Tanzania President Suluhu Orders Probe into 518 Post-Election Deaths

A commission of inquiry in Tanzania has confirmed that 518 people died as a result of violent unrest following the 2022 general election, with 197 individuals reportedly shot dead during protests, according to MyJoyOnline. The report, chaired by Mohamed Chande Othman, described the violence as planned and coordinated but did not assign specific responsibility for the deaths.

In response to the findings, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered a special probe team to further investigate the post-election violence and the circumstances around the deaths. The government attributes the unrest to organized political plots, while opposition parties have criticized the inquiry report as a potential cover-up, Capital FM Kenya reports.

Human rights organization Amnesty International has called on President Suluhu to publicly release the full commission report to ensure transparency and accountability, highlighting concerns about security force violence during the protests. The ongoing secrecy surrounding the inquiry's findings has intensified calls for an independent investigation.

President Suluhu has pledged to implement the commission’s recommendations promptly, emphasizing national reconciliation and constitutional reforms to address the underlying causes of the unrest. Mail & Guardian notes that the government also plans to establish a reconciliation commission and initiate reforms aimed at fostering political stability and unity in Tanzania.

Moving forward, attention will focus on the outcomes of the special probe team’s investigation, the release of the full inquiry report, and the government’s progress toward constitutional reforms. These steps will be crucial in determining Tanzania’s path to accountability and restoring public trust.