Table of Contents
- Relief in Tanzania
- Emergence of Chaos
- Evidence of Systematic Violence
- Protests and Government Response
- International Outcry
- Hassan's Presidency
- Hope for Justice
TANZANIA exhaled with relief when President Samia Suluhu Hassan assumed office.
Following the death of her authoritarian predecessor, President John Magufuli, in 2021, the soft-spoken Hassan was anticipated to be a more compassionate leader.
President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan is accused of war crimesCredit: The United Republic of Tanzania
Hassan, Tanzania’s first female president, was re-elected in OctoberCredit: The United Republic of Tanzania
Protests erupted across Tanzania in the days following a rigged electionCredit: AP
Hundreds were killed as unrest spread across the country, starting in Dar es SalaamCredit: AP
However, the so-called “Butcher of Tanzania” has thrown the nation into turmoil.
Brutal slayings characterized Hassan’s re-election last month, with estimates suggesting that up to 10,000 civilians may have been killed by law enforcement.
Moreover, there is evidence indicating that this horrific violence was orchestrated by the Tanzanian government, according to Intelwatch director Dr. Paula Cristina Roque in an interview with The Sun.
Roque stated: “We’re still working to determine the exact number, but it could range between five and 10,000 civilians killed.
“This indicates a level of planning that appears systematic.
“It wasn’t a spontaneous reaction to a group of youths and Gen-Z who opted to boycott the elections and protest; this was a more profound and premeditated operation.
“We are gathering evidence from many sources that directly links this to orders issued months prior regarding how to handle unrest.”
Intelwatch possesses an “overwhelming amount” of evidence concerning human rights violations attributed to The Butcher, Roque added.
The organization is urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Hassan and her administration for crimes against humanity.
The president and her government are charged with murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping dating back to 2022, as detailed in a damning 85-page report presented to the ICC by activists and lawyers.
On Friday, the British High Commission, the EU Delegation, and 15 other European nations also condemned the violence engulfing the nation.
Protests began on October 29 in Dar es Salaam, spreading dissent throughout the country and provoking a deadly response from law enforcement.
Deceased bodies piled up in the streets, and chilling videos verified by the BBC depicted a stack of ten young men lying lifeless in Mwanza, Tanzania’s second-largest city.
There are claims that corpses were “disposed of in Lake Victoria,” Roque noted.
She commented: “If we’re discussing killings in the thousands, we would also be talking about an equal number of mass graves, burning their bodies, or dumping them in Lake Victoria.
“This complicates the task of obtaining accurate numbers and verifying them.
“Many victims were shot in the head, while others were shot in the back as they fled.”
Demonstrations were primarily led by young individuals frustrated with the single-party dominance in Tanzania, as Hassan’s party has maintained control since the country gained independence in the 1960s.
Footage of the unrest was suppressed for days as The Butcher’s government implemented a near-total internet blackout and threatened to imprison anyone sharing videos of the protests.
President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu HassanCredit
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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