The commission, established by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, released its findings after a lengthy investigation into the violence that erupted after the October 2020 election. According to the commission, 197 of the 518 dead died from shotgun wounds, and more than 2,000 people were injured, including 120 security officers. The commission did not assign responsibility for the deaths and recommended further investigations, stating that the death toll could be higher as some victims were buried without authorities being told. It also dismissed suspicions of mass graves, saying allegations could not be substantiated.
Opposition parties and human rights groups have long accused security forces of a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters. The BBC verified multiple videos of police shooting towards groups of protesters. Opposition and religious groups had said thousands were killed, with reports of bodies taken from hospitals and mass graves. The commission's report, however, rejected those claims, but the opposition remains unconvinced.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was declared winner of the 29 October poll with 98% of the vote, defended the election as fair and transparent and blamed foreigners for the violence. Speaking at a press conference, she said the violence 'shook our nation' and that the government would take lessons from it. She defended the actions of security agencies, saying they prevented the state from sliding into anarchy. She stated that the violence was planned, coordinated, financed, and executed by people trained and equipped for committing crimes, adding that the objective was to create a leadership vacuum and make the country ungovernable.
The election itself was marred by controversy. The opposition described the election as a 'mockery' of democracy, and international observers raised concerns over lack of transparency in the vote. The African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said the election fell short of democratic standards. Despite these criticisms, President Samia maintained that the vote was free and fair.
The main opposition party Chadema called the commission's report a 'cover-up and an attempt to whitewash the regime's crimes.' Opposition parties condemned the inquiry, rejecting its findings and calling for an independent investigation. The commission's report has done little to quell the political tensions in the country, with the opposition demanding accountability for the deaths.
Several uncertainties remain. The commission acknowledged that the death toll could be higher, but it did not provide an estimate of how many more may have died. The question of who was responsible for the 518 deaths remains unanswered, as the commission did not assign blame. Allegations of mass graves persist, with the commission dismissing them but not providing detailed evidence for its conclusion. It is unclear whether the government will conduct further investigations or hold anyone accountable for the violence. The commission's recommendations for further investigations have yet to be acted upon, leaving many families of the victims without closure.