The United States announced on Thursday that it is conducting a “comprehensive review” of its relationship with Tanzania, following a presidential election marred by violence, repression, and mounting international concern over basic freedoms in the East African nation. The move comes after weeks of unrest surrounding Tanzania’s October 29 vote, which saw President Samia Suluhu Hassan declared the winner with a staggering 98 percent of the vote—a result that opposition groups and many international observers have openly questioned.
According to the U.S. State Department, the review is a direct response to “ongoing repression of religious freedom and free speech,” as well as “persistent obstacles to U.S. investment, and disturbing violence against civilians in the days leading up to and following Tanzania’s October 29 elections.” The Department’s statement, as reported by AFP and other outlets, highlighted grave concerns about the reliability of Tanzania’s government as a partner, warning, “The United States cannot overlook actions that jeopardize the safety of our citizens, or the security and stability of the region.” The future of bilateral relations, it added, will be determined by the Tanzanian government’s actions going forward.
These warnings followed a bloody and chaotic election season. The main opposition party, Chadema, was banned from the ballot after its leader, Tundu Lissu, was charged with treason in April for allegedly plotting to “spoil” and “disrupt” the election and inspiring rebellion. Lissu’s arrest and the exclusion of Chadema from the race triggered widespread outrage, leading to mass protests across the country on election day and in the days that followed.
What began as peaceful demonstrations quickly turned violent. Security forces, according to reports from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), responded with live ammunition and tear gas, imposing a nationwide curfew and cutting off internet access across large parts of Tanzania. The OHCHR said on October 31 that it was “alarmed by the deaths and injuries that have occurred in the ongoing election-related protests in Tanzania,” calling on security forces to “refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal weapons, against protesters, and to make every effort to deescalate tensions.” The U.N. also demanded the “immediate and unconditional release” of those held in “arbitrary detention.”
Despite these appeals, the violence escalated. According to opposition groups and human rights advocates, more than 1,000 people were shot dead by security forces over several days of unrest. While the government has yet to release an official death toll, Western embassies in Tanzania reported on December 5 that there was “credible evidence” of government forces concealing bodies of protesters killed during the crackdown. The OHCHR echoed these concerns, stating it had received “disturbing reports that security forces have been seen removing bodies from streets and hospitals and taking them to undisclosed locations in an apparent attempt to conceal evidence.” Chadema officials alleged that many of the bodies were hidden in mass graves.
The repression did not end with the initial wave of violence. Several prominent government critics reportedly disappeared in the run-up to the election, and the crackdown on dissent continued after Hassan’s victory was announced. More opposition leaders were arrested, and the authorities moved swiftly to suppress further demonstrations. On December 5, Tanzanian police officially banned proposed rallies planned for December 9, citing “unlawful tactics” and a lack of formal notification. Police spokesperson David Misime noted that calls for the rallies were being coordinated by individuals using telephone numbers and anonymous online accounts both inside and outside the country—a claim that appeared designed to cast suspicion on the motives and origins of the protest movement.
Efforts to control the narrative extended into the digital realm. Earlier in the week, Meta suspended the Instagram accounts of two Tanzanian activists after they posted images documenting the violent crackdown. The government’s attempts to stifle information have only fueled further anger among Tanzanians, with many vowing to return to the streets despite the ban on protests.
President Hassan, who was initially seen as a possible reformer after succeeding John Magufuli in March 2021, has grown increasingly defiant. In a televised address on December 2, she accused opposition groups and protesters of being manipulated by foreign “colonial powers” intent on overthrowing her government. “Do they still think they are our masters, our colonizers? Is it because of the little money that they give us, which isn’t even there anymore?” Hassan said, dismissing international criticism. She further defended the security forces’ actions, asking, “When they tell us that we used excessive force, what is reasonable force? Did they want us to just watch the violence until they fulfilled their goal of a revolution and overthrow the government from power?”
Her comments have done little to quell international outrage. U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, leading voices on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a joint statement in November denouncing the election as “marred by state-sponsored political repression, targeted abductions and manipulation.” Risch, in particular, criticized the Tanzanian government for oppressing Christian clergy who spoke out against what he called “President Hassan’s brutal regime.” He warned, “This crackdown is not only an assault on Christians and other citizens — it threatens Tanzania’s stability, undermines U.S. security and economic interests, and risks pushing the country further into China’s embrace.”
Amid the turmoil, the United Nations and a coalition of Western nations have continued to press the Tanzanian government for accountability. The OHCHR has demanded the release of detainees and an end to the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators, while Western embassies have called for transparent investigations into the alleged concealment of bodies and the fate of missing activists.
As December 9 approaches—a date that many activists had hoped would mark a new round of nationwide protests—Tanzania’s political future remains deeply uncertain. The government’s refusal to allow further demonstrations, coupled with its harsh response to dissent and its apparent efforts to hide evidence of violence, has only deepened the country’s political crisis and strained its international relationships.
For Tanzanians, the coming weeks may prove decisive. The world is watching to see whether President Hassan’s administration will heed calls for restraint and reform, or whether the cycle of repression and resistance will continue to escalate, with potentially grave consequences for the country’s stability and its standing on the global stage.
