A commission of inquiry in Tanzania has officially reported that 518 people died from 'unnatural causes' during the widespread unrest following last year's general election. Of those fatalities, 197 were confirmed as gunshot victims.
While opposition groups have long accused security forces of a brutal crackdown, the commission's report did not assign direct responsibility for the deaths, citing the need for further investigation.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who secured 98% of the vote in an election criticized by international observers for failing to meet democratic standards, defended the security agencies. She stated that their actions were necessary to prevent the nation from descending into total anarchy.
The President characterized the violence as a coordinated effort by trained agitators seeking to create a leadership vacuum and render the country ungovernable. She has now announced the formation of a criminal investigation body to identify those responsible for looting, property damage, and the deaths of civilians and 16 security officers.
The commission explicitly rejected claims of mass graves, suggesting that artificial intelligence was used to manipulate imagery to support those allegations.
While opposition party Chadema dismissed the report as a 'cover-up,' the commission concluded that the demonstrations were neither peaceful nor lawful, noting that the unrest was fueled by political activists exploiting economic grievances.
The government is now moving to establish a new criminal inquiry to hold the perpetrators of this organized violence accountable.
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