A coalition of African rights groups accuses Tanzanian authorities of mass killings following the disputed October election — demanding President Samia Suluhu’s resignation and prosecution.
Nairobi, Kenya – November 7, 2025- A coalition of African civil society organisations has issued a hard-hitting statement accusing Tanzanian authorities of committing mass atrocities following the country’s disputed October election, calling for President Samia Suluhu Hassan to resign and face prosecution for crimes against humanity.
In a statement titled “Suluhu the Butcher; Stop the Bloodshed!” released in Nairobi on Thursday, the Jumuiya Ni Yetu Movement, alongside more than 40 rights groups under the PanAfrican Solidarity Network, alleged that Tanzanian security forces have carried out widespread killings, abductions, and intimidation against civilians protesting the October 29 election outcome.
The statement claims that over 3,000 people have been killed and thousands more remain missing, with mass graves reportedly uncovered in several Tanzanian regions, including Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya, and Dar es Salaam. The groups also accuse authorities of imposing an intentional internet blackout to suppress information, and of using hospitals to conceal evidence of the alleged atrocities.
“President Samia Suluhu must step down immediately. She lacks legitimacy, has lost the moral mandate to govern, and now presides over mass atrocities,” the statement reads in part. “She must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for her crimes against humanity.”
The coalition further calls on the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to urgently convene peace and security council meetings to investigate the alleged human rights violations. It also urges regional governments — including Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa — to demand accountability and transparency from Tanzanian authorities.
The statement includes a strong feminist response, condemning what it calls the “criminalisation of dissent and the betrayal of women’s leadership,” asserting that “a woman in power is not automatically a feminist, nor a liberator.”
The Tanzanian government has not yet responded to the allegations contained in the civil society statement.
Regional human rights organisations say they will continue monitoring the situation and have called for independent international investigations to verify the claims.
