Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is being sworn in shortly for a second term following an election marred by violent protests and rejected by the opposition as a sham.
The inauguration ceremony is being held at a military parade grounds in the capital, Dodoma, in an event closed to the public but broadcast live by the state-run TBC.
Samia was declared the winner on Saturday with 98% of the vote. She faced little opposition with key rival candidates either imprisoned or barred from running.
International observers have raised concerns about the transparency of the election and its violent aftermath, with hundreds of people reportedly killed and injured.
The authorities have sought to downplay the scale of the violence. It has been difficult to obtain information from the country or verify the death toll, amid a nationwide internet shutdown in place since election day
In her victory speech, Samia said the poll was “free and democratic” and described the protesters as “unpatriotic”.
Opposition leaders and activists say hundreds were killed in clashes with security forces. The opposition Chadema party told the AFP news agency that it had recorded “no less than 800” deaths by Saturday, while a diplomatic source in Tanzania told the BBC there was credible evidence that at least 500 people had died.
The UN human rights office earlier said there were credible reports of at least 10 deaths in three cities.
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Protesters have taken to the streets in Tanzania for a third day, defying warnings from the country’s army chief to end the unrest.
Demonstrations have been taking place in major cities with young protesters denouncing Wednesday’s election as unfair as key opposition figures were excluded from contesting against President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
An internet shutdown remains in place, making it difficult to confirm reports of deaths, and the authorities have extended a curfew in a bid to quell the protests.
The UN has called on the East African nation’s security forces to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force.
“We are alarmed by the deaths and injuries that have occurred in the ongoing election-related protests in Tanzania. Reports we have received indicate that at least 10 people were killed,” Reuters quoted the UN human rights spokesperson Seif Magango as saying, citing “credible sources”.
Amnesty International in Kenya told the BBC that with communications down in neighbouring Tanzania the rights group was not able to confirm reports of deaths.
Hospitals in the country are refusing to give information to journalists or human rights groups when asked about causalities.
The government has sought to play down the scale of the violence.
The electoral commission has announced results from about 80 regions of the country’s total 100 regions, the state broadcaster, TBC, shows.
President Samia is expected to win the vote under the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which has governed the country since independence in 1961.
Official results are expected on Saturday.
Tanzania’s chief Muslim cleric – Sheikh Abubakar Zubeir bin Ally – has urged Muslims to perform Friday prayers at home amid fears of escalating violence.
On Thursday, army chief Gen Jacob John Mkunda ordered the protesters off the streets, saying the military would work with other security agencies to contain the situation.
“Some people went to the streets on 29 October and committed criminal acts. These are criminals and the criminal acts should be stopped immediately,” Gen Mkunda said on state TV, adding that the army had “controlled the situation”.
But the protesters have again taken to the streets of the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.
On Tanzania’s semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar – which elects its own government and leader – the CCM’s Hussein Mwinyi, who is the incumbent president, has won with nearly 80% of the vote.
The opposition in Zanzibar said there had been “massive fraud”, the AP news agency reported.
Tourists on the archipelago are also reported to be stranded at the airport, with flight delays because of the protests, which have been on the mainland.
The protesters accuse the government of undermining democracy, as the main opposition leader is in jail and another opposition figure was disqualified from the election, bolstering Samia’s chances of winning.
Tundu Lissu, the main opposition leader, is in jail on treason charges, which he denies, and his party boycotted the vote.
The only other serious contender, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party, was disqualified on legal technicalities.
Sixteen fringe parties, none of whom have historically had significant public support, were cleared to contest the elections.
Samia took office in 2021 as Tanzania’s first female president following the death of President John Magufuli.
She was initially praised for easing political repression, but the political space has since narrowed, with her government accused of targeting critics through arrests and a wave of abductions.
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Protests have escalated in major cities across Tanzania as opposition supporters denounce Wednesday’s presidential and parliamentary elections as a sham.
Hundreds of demonstrators also crossed into Kenyan territory, barricading roads, lighting bonfires and tearing down posters of President Samia Suluhu Hassan along the way.
Kenyan police said two people died after fleeing running battles with Tanzanian police.
Protesters accuse the government of undermining democracy, as the main opposition leader is in jail and another opposition figure was disqualified from the election, bolstering Samia’s chances of winning.
Anger grew on Thursday after the electoral commission started announcing results, with Samia getting nearly 95% of the vote in south-western Mbea province.
She has also taken the lead in many other constituencies on the mainland and in Zanzibar.
European Union (EU) lawmakers call the election a “fraud” that had been “unfolding for months”.
Polling day itself was marred by clashes between opposition supporters and the police.
A day later, Tanzanian military chief Gen Jacob Mkunda blamed “bad characters who wish ill for this country” for the “damage to property and people” during the vote.
Gunfire was heard in the northern city of Mwanza, while clashes broke out in the capital, Dodoma, and the main city Dar es Salaam, which is under heavy security with major roads blocked.
Kenya has warned its citizens not to join protests at the border town of Namanga, where businesses were paralysed.
Tanzanian police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters who engaged in them in running battles for most of the day.
The US Embassy in Tanzania reported that the road to Dar es Salaam’s international airport was among several major routes that remained closed on Thursday.
An eyewitness told the BBC that he saw hundreds of protesters pouring into Mwanza city, which lies on the shores of Lake Victoria and has the biggest population after Dar es Salaam.
“After barely 10 minutes, we started hearing gunfire and tear gas explosions,” he said.
“We see some injured people are being evacuated towards our way.”
The government has ordered civil servants to work from home until Friday as tensions escalate.
Rights group Amnesty International said reports that a civilian and a police officer had been killed in clashes on Wednesday were “deeply disturbing”.
Several people were injured on voting day as protesters clashed with the police [BBC]
A night-time curfew was imposed in Dar es Salaam, with sources telling the BBC that the city’s Muhimbili Hospital had seen an influx of wounded patients.
Internet connectivity remains severely disrupted across the country – a situation Amnesty warns could further inflame the situation. It called on the authorities to allow unrestricted access to information.
In the meantime protesters are said to be using a walkie-talkie app, called Zello, to plan their next moves.
President Samia is widely expected to secure a second term after opposition candidates were barred from running. The poll is also anticipated to be shoo-in for her party, which has never lost an election since independence.
Tundu Lissu, the main opposition leader, is in jail on treason charges, which he denies, and his party boycotted the vote.
Sixteen fringe parties, none of whom have historically had significant public support, were cleared to contest against Samia.
The only other serious contender, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party, was disqualified on legal technicalities.
Samia came into office in 2021 as Tanzania’s first female president following the death in office of President John Magufuli.
She was initially praised for easing political repression under her predecessor, but the political space has since narrowed, with her government accused of targeting critics through arrests and a wave of abductions.
Additional reporting by Natasha Booty and Richard Kagoe
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