Authorities in Tanzania have charged hundreds of people with treason following violent demonstrations over last month’s disputed elections, in what observers say marks a sharp escalation in the country’s political tensions.
Dozens of people in Dar es Salaam and other regions have been charged, according to court documents made public on Saturday.
Among those wanted by police is Josephat Gwajima, a well-known preacher whose church was deregistered earlier this year after he criticized the government over alleged human rights abuses. Arrest warrants have also been issued for several senior Chadema opposition party officials, including Brenda Rupia, the party’s communications director, and John Mnyika, its secretary-general.
Chadema leader Tundu Lissu has been in jail for several months and also faces treason charges after calling for electoral reforms ahead of the October 29 vote.
Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi said the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan has “taken steps to restore harmony” as questions grow about the true death toll from the unrest.
Opposition leaders claim that more than 1,000 people were killed as security forces moved to suppress protests before and after the election. The Catholic Church in Tanzania has reported that hundreds were likely killed, while the Kenya Human Rights Commission says as many as 3,000 people may have died, with many still missing.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who first took office in 2021 after the death of her predecessor, was declared the winner with 97% of the vote, defeating 16 minor candidates after major opposition figures were barred from running.
Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have accused authorities of arbitrary arrests, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings, allegations the government denies.
The African Union (AU) said its observers found that the election failed to meet international standards, citing reports of ballot stuffing and voters being issued multiple ballots. The AU concluded that the overall environment was “not conducive to peaceful and credible elections.”
Tanzania has been ruled by the Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party since independence in 1961. Critics say President Hassan’s government has adopted an increasingly authoritarian approach, defying the democratic reform movements spreading across the region.
