- The Tanzanian government reacted to CNN’s investigation production exposing the killings of civilians during the recently concluded presidential election
- Facing global outrage, the President Samia Suluhu-led regime issued a statement promising to review the CNN documentary and deliver an official and comprehensive response
- President Suluhu won the vote with a 98% triumph, which has since been clouded by scrutiny, with the police accused of brutalising protesters who questioned the integrity of the election
Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
The Tanzanian government has addressed findings from international media outlets, which continue to spotlight the horrors that befell civilians following the October 29 presidential election.
Source: Twitter
President Samia Suluhu was declared the winner with 98% of the vote against a slate of nondescript opponents, after key opposition challengers were barred from contesting.
The credibility of the election has since come under scrutiny, with heavy police action against civilians who took to the streets in protest, undermining its integrity.
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Were people killed during Tanzanian elections?
Reports indicate that people were killed during the polls, but local media were unable to cover the events due to government sanctions and an internet shutdown, which made it difficult for information to be shared across online platforms in real time.
With the urge to tell the world what unfolded amid the internet blackout, the international news networks took it upon themselves to highlight the happenings on the ground, using satellite imagery to show what unfolded in the country.
They also crowdsourced information from the Tanzanian public that offered details on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
The latest was a special report by CNN, which detailed the gory situation on the ground.
The production, headlined by Kenyan-born CNN’s international correspondent Larry Madowo alongside other crew, captured the horrific moments police brutalised unarmed civilians, killing those who ran away from them.
An instance is shown of a pregnant woman who was felled by a police round. She was running in the midst of a crowd when the police fired and hit her, killing her instantly.
The CNN report showed bodies piling up in morgues, with signs of mass graves in the north of Dar es Salaam, a scenario consistent with the reports of bodies being forcibly taken away by the police.
How Tanzania’s government responded to CNN report
With the investigation having caught the world’s attention, the Tanzanian government issued a statement shortly after.
Seeming to feign ignorance in the face of the post-election horror, the government responded to the CNN production, stating that it would look into the matter, promising a detailed report in due course.
“The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has taken note of a documentary recently published by CNN regarding the events of 29th October 2025. The government is currently reviewing and verifying the contents of the documentary. An official response will be issued upon completion of this assessment,” the government spokesperson’s official X account tweeted Friday, November 21.
The findings by CNN corroborated those of the BBC, which also used the satellite imagery to piece together a documentary that detailed the Tanzanian police brutality.
How UN reacted to the happenings in Tanzania
The two news outlets’ reports came after a concern by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, who raised alarm over what he described as the Tanzanian government’s apparent unwillingness to reveal the full extent of the post-election crisis.
In a statement issued on November 11, Türk warned that the situation could be far more serious than the authorities had acknowledged.
Source: Getty Images
He noted reports of families frantically moving from one police station to another and from hospital to hospital in search of missing relatives, often without success.
Türk called on the government to disclose the fate and whereabouts of those unaccounted for and to release the bodies of the deceased so their families could accord them dignified burials.
He further expressed concern over allegations that corpses were being removed from hospitals and transported to undisclosed locations, potentially to cover up evidence of a massacre.
In a recent statement of regret, President Samia alleged that the protests were orchestrated by paid external actors.
She acknowledged that the skirmishes had tainted Tanzania’s image internationally, and expressed concerns that the country might not get support from the international community when it needs.
She subsequently formed an inquiry committee to investigate the killings and reported human rights abuses.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
