UN raises concern over human rights violations by Tanzania government News
John Samuel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
UN raises concern over human rights violations by Tanzania government

The United Nations expressed serious concern on Friday after it was reported that at least 10 people were killed by security forces during protests in Tanzania following this week’s general election.

The alarm was raised by Seif Magango, the spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, who detailed a series of alleged grave rights violations in a formal statement. The situation has escalated rapidly since the October 29 general election, with the opposition rejecting official results and taking to the streets, leading to a violent crackdown and a nationwide communications blackout.

In his statement, Magango provided specific details, stating:

We are alarmed by the deaths and injuries that have occurred in the ongoing election-related protests in Tanzania. Credible reports we have received indicate that at least 10 people were killed in Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga and Morogoro as the security forces used firearms and teargas to disperse protesters.

The Tanzanian government and a coalition of opposition parties and civil society have been in a protracted political conflict. The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, declared the winner, has presided over an election period marked by what critics call a systematic suppression of dissent. This includes the pre-election arbitrary arrest of opposition leaders, such as the Chadema party leader, and the reported enforced disappearance of dissenting voices, including the country’s former ambassador to Cuba.

The UN office held that the use of force, the imposition of a nationwide curfew, and the widespread restriction of internet access without official reason violate Tanzania’s obligations under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Consequently, the UN has called upon the authorities to “promptly reinstate access to the internet and facilitate citizens’ full enjoyment of their rights.”

This latest UN statement on Tanzania follows Amnesty International’s condemnation of the country’s government last month for its repression of political opposition.

Even though the UN Human Rights Office’s demands carry significant moral and diplomatic weight, they are not immediately enforceable. The ultimate resolution hinges on the actions of the Tanzanian state. The subsequent developments, including the government’s response to international pressure, the potential for further unrest, and the opposition’s legal and political strategies, remain to be seen.

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