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Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has announced that her government will launch an inquiry into the deadly unrest that erupted after her disputed re-election last month, Al Jazeera reported.
The move comes after widespread anger over what many Tanzanians called an undemocratic voting process, sparking mass protests across the country. Speaking at the opening of Tanzania's new parliament on Friday, Hassan said she was "deeply saddened by the incident" and offered condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the crackdown. "The government has taken the step of forming an inquiry commission to investigate what happened," she added. Her comments mark the first conciliatory message since Tanzanian authorities violently cracked down on widespread demonstrations following the country's October 29 presidential election, as per Al Jazeera. Hassan was declared the winner of the vote with nearly 98 per cent support, after her leading rivals were barred from participating, fuelling anger and frustration among many Tanzanians who said the contest was unfair. While the true death toll remains unknown, the main opposition party says hundreds were killed as troops were deployed to suppress the unrest. The government also imposed a nationwide internet blackout during the turmoil. Human rights groups have demanded an independent and comprehensive investigation. Amnesty International accused authorities of "grave human rights violations", including unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions, according to Al Jazeera. "Authorities should promptly, thoroughly, independently, impartially, transparently and effectively investigate all killings by security agents and bring to justice in fair trials those suspected of being responsible," the organisation said in a statement in early November. The UN's human rights chief, Volker Turk, also pressed the Tanzanian government this week to investigate the killings and other alleged abuses. He urged authorities to reveal the whereabouts of people who have gone missing and to return the bodies of those who were killed. "Reports of families desperately searching everywhere for their loved ones, visiting one police station after another and one hospital after another, are harrowing," Turk said. He noted that his office has been unable to verify the number of casualties because of the tense security situation and the nationwide internet shutdown. Meanwhile, dozens of people have been charged with treason and other offences linked to the protests. (ANI)
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