Tanzanian president blames foreigners for bloody protests after disputed elections

DODOMA, Tanzania (AP) — Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday blamed foreigners for last week’s deadly protests following a disputed election in which two main opposition candidates were blocked from challenging her bid for another term.

Meanwhile, a regional African bloc said the October 29 elections did not live up to its standards for democratic elections.

In her first statements after being sworn in, Hassan acknowledged the “loss of life” and stressed that “it was not surprising that the detainees were from other countries,” without providing details. She pledged to unite the country and urged security services to ensure the return of normal life.

The swearing-in took place on government-owned land in the administrative capital, Dodoma, a departure from her previous inauguration ceremony in a packed football stadium, where tensions remained high.

It is not clear how many people were killed in the violence that occurred ahead of the October 29 elections, as demonstrators took to the streets of major cities to demand a halt to vote counting. The army was deployed to assist the police in quelling the riots. Internet connectivity has been on and off in the East African country, disrupting travel and other activities.

Gas stations and grocery stores remained closed on Monday in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, and the streets were almost empty. In Dodoma, most people stayed home. The government postponed the reopening of universities, which was scheduled for November 3.

Seif Maganjo, spokesman for the UN Human Rights Office, said on Friday that there were credible reports of 10 people being killed in the towns of Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga and Morogoro.

The secretary general of the Episcopal Conference of Tanzania, Charles Kitema, confirmed to the Associated Press that “hundreds” of people had died, citing reports from local communities.

“The president has been sworn in and we hope that justice will be served for those who lost their loved ones and that demonstrators will not be targeted,” the Catholic leader said, noting that young people in Tanzania are the most affected.

Observers from the regional bloc of the Southern African Development Community said in a statement on Monday that the October 29 elections did not live up to the bloc’s principles and guidelines on democratic elections, pointing to the ban on opposition candidates.

The union also pointed to the delay in accrediting election observers.

The country’s main opposition party, Chadema, rejected the election results, saying in a statement that they had “no basis in reality.”

Chadema party leader Tundu Lissu was imprisoned for several months after being charged with treason for calling for electoral reforms that he said were necessary for free and fair elections. Another opposition figure, Luhaga Mbina of ACT-Wasalindo, was barred from running.

Internet connections that were cut in Tanzania on election day resumed on Monday, but internet advocacy group Netblocks said there were still “widespread restrictions” on many social media and messaging platforms.

The Tanzanian government urged government employees to return to work and everyone to resume their economic activities on Tuesday.

The presidents of Mozambique, Zambia, Burundi and Somalia attended the swearing-in on Monday. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema urged Tanzanians to renounce violence.

In a statement on Monday, Kenyan President William Ruto called for dialogue in Tanzania to maintain stability. The election violence led to the closure of the main border crossing with Kenya at Namanga, where agricultural goods remained rotting in trucks for days.