hospitals and taken to undisclosed locations, an apparent attempt to conceal evidence.

The Alleged Inner Circle

Two anonymous government sources, including a former presidential adviser, told AFP that a small group close to President Samia Suluhu Hassan now controls key levers of power. The inner circle identified by the sources includes the president's son Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, private secretary Waziri Salum, intelligence head Suleiman Abubakar Mombo, and a little‑known East African parliamentary member, Angela Kizigha. Sources described officials as paralysed by fear and said many have been sidelined.

Pattern of Repression, Abductions and Political Context

Sources say the campaign of violence began more than a year before the election, with critics reportedly attacked, abducted or killed. The Tanganyika Law Society recorded 83 abductions prior to the vote and warned that disappearances increased sharply in the campaign's final days. High‑profile cases include former government spokesman and ambassador Humphrey Polepole, reported missing from his blood‑stained home on October 6 after resigning in a letter critical of the government.

'Why are you abducting a 20‑year‑old kid just because they criticised you? You're the president, for crying out loud!' the anonymous official asked.

International Reaction and Outlook

International officials and rights groups have called for transparent investigations. The opposition has called fresh protests for Independence Day on December 9, but anonymous government sources expressed fear that further demonstrations could lead to more lethal crackdowns. The overall picture, they say, is of a country entering a new and more repressive chapter unless independent verification and accountability follow.

Note: This article reports allegations and eyewitness accounts relayed to AFP. Some claims, including the alleged mass‑grave coordinates and precise casualty figures, have not been independently verified.