Tanzania: 518 killed in autumn protests

TT

Published 13.54

           

          Protests broke out in Arusha, among other places, the day after the elections in Tanzania. Archive              photo. Photo: AP/TT

The Tanzanian government has given a figure for the first time on the number of deaths in the protests that broke out in October last year. At least 518 people were killed, the government claims.

Chaotic protests broke out in connection with Tanzania's presidential and parliamentary elections on October 29 last year. The protests were violently suppressed and according to the opposition, between 1,000 and 2,000 are feared to have been killed.

The government's own investigation states that there are 518 dead, of whom 490 were men. The investigation dismisses suspicions of mass graves and says that the allegations "could not be substantiated".

The protesters opposed Tanzania's growing repression, demanding free elections and a fair challenger to the incumbent and re-elected President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Tanzania's opposition condemns the investigation.