At Least ‘2,000’ Killed, Including Journalists, Lawyers, and Human Rights Monitors

Tanzania, November 5 – As a tense and fragile normalcy returns following a six-day nationwide internet shutdown, the full scope of Tanzania’s post-election crackdown is becoming clear. The main opposition party, Chadema, claims police have secretly disposed of the bodies of thousands of demonstrators killed during unrest after President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s disputed landslide victory.

In the midst of this violence, journalists and human rights defenders are now counted among the injured, arrested, and killed. The crackdown on the press, which had already targeted reporters, camera operators, and human rights monitors before the election, intensified immediately after polls closed in an apparent effort to control the narrative and conceal the scale of state violence.

Information is still emerging on the full scale of the impact on journalists, but at least a dozen have been confirmed injured, arrested, or kidnapped, and killed. Among them was Maneno Selanyika, a member of the Dar es Salaam Press Club (DAR-PC), who reportedly lost his life on October 29 while heading to a nearby shop and was caught up in the day’s unrest. His body has not yet been recovered, according to the Club, which described him as a dedicated and professional journalist known for his insightful court, education, and social reporting. Master Tindwa of Clouds Media was also reportedly shot dead in Dar es Salaam while covering the protests. Arith Jah of Watetezi TV was kidnapped, tortured, and later dumped outside the city. Alphince Kusaga, who worked for Kusaga TV and Sunrise Radio, was taken by police and has not been seen since. Raymond Nyamihula and his four colleagues from Azam Media were beaten while filming demonstrations, while Godfrey of Ayo TV in Arusha was detained and later released without charge.

In this climate of fear, many journalists remain silent, while some feel defeated. The environment of intimidation, harassment, and arrests has made even seasoned reporters hesitant to speak. Some directed our JH_EA team to the police, claiming they were not allowed to share information. “No, I really can’t. Those in authority have the actual numbers. You can reach out to them directly. But the figures are far fewer than what’s being claimed. I can’t confirm the exact number, but what’s being reported is not accurate—they’re exaggerated!” one journalist said in a text.

This culture of suppression extends beyond the press. Human rights activists said they are also facing harassment, arrests, and threats for documenting abuses. Members of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) and lawyers from the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) reported widespread killings, detentions, and disappearances. In a joint statement, they said, “We have verified reports of people – especially young men – being shot, some during protests and others at home.” They added, “Bodies of victims were seen scattered in several areas before being taken to hospitals,” noting that some died due to lack of medical care while others treated themselves at home. Among those affected were lawyers, journalists, opposition politicians, and religious leaders – “some killed while on duty, others at home.” Advocate Peter Elibariki Makundi of the Tanganyika Law Society’s Ubungo Chapter was fatally shot on October 29, 2025, at Shekilango near the Total Petrol Station while returning from shopping.

Others included Dafroza Kokwangua Jacob, known as Mama Frank, a newly elected councillor for Sirari Ward in the October 29 election on the ACT Wazalendo ticket, who collapsed while recording a statement with police in Tarime, Rorya District, and later died in hospital on November 5, according to a police statement. Authorities did not disclose the allegations against her, though unverified reports suggest she was beaten by police. Sheikh Hussein Muhammad Msopa, a vocal critic of President Samia’s administration, also succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained on October 29 at his home in Mabibo Mwisho, Ubungo, Dar es Salaam. Parents are still searching for missing children to give them proper burials, underscoring the human cost of the crackdown.

One human rights defender, scheduled to attend an international conference in the United Kingdom, said they were blocked from reaching the airport due to heightened security and surveillance, forcing them to miss the trip. What began as an operation targeting “suspicious” foreigners has now reached local activists, who fear even basic communication due to growing surveillance and the risk of detention.

The October 29 election was widely expected to hand victory to President Samia. Chadema was barred from participation after its leader, Tundu Lissu, was arrested on treason charges, while the exclusion of ACT-Wazalendo’s Luhaga Mpina on technical grounds created what analysts described as an uneven playing field from the start. With no credible challenger, the ruling party dominated polling stations. Chadema’s deputy leader, John Heche, was later charged with terrorism, two weeks after his arrest in Dodoma – further deepening the opposition’s crisis. His lawyer, Hekima Mwasipu, said he was informed of the charges in Dar es Salaam, though his court date remains unclear.

