Tanzanian Diaspora Holds Vigil for Election Victims

Washington, D.C. — Dozens of Tanzanians from across the United States gathered this weekend outside the Tanzanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., staging a solemn vigil for civilians killed during the country’s post-election unrest, a political crisis whose full toll has yet to be counted and whose shockwaves are now rippling well beyond Tanzania’s borders.

Drawn by grief, anger, and a sense of obligation, members of the diaspora stood shoulder to shoulder beneath the embassy’s stone façade, holding placards and tiny Tanzanian flags. At their feet, a national flag lay stretched across the pavement, ringed with roses and flickering candles. Passersby slowed to watch, curious about a country that rarely makes front-page news in the United States but is suddenly under mounting international scrutiny.

“We are here because our people back home cannot speak freely,” said Liberatus Mwangombe, a U.S.-based activist and Chadema coordinator. “They were shot, they were silenced, and now we must speak for them.”

The demonstration, small in size but heavy with emotion, was the latest sign of the diaspora’s growing outrage. It also marked a broader turning point: what began as localized protests inside Tanzania has become a full-blown diplomatic and humanitarian crisis, drawing rebukes from Western governments, emergency meetings among rights organizations, and unusually blunt criticism from several African states that rarely condemn one another publicly.

For nearly three hours, the vigil moved between prayer, speeches, and the recitation of names. Organizers read aloud the dead names collected through families, activists, and regional networks, before pausing for moments of silence broken only by the hum of evening traffic on Massachusetts Avenue. Some attendees held poster boards displaying graphic images widely circulated online: bodies with gunshot wounds to the head, neck, chest, and abdomen.

No official death toll has been released. Opposition parties say hundreds were killed. Rights groups working with families, hospitals, and morgues estimate the number may exceed 1,000, citing patterns in medical records and accounts from communities where the military was deployed.

“These were targeted killings,” said Ugandan activist Kharim Ntambi, speaking through a small loudspeaker. “Not crowd control.”

What Happened in Tanzania

The current crisis began shortly after Tanzania’s contentious national elections, which opposition parties allege were marred by ballot stuffing, internet shutdowns, intimidation, and the arrests of opposition agents. When citizens took to the streets, security forces responded with what multiple witnesses described as “shoot-to-kill” tactics.

Videos verified by independent analysts show soldiers firing live rounds directly into crowds. Witness accounts describe bodies left on roads for hours, preventing families from recovering loved ones; security officers entering homes and dragging out young men; and several being shot at point-blank range. Disappearances were reported in Mwanza, Arusha, Kigoma, Pwani, and Dar es Salaam. Hospitals are overwhelmed, with doctors reporting injuries consistent with close-range gunfire.

Human rights observers have called the attacks “indiscriminate,” “systematic,” and unlike anything seen since the 2010 Zanzibar violence and the 2020 pre-election crackdown, though many say this year’s brutality is unprecedented. Medical workers in three regions, speaking on condition of anonymity, told monitoring groups they were instructed not to disclose casualty figures. Families in multiple districts reported that bodies were removed by military vehicles before relatives could identify them. In Pwani and Kigoma, residents described overnight raids in which young men were taken from their homes.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan initially dismissed the reports as “propaganda,” but days later a video emerged of her acknowledging the use of “proportional force” to “dislodge protesters”, remarks that further inflamed public anger and intensified calls for her resignation.

“We demand accountability,” Mwangombe said. “An investigation led by the very person suspected of ordering the killings cannot be trusted. Samia Suluhu Hassan is suspect number one.”

Activists say accountability must include identifying officials who ordered the use of live ammunition, establishing which officers pulled the trigger, releasing all political detainees, including high-profile figures such as Tundu Lissu, and granting international investigators full access to affected regions. They are also calling for a forensic audit of election procedures and security command chains. Anything less, they say, would amount to a cover-up.

The Washington vigil came amid intensified global pressure on Tanzania. The U.S. State Department issued one of its strongest statements in more than a decade, saying it is “deeply concerned” by credible reports of extrajudicial killings and is reassessing its bilateral partnership with Tanzania.

Multiple UN agencies have begun compiling evidence for possible inquiries. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has requested access to affected regions, access that the Tanzanian government has yet to grant.

Inside Tanzania, citizens say they are living under siege. Families in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, and Arusha told activists that bodies were buried quickly, sometimes without identification; hospitals were ordered not to release casualty data; doctors faced intimidation for speaking to the press; internet restrictions continue to choke communication; and opposition leaders remain in hiding or under surveillance.

A senior Tanzanian journalist, speaking anonymously to Global Africa Brief, described the moment as “the darkest period since the one-party era.”

President Samia Suluhu Hassan entered office in 2021 with cautious optimism at home and warm support abroad, especially after the repressive rule of her predecessor, John Magufuli. Her early gestures, lifting bans on rallies, easing media restrictions, and courting Western partners, were widely praised as signs of democratic reopening. That reputation has collapsed.

Repeated requests for comment sent to Tanzania’s Embassy went unanswered by the time of this publication.