Dar es Salaam – International pressure on Tanzania is intensifying following a deadly crackdown on citizens protests that erupted during and after the country’s disputed general election on October 29, 2025.
The United States has initiated a “comprehensive review” of its bilateral relationship with the East African nation, while United Nations human rights experts have condemned what they term “widespread and systematic human rights violations.” In a significant move, Ghana has become the first African state to independently and publicly call for a credible investigation into the violence.
U.S. State Department statement noted that Tanzania’s ongoing repression of religious freedom and free speech, the presence of persistent obstacles to U.S. investment, and disturbing violence against civilians in the days leading up to and following Tanzania’s October 29 elections, “required this reconsideration of our ties.”
“These actions have put American citizens, tourists, and U.S. interests in Tanzania at risk, and threatened to undermine the mutual prosperity and security that have defined our partnership for decades,” the statement added.
The US review puts a substantial and long-standing partnership at risk. The United States is Tanzania’s single largest development partner, with total annual contributions estimated at US$2.8 billion between 2012 and 2022, a figure that includes approximately US$1 billion in direct aid annually.
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Total goods and services trade between the two nations reached US$1.4 billion in 2024, and US investments in Tanzania total over US$1 billion. The partnership is also of significant strategic importance, particularly in the health sector.
Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the US has invested nearly US$7 billion in Tanzania since 2003, which is credited with saving an estimated 750,000 lives.
Violent crackdown
The sharp international response follows a violent government crackdown on nationwide protests, led mainly by youth, decrying political exclusion, limited opportunities and state-sanctioned violence, including arbitrary detentions and abductions of government critics.
UN experts report that at least 700 people are estimated to have been extrajudicially killed, with some estimates suggesting thousands of potential victims. The experts cited chilling allegations of bodies disappearing from morgues, being incinerated, or buried in mass graves, and families being forced to sign false statements about the cause of death to retrieve the remains of their loved ones. Over 1,700 people have reportedly been detained, many facing serious charges like treason.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has remained defiant in the face of mounting criticism. In a speech on December 2, she defended the security forces’ actions, asking, “What would less force have looked like?” and questioning whether the government should have watched as protesters attempted to “overthrow” the state.
Rejecting external pressure, she asked, “Who are you? Do these things not happen in their own countries?” and accused critics of acting like “colonisers.”
Firm stance
The European Union has also taken a firm stance. The European Parliament passed a resolution on November 26 condemning the “post-election killings and deteriorating human rights situation,” urging the EU Council to consider targeted sanctions and demanding the release of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
This followed a move by EU Parliament committees on November 20 to object to a proposed €156 million funding allocation to Tanzania, citing democratic backsliding.
Echoing these concerns, a group of 16 Western diplomatic missions, including the British and Canadian High Commissions and the EU Delegation, issued a joint statement on December 5. Citing credible reports of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and the concealment of dead bodies, the missions outlined several urgent demands for the Tanzanian government.
They called on authorities to release the bodies of the deceased to their families, release all political prisoners, and ensure all detainees have access to legal and medical support. The statement also urged the government to address the shortcomings identified in the preliminary election reports from the African Union and SADC.
While welcoming the government’s stated intention to investigate, the missions stressed that any inquiry must be “independent, transparent, and inclusive,” involving civil society, faith-based groups, and all political actors to achieve justice and reconciliation.
Adding to the continental pressure, the Thabo Mbeki Foundation on November 23 declared that Tanzania “lacks a legitimate government” and called for an “honest, inclusive, and sovereign national dialogue.”
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The foundation’s assessment, which concluded the election was not a true reflection of the people’s will, echoed the findings of observer missions from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union.
Inquiry
Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, has rejected a government-appointed Commission of Inquiry, stating they have “no faith in any domestic commission.” Instead, the opposition is demanding an independent international investigation involving the UN, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and SADC.
The government has dismissed these calls, with the Tanzanian Embassy in Brussels branding the EU Parliament’s motion as based on “unverified reports and one-sided narratives.”
The unrest followed an election period that international observers say was marred by irregularities, including the disqualification of opposition candidates and legislative changes that undermined the electoral framework.
The protests, which began on October 29, were met with a state-imposed internet shutdown that lasted until November 3, which UN experts say severely curtailed the ability of human rights defenders and journalists to document violations.
As tensions remain high, further demonstrations are planned for December 9, 2025, with UN experts urging Tanzanian authorities to prevent further violence and protect the right to peaceful assembly.
