DAR ES SALAAM: A year after Tanzania’s bloody election, many remain traumatised by the violence, while government critics live in fear of abduction and arbitrary arrest, or facing treason and terrorism charges. The October 29 election, in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with 98 per cent of the vote after most of the opposition was excluded, triggered days of protests that security forces brutally suppressed. Rights groups and the opposition say thousands were killed, while a government-appointed commission put the death toll at 518.
The Catholic Church held masses on Thursday to honour the victims, while the main opposition party, Chadema, announced a seven-day mourning period. The streets of Dar es Salaam were quiet with a heavy police presence.
“I feel sad today... As a nation, we need to learn that dialogue and negotiations are better than using massive force,” churchgoer Noela Kigosi said at one of the religious services.
Another potential flashpoint is the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, whose verdict is due on November 6. Lissu, who began a hunger strike this week to demand access to his lawyer, was arrested ahead of the election. — AFP
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