Samia Suluhu Ignores Criticism About Killings During Election Violence: “Did You Want Us To Just Look At Them?”

• President Samia Suluhu dismissed allegations that her administration used excessive force during the post-election unrest
• He defended security measures as necessary to prevent attempts to destabilize the country and protect citizens
• Suluhu blamed outside influence for fueling the violence, suggesting that some protests were planned strategically
• He warned that the government remained ready to take decisive action against any future protests that threaten public order

President Samia Suluhu has dismissed claims that her administration used too much force to respond to the violence that marked the October 29 General Election.

During a meeting with elders in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, December 2, Suluhu described the measures taken by government forces as important to protect national stability and prevent attempts to disrupt it. Tanzania.

Did Samia Suluhu defend police brutality?

The head of state gave a different statement, apart from his recent call for unity, as he said that the security forces were in order.

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Suluhu questioned what would be a “small force” when dealing with protesters who are allegedly ready to stage a coup.

“We swore to protect this country and its borders, to protect the safety of citizens and their property, and in doing so, the force used must be proportionate to the situation. Now we are told that we used too much force in that event. What would “less force” be? Should we only look at the protesters who were ready to revolutionize until they succeed? Will that still be a functioning state? That is not how the state works,” the president said.

Suluhu also blamed foreign influence for the unrest, suggesting that outside forces fueled the violence out of jealousy over Tanzania’s resources.

According to the president, some groups of protest aimed at achieving political change through violence, a situation that could not be tolerated by the government.

He compared it with other countries, noting that governments around the world have used excessive force to control protests when public order was threatened.

“And this is not unique to Tanzania. We have already seen it happen in other countries. Large groups of protesters take to the streets. And when they do, if the government sees that the direction of the protest is dangerous, they use more force. Extreme force is used – this has happened in other countries and we have seen it,” he commented.

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How did Suluhu warn the protesters?

In addition to addressing the October protests, Samia warned of possible protests planned for December 9 and during the Christmas season.

“Whenever the moment comes, we are ready. We will stand up and defend this country with all our strength,” he said, signaling zero tolerance for chaos.

On the subject of constitutional reform, Suluhu stressed that the government did not reject political demands but stressed that such discussions should not be used as an excuse to disrupt the country.

The head of state further suggested that the criticism of excessive force is incorrect and does not correspond to the existing reality.

He asked the public to reflect on the motivations of those allegedly sponsoring the unrest, stressing that the role of the government is to maintain order.

“So when they come back to accuse us of using too much force, what did they really want? Let’s ask ourselves: are these the same people who are sponsoring what happened? Did they want us to watch a group of people succeed in whatever they were sponsored or sent to do? No. We swore to protect this country and its borders, to protect citizens and their property. So, by doing that, as others are doing, we will do the same to protect this country,” he added.

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Suluhu claimed the protesters had planned an election day protest, claiming it was a strategy to tarnish the ruling party’s victory.

How did Sulu win the 2025 election?

As previously reported, Suluhu defended his landslide victory in the presidential election on October 29, saying the results show the real support of the people, not fraud.

He said the main opponents of the country withdrew before the vote, leaving only minor opponents who did not seriously threaten him.

Suluhu said that many Tanzanians, including former opposition supporters, cast their votes for him, motivated by his record and his party’s message.

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