U.S. Opens Review Of Relations With Tanzania After Deadly Post‑Election Crackdown

Washington, DC — The United States has launched a formal review of its relationship with Tanzania following a violent government crackdown on protesters after the contested October 29 presidential election, the U.S. State Department said.

United Nations human rights experts have estimated that hundreds of people were shot dead and hundreds more detained in the weeks after the vote. The State Department said concerns about restrictions on religious freedom and free speech, obstacles to U.S. investment, and "disturbing violence against civilians" prompted the review.

"The Government of Tanzania’s ongoing repression of religious freedom and free speech, the presence of persistent obstacles to U.S. investment, and disturbing violence against civilians in the days leading up to and following Tanzania’s October 29 elections, required this reconsideration of our ties," said State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

"These actions have put American citizens, tourists, and U.S. interests in Tanzania at risk, and threatened to undermine the mutual prosperity and security that have defined our partnership for decades," Pigott added.

Evidence Documented by CNN and Others

An exclusive CNN investigation found geolocated video, audio-forensic analysis of gunfire, and first-hand witness accounts indicating that police and armed patrols fatally shot unarmed demonstrators in multiple locations. Satellite imagery and eyewitness testimony also pointed to suspected mass graves north of Dar es Salaam, the country's largest city.

Following the contested vote, youth-led protests spread across the country against the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi party. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was declared the winner with about 98% of the vote after key opponents were barred from running, said there were some casualties but authorities have not published official casualty figures.

Social Media Restrictions And Responses

Meta told CNN it disabled or restricted the accounts of two Tanzanian activists who had posted videos of alleged post-election violence. The company said Maria Sarungi-Tsehai’s Instagram access in Tanzania was locked after a legal order from the government, and that Mange Kimambi was removed from Instagram and WhatsApp under its recidivism rules. Both activists disputed the restrictions publicly.

CNN has reached out to the Tanzanian government for comment. The U.S. review signals possible diplomatic and economic consequences if the concerns are not addressed, while human rights groups and international observers continue calling for independent investigations and verified casualty figures.