Around 700 Apparently Fallen in Tanzania Election Protests, Opposition States
According to the main opposition group, about 700 people have supposedly been killed during three days of voting protests in the East African nation.
Clashes Breaks Out on Election Day
Demonstrations erupted on Wednesday over allegations that protesters labeled the suppression of the rival camp after the exclusion of prominent contenders from the presidential race.
Fatality Numbers Stated
A rival spokesperson claimed that hundreds of people had been lost their lives since the demonstrations began.
"Currently, the death toll in the port city is around 350 and for Mwanza it is 200-plus. Combined with figures from other places across the country, the overall count is about 700," he said.
The spokesperson mentioned that the toll could be much higher because fatalities could be taking place during a night-time curfew that was imposed from election day.
Other Reports
- An security insider allegedly mentioned there had been reports of more than 500 deaths, "possibly 700-800 in the whole country."
- The human rights organization reported it had obtained reports that at least 100 individuals had been slain.
- The opposition stated their figures had been collected by a group of supporters visiting hospitals and health centers and "documenting fatalities."
Calls for Action
Rival officials urged the administration to "halt targeting our protesters" and requested a caretaker government to enable just and transparent votes.
"Halt excessive force. Honor the voice of the public which is electoral justice," the spokesperson declared.
Government Response
Authorities responded by implementing a restriction. Web outages were also reported, with global watchdogs reporting it was across the nation.
On Thursday, the military leader criticized the violence and called the activists "criminals". He announced authorities would attempt to control the unrest.
International Concern
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed it was "deeply concerned" by the fatalities and harm in the demonstrations, adding it had obtained information that at least 10 people had been lost their lives by authorities.
The organization stated it had collected trustworthy information of deaths in Dar es Salaam, in a northwestern region and an eastern area, with law enforcement using real bullets and teargas to scatter protesters.
Legal Perspective
An civil rights attorney stated it was "unreasonable" for security agencies to use force, stating that the nation's president "must cease sending the law enforcement against the people."
"The president should listen to the people. The sentiment of the country is that there was no election … We cannot choose one candidate," the advocate commented.