President Samia Suluhu Hassan vowed Monday to steer Tanzania forward after a week of deadly unrest over a disputed election that regional observers condemned as deeply flawed.
Hassan, 65, was sworn in for her first elected term at a military base in Dodoma, days after being declared the winner with nearly 98% of the vote – a result opposition parties dismissed as fabricated. Her two leading challengers had been disqualified before the vote.
“Life must continue,” Hassan told dignitaries including the presidents of Somalia, Mozambique, Burundi and Zambia. “Our duty is to build a better today than yesterday and protect our unity and collaboration.”
The president condemned the protests as violent and destructive but acknowledged that lives were lost.
The government has called opposition claims of hundreds killed “hugely exaggerated,” though the U.N. human rights office said it verified at least 10 deaths during unrest on election day.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), in a stinging preliminary report, declared Tanzania’s 2025 general election a “sham,” saying it failed to meet democratic standards.
The observer mission, led by former Malawian Speaker Richard Msowoya, detailed intimidation, arbitrary arrests, censorship, and a sweeping internet shutdown that crippled communications.
It said the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party’s dominance, combined with the president’s power to appoint election commissioners, undermined transparency and independence.
Observers also reported that opposition leaders, including CHADEMA’s Tundu Lissu and ACT-Wazalendo’s Luhaga Mpina, faced harassment and arbitrary detention, while many opposition members were disqualified from running.
The mission noted that the “calm” atmosphere cited by the government stemmed largely from fear and intimidation rather than genuine peace.
It also criticized the blackout of the internet on election day, saying the move prevented the free flow of information and obstructed the observation of polling, counting and results.
Media censorship was widespread, with state-run outlets overwhelmingly favoring the ruling party while private media self-censored to avoid retaliation.
The report further described heavy police and military deployment in several regions, including Dar es Salaam, Mbeya and Arusha, where gunfire was reported during demonstrations.
Women and youth, the mission added, remained largely marginalized, with only three of 17 presidential candidates being female.
Civil society groups were also restricted, with several long-established organizations denied accreditation for voter education.
The SADC mission concluded that voters “could not freely express their democratic will,” declaring that the election fell short of the bloc’s principles and guidelines for democratic governance.
Internet access remained heavily restricted on Monday, with civil servants told to work from home amid the continued presence of soldiers and riot police in the streets of Dar es Salaam. Protests appeared to have waned, but tension lingered.
The African Union congratulated Hassan on her victory but urged her government to uphold fundamental rights and freedoms.
Hassan, one of only two female heads of state in Africa, initially won praise after taking office in 2021 for easing the repression that marked the rule of her predecessor, John Magufuli.
However, her government has since faced mounting criticism from opposition parties and rights groups following a series of arrests and alleged abductions of activists.
She pledged last year to investigate those cases, but no official findings have been released.
The electoral commission said Hassan won 31.9 million votes out of 37.7 million registered voters – a tally far exceeding the 12.5 million Magufuli received in 2020 – figures the opposition dismissed as implausible amid what they described as fear, suppression and manipulation.
