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According to the leading opposition group, around 700 civilians have supposedly lost their lives during 72 hours of poll-related demonstrations in Tanzania.

Violence Starts on Voting Day

Unrest broke out on election day over what protesters labeled the silencing of the rival camp after the removal of prominent candidates from the election contest.

Casualty Numbers Claimed

An rival official announced that numerous of civilians had been killed since the demonstrations began.

"Currently, the death toll in Dar es Salaam is about 350 and for Mwanza it is 200-plus. Combined with estimates from other regions around the country, the overall count is about 700," the spokesperson remarked.

He noted that the number could be even larger because fatalities could be happening during a evening curfew that was implemented from Wednesday.

Additional Estimates

• An official source allegedly stated there had been accounts of more than 500 dead, "perhaps 700-800 in the whole country."
• Amnesty International reported it had gathered information that a minimum of 100 civilians had been slain.
• Rival groups asserted their figures had been compiled by a group of party members visiting hospitals and medical centers and "documenting dead bodies."

Appeals for Change

Rival officials called for the administration to "halt killing our activists" and demanded a caretaker administration to pave the way for democratic votes.

"End police brutality. Honor the will of the people which is electoral justice," the spokesperson declared.

Authorities Reaction

Authorities reacted by imposing a restriction. Online restrictions were also observed, with global observers reporting it was across the nation.

On Thursday, the military leader criticized the violence and referred to the demonstrators "lawbreakers". He said security forces would attempt to manage the crisis.

International Reaction

United Nations human rights office stated it was "alarmed" by the deaths and injuries in the demonstrations, adding it had gathered accounts that at least 10 civilians had been lost their lives by security forces.

The organization stated it had obtained credible information of fatalities in Dar es Salaam, in Shinyanga and an eastern area, with security forces firing real bullets and teargas to scatter protesters.

Legal Opinion

A civil rights attorney claimed it was "unreasonable" for law enforcement to employ violence, noting that the country's leader "ought to cease sending the law enforcement against the people."

"She needs to listen to the people. The feeling of the country is that there was no election … We cannot choose only one option," the lawyer commented.