- State police in Tanzania brutally cracked down on protesters during the October 2025 election, with the opposition claiming hundreds of people were killed
- A CNN investigation confirmed morgues full of bodies and satellite images pointing to mass graves near Dar es Salaam
- The government suppressed local media, blocked international coverage, and denied human rights abuses despite mounting evidence.
Terrible atrocities committed against the public of Tanzania and the state police emerged a few days after the administration of President Samia Suluhu prevented the international media from reporting the events.
Source: Getty Images
Tanzania held its 13th general election on October 29, 2025. The vote was marred by violence and allegations of police brutality as citizens took to the streets to protest, questioning the integrity of the presidential vote.
No opposition candidate was allowed to run, and Samia claimed victory with 98% of the vote, causing chaos in neighboring Kenya’s south.
Local media were suppressed, preventing reporting on the ongoing crisis, and the internet was shut down, preventing social media users from uploading what was happening.
Initial reports indicated that the police had violently suppressed the citizens in an attempt to prevent it protestusing a lot of power and killing many.
At the height of the suspected crisis, the Tanzanian opposition claimed that at least 700 people had been killed by Saturday, November 1, the day the electoral body announced the results.
The allegations were dismissed as rumors by the government, which continued to deny human rights violations.
International media were barred from entering the country, with police warning the public against sharing footage and photos of the situation on the ground.
In a special report, CNN confirmed that police brutality left many dead and others injured.
Geo-tagged images, audio analysis of gunshots, and testimonies from victims and witnesses on the international news network revealed the violence experienced by young protesters.
Videos verified by the network corroborated accounts of the brutal crackdown, showing morgues filled with bodies.
Satellite images and video evidence also showed recently disturbed soil in the Kondo cemetery, north of Dar es Salaam, consistent with reports of mass graves.
The police reportedly shot civilians without provocation.
In one case, a pregnant woman, the sole breadwinner of her family, was shot in the back as she ran away when she saw the officers.
He did not provoke them, but when the police opened fire on the crowd he was running from, the bullet hit him, killing him instantly.
CNN further reported on mass graves in northern Dar es Salaam, where many bodies were allegedly taken.
Hospitals, both public and private, had previously revealed that police removed bodies from morgues, perhaps in an attempt to hide the scale of the carnage. Mass graves may have been the final destination for many of these bodies.
CNN’s report came days after that of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which confirmed with authorities that hundreds of people were killed, allegedly by police officers.
From the beginning, the government denied any deaths in the areas affected by the protests.
BBC Swahili verified the circulating videos against satellite images, finding no discrepancies, raising fears that genocide may have occurred.
According to BBC Swahili, most of the victims were young people, with places like Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, and Sinza bearing the brunt of the repression.
Credible videos showed women being followed and shot by the police.
Despite being unarmed and defending themselves, civilians were reportedly shot by heavily armed officers without provocation.
Hospitals told the BBC that they were overwhelmed by the increase in casualties and deaths, while the government has yet to release any official information.
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