🔗 Share this article Around 700 Purportedly Killed in Tanzanian Election Protests, Opposition Declares Based on the leading opposition faction, roughly 700 citizens have purportedly been killed during three days of poll-related protests in the East African nation. Violence Begins on Election Day Demonstrations erupted on election day over claims that demonstrators called the stifling of the opposition after the exclusion of major contenders from the presidential ballot. Fatality Numbers Claimed An rival official stated that scores of individuals had been slain since the demonstrations started. "At present, the fatality count in Dar es Salaam is approximately 350 and for another city it is 200-plus. Combined with figures from elsewhere throughout the country, the final count is about 700," he remarked. The spokesperson mentioned that the number could be significantly greater because fatalities might be happening during a nighttime restriction that was imposed from Wednesday. Additional Estimates An official source supposedly stated there had been accounts of exceeding 500 dead, "maybe 700-800 in the entire nation." The human rights organization stated it had obtained information that at least 100 civilians had been lost their lives. The opposition stated their estimates had been compiled by a team of activists attending clinics and health centers and "counting fatalities." Appeals for Intervention Rival officials called for the authorities to "stop harming our demonstrators" and demanded a transitional government to facilitate just and transparent polls. "Halt excessive force. Respect the will of the public which is democratic rights," the spokesperson declared. Government Measures The government responded by implementing a restriction. Web outages were also noted, with international monitors stating it was across the nation. The following day, the military leader criticized the clashes and referred to the protesters "criminals". The official announced law enforcement would attempt to contain the unrest. Global Reaction The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed it was "worried" by the fatalities and harm in the demonstrations, noting it had received information that at least 10 individuals had been killed by law enforcement. The organization reported it had obtained reliable information of deaths in Dar es Salaam, in Shinyanga and an eastern area, with officials using gunfire and chemical irritants to disperse demonstrators. Expert View An human rights advocate remarked it was "unacceptable" for security agencies to use force, stating that the country's president "ought to avoid using the law enforcement against the civilians." "The president should listen to the citizens. The sentiment of the nation is that there was no election … The people are unable to elect only one option," the lawyer stated.