International Concerns Over Tanzania’s Elections
The recent elections in Tanzania have drawn significant international criticism, with the African Union (AU) stating that they did not meet democratic standards. This has intensified pressure on President Samia Hassan’s administration, particularly following the violent nature of the vote.
The AU’s election monitoring team, which included 72 observers in both Tanzania and Zanzibar for the 29 October election, identified several issues that compromised the integrity of the process. These include ballot stuffing, a government-imposed internet blackout, allegations of excessive military force, and politically motivated abductions. The mission’s report concluded that the election “did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks, and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections.”
The environment was described as “not conducive to peaceful conduct and acceptance of electoral outcomes.” In the aftermath of the election, protesters took to the streets of Dar es Salaam and other cities, only to face police violence, tear gas, and limited internet access.
The main opposition party, Chadema, claimed that hundreds of people were killed during the protests, although the government has denied these claims. Al Jazeera reviewed videos showing dozens of bodies, including individuals shot in the head, protesters with bloodied faces, and security forces firing guns in the streets.
The AU’s mission urged Tanzanian authorities to exercise restraint and conduct thorough investigations into the violence against protesters. It also called for electoral and political reforms to address the root causes of the democratic and electoral challenges witnessed before, during, and after the 2025 general elections.
This criticism comes amid another rare rebuke from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which highlighted violence, censorship, and “general intimidation” of the public and opposition figures. In a preliminary report released on Monday, SADC stated that “voters could not express their democratic will,” adding that the elections “fell short” of SADC principles.
President Hassan won nearly 98% of the vote, as her two main competitors were barred from participating. Chadema was disqualified in April after refusing to sign an electoral code of conduct, while ACT-Wazalendo was excluded after an objection from the attorney general.
Chadema’s leader, Tundu Lissu, faces a treason trial after calling for election reforms. SADC noted that these disqualifications created an “uneven political playing field” that undermined the democratic process. The last time SADC openly criticized an African election was during Zimbabwe’s 2023 election. Since then, it has observed several other elections, including in Malawi, Botswana, South Africa, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In her first comments after being sworn in, Hassan appeared to blame foreigners for the protests, stating “it was not a surprise that those arrested were from other countries,” according to a translation by the Associated Press. Hassan took power in 2021 after the unexpected death of her predecessor, John Magufuli.
Since then, local and international watchdogs have raised concerns over her administration’s alleged campaign of forced disappearances, torture, and assault of critics, as well as widespread media repression. In June, a panel of United Nations experts reported documenting more than 200 disappearances in the country since 2019.