Hundreds gathered at St Joseph’s Church in Dar es Salaam on Monday to pray for those killed during post-election unrest in Tanzania, with Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi saying the country had “lost its dignity.”
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the October 29 election with 98 percent of the vote. The poll, however, triggered widespread protests that were violently suppressed by security forces, who are accused of killing hundreds. The government has not released an official death toll, and President Hassan has largely refrained from addressing the killings, praising the police instead.
Archbishop Ruwa’ichi condemned the killings as “reckless” and described attacks on protesters and people in their homes as “a disgrace before God.” Families of the victims attended the service but mostly avoided speaking to the media, fearing reprisals.
Opposition parties and activists say security forces shot protesters and bystanders across the country during several days of unrest. The government imposed a total internet blackout and strict lockdown, limiting independent verification of events. Hundreds have since been arrested and charged with treason, a crime carrying the death penalty.
One woman told AFP that her husband was shot while fetching food for their children on election day. Despite searching hospitals and mortuaries, she has been unable to locate his body and called on authorities to release the victims’ remains.
Protests erupted over violent abductions of government critics in the lead-up to the election and the exclusion of major opposition leaders from the race. African Union observers said the vote “did not comply with… standards for democratic elections,” citing “ballot-stuffing” and limited transparency.
Father Charles Kitima, secretary of Tanzania’s Catholic Bishops Conference, said last week: “For the first time in our country, we are experiencing the mass killing of people protesting. We are experiencing a totalitarian regime.”
