HIBAPRESS – Dar es Salaam.
Police in Dar es Salaam, the economic capital of Tanzania, fired shots and tear gas on Thursday to disperse protesters who had returned to the streets a day after the general elections, which witnessed violent demonstrations.
Protests Due to Opposition Exclusion. Protests erupted in Dar es Salaam and several other cities on Wednesday, with protesters expressing their anger over the exclusion of the main rivals of President Samia Suluhu Hassan from the presidential race, in addition to what they described as escalating repression against critics of the government. The authorities ordered a night curfew in Dar es Salaam, which has a population of over 7 million, while the internet outage continued across the country. Human rights activist Tito Magoti pointed to reports of at least 5 people being killed during Wednesday's protests, while a diplomatic source reported reports of 10 people being killed in Dar es Salaam alone. News agencies were unable to independently verify the number of victims. Security escalation and the closure of airports. Dozens of protesters returned to the streets of the Mbagala, Gongo la Mboto, and Kilwa neighborhoods on Thursday, where police fired shots and tear gas. The British Foreign Office said that some international flights from and to Dar es Salaam airport had been canceled, and airports in the northern city of Arusha and the vicinity of Mount Kilimanjaro were closed. Some protesters used the "Zello" application to communicate and plan new demonstrations, including marches towards government buildings. Controversial elections and opportunities and political reforms. Preliminary results of the presidential elections show the victory of President Samia Hassan by a landslide in several electoral districts, while the main opposition party "Chadema" called for protests and considered the elections a mere "inauguration" of the President. The candidate of the opposition party "ICT – Wazalendo" was also excluded, leaving the arena for Samia Hassan to face only small parties. More than 37 million voters participated in the general elections, which included choosing the country's president, members of parliament, and local councils, in an entitlement that is considered an important test of the legitimacy of the President and her ruling party "Chama Cha Mapinduzi." These elections come after legal amendments were approved in 2024 to enhance transparency and voter confidence, but the lack of effective competition raised questions about the seriousness of political reforms in the country. Call for employees to work from home. In the context of security measures, government spokesman Gerson Msigwa announced that all government employees are required to work from home on Thursday, except for those whose duties require them to be present at their workplaces.
