Tanzania Lifts Curfew Amidst Election Violence Recovery

Tue Nov 04 2025 23:31:25 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Following recent unrest during Tanzania's elections, authorities have lifted a curfew in Dar es Salaam as citizens begin the slow process of rebuilding their lives amidst shortages and mourning.

Tanzanian police have lifted a night-time curfew imposed following violent election protests that resulted in severe social and economic disruptions. While some businesses in Dar es Salaam have reopened and traffic resumed, the aftermath of the deadly clashes remains tense. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who was recently inaugurated after winning the controversial election, faces growing scrutiny over human rights abuses amid claims of significant casualties. Observers criticize the election's legitimacy due to the detainment of opposition leaders and reports of violent suppression of protests.

Tanzanian police have lifted a night-time curfew imposed since last Wednesday in the main city Dar es Salaam following deadly election protests, as life slowly returns to normal across the country.

Following the unrest, the internet was cut nationwide and most shops in Dar es Salaam closed amid acute shortages of basic essentials and soaring prices. Schools shut and public transport came to a halt.

On Tuesday, some shops reopened and traffic resumed but with queues persisting at some petrol stations in Dar es Salaam.

Families continue to search for or bury relatives killed in the clashes between the security forces and opposition supporters who denounced the poll as a sham.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in on Monday after being declared the winner of last Wednesday's election with 98% of the vote.

Observers from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) - a regional bloc which includes Tanzania - said in a preliminary report that the election fell short of democratic standards.

The two main opposition leaders were unable to contest the poll - Tundu Lissu is in detention on treason charges, which he denies, while Luhaga Mpina's candidacy was rejected on technical grounds.

Internet services are slowly being restored, though social media remains restricted. Police have warned against sharing images from the protests.

Lissu's Chadema party told the AFP news agency that it had recorded 'no less than 800' deaths by Saturday, while a diplomatic source in Tanzania told the BBC there was credible evidence that at least 500 people had died.

The government has not given casualty figures. Chadema now says its deputy chairman John Heche has gone missing after being picked up from a police station in the capital, Dodoma, on Tuesday morning.

Camapign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the authorities for their responses to the protests, calling for respect for rights and investigations into violence.

Samia, the first female president of Tanzania, had been initially praised for easing political repression but has faced criticism and accusations of increasing oppression.