Tanzania has filed treason charges against hundreds of people following demonstrations linked to last month’s contested elections, marking a sharp escalation in the country’s political crisis as the nation grapples with deadly violence and an unclear death toll.
Court documents made public on Saturday reveal that, in Dar es Salaam alone, dozens have been charged, with many more facing the same accusations in other regions across the country.
Among the wanted individuals is Josephat Gwajima, a popular preacher whose church was shut down earlier this year after he condemned the government over human rights violations.
Police have also issued arrest warrants for senior opposition figures who have not yet been detained.
Those wanted include Brenda Rupia, communications director of Chadema, the main opposition party, and John Mnyika, the party’s secretary-general.Chadema leader Tundu Lissu has already been in detention for months and now faces multiple treason charges after calling for electoral reforms ahead of the October 29 vote.
Meanwhile, Tanzania’s vice president, Emmanuel Nchimbi, has claimed that President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration has “taken steps to restore harmony.”
Officials are under pressure to clarify how many people died in clashes between security forces and opposition supporters during and after the election period.
Chadema alleges that over 1,000 people were killed, accusing security officials of hiding the true death toll by secretly disposing of bodies.
The Catholic Church in Tanzania has stated that hundreds of people likely lost their lives.
However, some groups believe the figure may be far higher. The Kenya Human Rights Commission reported on Friday that an estimated 3,000 people were killed by Tanzanian security forces, with thousands more unaccounted for.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who assumed office in 2021 after the death of her predecessor, was announced the winner with over 97% of the vote according to official results.
