Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a sweeping victory in the country’s general election, winning 97.66 per cent of the vote, according to official results released on Saturday.
The announcement by the electoral commission comes amid violent protests and reports of widespread unrest following the controversial poll.
Opposition party Chadema claimed hundreds of people were killed by security forces after demonstrations broke out on election day.
The party’s presidential candidate was barred from contesting and remains on trial for treason.
Rights groups accused Suluhu’s administration of carrying out a “wave of terror” ahead of the vote, citing incidents of abductions, intimidation, and media repression.
Despite heavy security, protesters clashed with police across several regions, leading to an internet blackout and a nationwide curfew.
A source in Dar es Salaam told AFP that fatalities were “in the hundreds,” though the government denied using “excessive force.”
Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo told Al Jazeera that “no official figures” were available on casualties, while insisting that the situation was under control.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern over the violence and urged restraint and respect for human rights.
Suluhu, who first became president in 2021 following the death of John Magufuli, is expected to be sworn in later on Saturday for a new term
