Tanzania’s Hassan wins election marred by violence

Tanzania’s election commission announced that President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with nearly 98 percent of the votes in the election that sparked violent protests across the country.

The result gives Hasan, who came to power in 2021 after the death of his predecessor, a five-year term to lead the East African country of 68 million people.

Protests broke out during Wednesday’s presidential and parliamentary vote, according to witnesses; Some demonstrators tore down Hasan’s banners, set fire to government buildings, and police used tear gas and guns.

Demonstrators are angry about the election commission’s exclusion of Hasan’s two biggest rivals from the race and what they call widespread repression.

Tanzania’s main opposition party said on Friday that hundreds of people had been killed in protests, while the UN human rights office said credible reports showed at least 10 people had been killed in three cities.

The government dismissed the opposition’s death toll as “grossly exaggerated” and rejected criticism of its human rights record.

Reuters could not independently verify the casualty figures.