DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Tanzania’s prime minister urged citizens to remain at home Tuesday as activists called for Independence Day protests over the deadly suppression of demonstrations that followed October’s elections. Police warned any gathering would be illegal, and security forces mounted a visible show of force in major cities.
The United Nations has said hundreds of people were likely killed in the unrest, which was fueled by the exclusion of leading opposition candidates from the ballot. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the presidential vote with nearly 98% of ballots, a result the opposition has rejected. The government has acknowledged fatalities but denied that police used excessive force.
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Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba announced there would be no official events marking Dec. 9, the day mainland Tanzania gained independence from Britain, and appealed for people to stay home. In a video posted Monday on the government information center’s account on X, he said: “The government advises all citizens who will not have an emergency on December 9 to use the day for rest and celebrate it at home, except for those whose work duties require them to be at their work stations.”
Police said Friday that any demonstration would be unlawful because authorities had not received formal notification from organizers. Organizing groups have used social media to call for nationwide rallies on Tuesday; it was not immediately clear who was coordinating the protests or whether permits had been sought.
Witnesses reported heavy deployments of police and army personnel along major roads in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, and in the northern city of Arusha on Monday. Armored vehicles and checkpoints were visible near key junctions and government buildings, according to residents.
Hassan has appointed a commission to investigate election-related violence, while repeatedly denying that security forces acted improperly. She has accused some protesters of attempting to overthrow the government, framing the unrest as a threat to public order rather than a response to political grievances.
The post-election turmoil has drawn international scrutiny. The United States said last week it is reviewing its relationship with Tanzania, citing concerns about violence against civilians, as well as issues related to religious freedom, free speech and investment barriers. Washington did not specify potential consequences, but such reviews can affect security cooperation, development assistance and trade ties.
The opposition, weakened by arrests and restrictions in the run-up to the vote, sees Dec. 9 as both a symbolic and strategic date to reassert its presence. Independence Day is traditionally a unifying national celebration; the cancellation of official events underscores the government’s anxiety about renewed unrest and its determination to limit public gatherings.
The scale of any protests remained uncertain early Tuesday amid the heavy police posture and the government’s stay-at-home guidance. Civil society groups and religious leaders have urged restraint from both authorities and demonstrators, warning that any escalation would deepen the political crisis and further erode public trust.
Tanzania, long viewed as a relatively stable nation in a volatile region, faces a test of institutions and leadership as it confronts allegations of mass killings, widespread intimidation and a political process seen by critics as closed to meaningful competition. What happens on the streets on Independence Day — and how authorities respond — may shape the country’s trajectory long after the banners come down.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