Even accredited journalists faced restrictions. Agence France-Presse reported on October 24 that its journalists were barred from entering Stone Town, Zanzibar, to cover President Hassan’s rally. One reporter told Human Rights Watch (HRW) that despite applying for accreditation online to cover the mainland elections and following up with officials by phone, he never received a response. These obstacles underscored the limits on transparency and the broader environment of restricted access surrounding the elections.

The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) cited multiple irregularities, including voter suppression, ballot irregularities, and harassment of monitors, concluding that the 2025 elections “did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks, and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections” and occurred in an environment hostile to peaceful conduct, amid widespread violence, curfews, and a crippling internet shutdown.

Observers deployed across 17 regions to 352 polling stations reported that some voters cast ballots without proper verification, and in some stations, “voters were also given multiple ballots to vote in full view of observers,” particularly for presidential ballots. Instances of ballot stuffing and incomplete counts were noted, and observers were sometimes asked to leave before the process concluded, limiting transparency. The mission also documented low voter turnout, late openings, and inadequate accessibility for persons with disabilities, pointing to operational shortcomings. They described outbreaks of violent protests, curfews, and an election-day internet shutdown that disrupted communication and reporting, calling for urgent electoral and political reforms to restore credibility.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission were first to raise these concerns, stating the election “had fallen short of the bloc’s principles and guidelines for democratic elections.” Led by former Malawian Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya, the mission highlighted an election-day internet shutdown, the barring of opposition candidates, delays in accrediting observers, harassment, and obstruction of monitoring efforts. “The environment did not allow voters to freely express their democratic will,” the report concluded, noting that security forces interrogated observers, confiscated passports, and forced them to delete photographs in Tanga, reinforcing claims that the results had “no basis in reality.”

When protests erupted over the disputed election, the government responded with brute force, curfews, mass arrests, and an unprecedented internet shutdown that silenced the country for nearly a week. On Wednesday, Chadema claimed had documented at least 2,000 deaths, including more than 100 from Chadema, and accused police of secretly disposing of hundreds of unidentified bodies in undisclosed locations. Communications director Brenda Rupia told CNN most bodies remain in hospitals under police guard. “The police are stopping people from taking dead bodies away,” she added, noting that over 400 have been secretly disposed of in unknown locations. However, HRW said over 1,000 people killed in Tanzania post-election crackdown

Authorities dismissed the claims as exaggerated. Once internet access was restored, social media was flooded with disturbing images of bodies strewn along roadsides and piled in makeshift morgues. Police warned citizens against sharing photos or videos “that cause public panic,” a move critics said appeared aimed at suppressing evidence. The government maintains that those killed were thugs and criminals involved in looting and destruction.

The attacks on journalists and human rights defenders have left Tanzania’s media environment deeply shaken. Many newsrooms are paralysed, reporters have gone underground, and self-censorship has become a survival tactic. Most TV and radio stations have aired peace messages since election day, avoiding coverage of the violence or the dead and injured. “This is not random,” said a Dar es Salaam editor who requested anonymity. “They are targeting anyone who documents or speaks out. It’s a war against witnesses.” These attacks come against the backdrop of the 2025 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, highlighting the authorities’ blatant disregard and contempt for media workers and press freedom.

Human Rights Watch officials underscored the broader implications of the crackdown. “Street demonstrations against the conduct of elections should not be used as a pretext for violating people’s rights,” said Oryem Nyeko, senior Africa researcher at HRW. “The authorities are obligated to promote and protect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and fully restore access to the internet.”

For ordinary Tanzanians, the human and economic cost of the internet shutdown has been severe. It crippled businesses, disrupted mobile money systems, and severed communication, leaving millions stranded while families searched for missing relatives. Fear of arbitrary arrests continues to grip towns and villages.

THRDC and TLS warned that the shutdown paralyzed communication and access to information, affecting banking, mobile money, healthcare, and transport. “It caused immense economic losses and threatened fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 18 of the Constitution, as well as international human rights treaties,” they said. “In today’s world, internet access is essential for protecting human rights. Such restrictions represent a serious violation of civil liberties and citizens’ ability to participate in public life.”

President Samia while acknowledged, “some lives were lost”  offered no further details or accountability during her swearing in ceremony on Monday.