The commission's report, released on Tuesday, provides the first official tally of deaths linked to the protests that erupted after President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with 98% of the vote, according to election authorities. Among the 518 dead, 490 were male, 21 were children, and 16 were security officers. The report also detailed that 197 of the deceased died from shotgun wounds. The commission noted that the death toll could be higher, as some victims were buried without authorities being notified.
The commission, however, avoided assigning responsibility for the deaths and recommended further investigations. Othman stated that the commission did not identify who was responsible for the killings, leaving that question open for future probes. The commission also dismissed suspicions of mass graves, saying that allegations of bodies being taken from hospitals and buried in mass graves could not be substantiated. This finding contradicts claims made by opposition and religious groups, who reported that bodies were removed from hospitals and alleged the existence of mass graves.
It shook our nation.
Opposition parties and human rights groups have accused security forces of a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters. The BBC verified multiple videos of police shooting towards protesters, lending credence to these accusations. Opposition and religious groups have said that thousands were killed, with reports of bodies taken from hospitals and mass graves. The main opposition party Chadema has called the commission's report a 'cover-up' and an attempt to whitewash the regime's crimes. The opposition fears that between 1,000 and 2,000 were killed, far exceeding the commission's tally.
The disputed election results have been a source of tension. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with 98% of the vote, according to election authorities, a result that the opposition described as a 'mockery' of democracy. International observers, including the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), raised concerns over the lack of transparency in the vote. The election took place in October 2020, and the protests that followed were met with a heavy security response.
We have learnt. The commission has told us that all the violence was planned coordinated, financed and executed by people who were trained and given equipment for committing crimes.
President Samia has defended the election as fair and transparent and blamed foreigners for the violence. She said the unrest was orchestrated by outsiders to destabilize the country.
The opposition has rejected the commission's findings. Chadema, the main opposition party, said in a wire report that the report was a cover-up and an attempt to whitewash the regime's crimes. The party has called for an independent international investigation into the deaths. The commission's report has done little to quell the political tensions in Tanzania, with the opposition and human rights groups continuing to demand accountability.
The objective of those involved was to create a leadership vacuum and make the country ungovernable.
The commission's report leaves several key questions unanswered. Who was responsible for the deaths? What is the actual death toll if unreported burials are included? Were there mass graves? The commission dismissed mass grave allegations, but opposition groups maintain that such graves exist. The commission recommended further investigations, but it remains unclear who will carry them out and whether they will be independent. The international community has urged Tanzania to ensure a transparent and credible process to address the post-election violence.
The findings have significant implications for Tanzania's political landscape. President Samia, who came to power after the death of President John Magufuli in March 2021, has sought to project an image of reform and openness. However, the commission's report and the opposition's rejection of it highlight the deep divisions that persist. The 2020 election was widely criticized as flawed, and the violent crackdown on protesters has drawn condemnation from human rights organizations. The commission's failure to assign blame may be seen by some as a missed opportunity for national healing.
The report was a cover-up and an attempt to whitewash the regime's crimes.
In the aftermath of the report, calls for justice have grown louder. Human rights groups have documented numerous cases of excessive force by security forces during the protests. The BBC's verification of videos showing police shooting at protesters adds weight to these allegations. The commission's own data, showing that 197 people died from shotgun wounds, suggests a high level of lethal force was used. Yet, without accountability, the cycle of impunity may continue.
The opposition's estimate of 1,000 to 2,000 deaths, if accurate, would indicate a far more severe crackdown than the commission acknowledges. The discrepancy between the official toll and opposition claims underscores the lack of trust in state institutions. The commission's dismissal of mass grave allegations without providing detailed evidence has further fueled suspicions of a cover-up.
As Tanzania moves forward, the challenge will be to reconcile the competing narratives of the election and its aftermath. The commission's report is a step toward transparency, but its limitations are evident. The international community, including the African Union and Sadc, has called for further investigations. Whether the government will heed these calls remains to be seen. For now, the families of the 518 dead and the thousands injured await answers that the commission has not provided.