A government-appointed commission in Tanzania has reported that 518 people died during violence linked to the October general elections, a figure significantly lower than opposition claims that suggested thousands were killed.
Commission chair Mohamed Chande Othman stated that the total fatalities stood at 518, with 490 of the victims being male.
He further noted that the dead included 21 children and 16 members of the security forces, while more than 2,000 individuals sustained injuries.
According to the report, the deaths resulted from “unnatural causes” amid widespread protests that erupted after the elections.
Accountability still unclear
Othman did not assign responsibility for the killings, instead calling for additional investigations to determine those behind the violence.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who secured victory in the October 29 election with 98% of the vote, described the findings as deeply unsettling and said the country would draw lessons from the report.
She also defended security agencies, arguing that their intervention helped prevent chaos and widespread disorder.
Opposition rejects findings
The main opposition party, Chadema, strongly criticised the commission’s findings, describing them as an effort to “cover up” and “sanitize” alleged abuses by the state.
Opposition groups and some religious leaders had previously claimed that thousands were killed and alleged the existence of mass graves, claims the commission said could not be verified, also accusing some actors of using artificial intelligence to manipulate images.
Contributing factors identified
The report pointed to a mix of economic, political, and social pressures behind the unrest, including calls for reforms, high unemployment, and what it described as a “lack of patriotism.”
It recommended several measures, including a national day of mourning, free healthcare for victims, and the drafting of a new constitution by 2028. It also called for a formal criminal investigation to establish accountability.