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Tanzania Keeps Internet Offline as Hassan Holds Closed Inauguration After Contested 98% Win

An internet blackout continues, with casualty claims from the unrest still unverified.

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan casts her vote at a polling centre in Dodoma, Tanzania October 29, 2025. Tanzania Presidential Press Unit/Handout via REUTERS
Soldiers in Zanzibar drive past posters of President Samia Suluhu Hassan
Armed men without ID patrolled Zanzibar after election day

Overview

  • State television said President Samia Suluhu Hassan would be sworn in at State House in Dodoma without public attendance after the electoral commission certified roughly 98 percent for her.
  • The main opposition party, Chadema, which was barred from the vote, rejected the result as a sham and called for fresh elections.
  • A near-total internet blackout, curfew and lockdown remain in effect, with police checkpoints reported and shops allowed limited opening hours.
  • Opposition figures cite around 700–800 deaths and a diplomatic source reported credible counts in the hundreds, perhaps more, though no toll has been independently verified and the government denies excessive force.
  • UN chief Antonio Guterres voiced concern, a Kenyan rights group shared unverified footage of bodies, AFP observed masked armed men without insignia in Zanzibar, and rights groups describe an intensified pre‑election crackdown including arrests and abductions.