Tanzania’s electoral commission on Saturday declared President Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner of the country’s general election, securing nearly 98% of the votes amid widespread unrest and allegations of repression.
The result grants Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 following the death of former President John Magufuli, a new five-year mandate to lead the East African nation of about 68 million people.
However, the announcement came against the backdrop of violent protests that erupted during Wednesday’s presidential and parliamentary elections. Witnesses reported that demonstrators tore down banners bearing Hassan’s image and set fire to government buildings, prompting police to respond with teargas and live gunfire.
The opposition accused the electoral commission of unfairly excluding Hassan’s two major challengers from the race, describing the poll as a “sham” marred by intimidation and human rights violations.
Tanzania’s main opposition party claimed on Friday that hundreds of people were killed in the unrest, though the U.N. human rights office said it had received credible reports of at least 10 deaths in three cities.
Government officials dismissed the opposition’s figures as “hugely exaggerated” and rejected international criticism of its human rights record.
