International pressure on Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu is steadily rising after the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a firm call for an independent investigation into claims of human rights abuses linked to the country’s recent elections.
The committee’s concerns were triggered by a CNN investigation led by Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo, which brought to light troubling accusations about the government’s response to post-election protests, including the alleged presence of mass graves.
The committee did not hold back in its criticism, reacting strongly to the findings that suggested widespread violations.In its statement, the committee said, “This report underscores the disturbing actions by the Tanzanian Government to suppress protestors. Evidence of mass graves shows an unacceptable attempt to cover up gross violations of human rights.” It further added, “There must be an independent investigation into these tragic acts immediately.”
These concerns emerged after Tanzania’s October 29 General Elections, where President Suluhu secured a controversial 98 per cent of the vote.
The announcement of the results sparked widespread anger and frustration among citizens, many of whom felt the process was flawed. Protests erupted across the country as people demanded answers and transparency. What followed, according to the CNN report, was a heavy-handed response from security forces, who were accused of using lethal force to silence demonstrators.
Eyewitnesses interviewed during the investigation described morgues filled with bodies, some of them individuals who had allegedly been denied medical help after being injured in the chaos.
Since foreign journalists, including Madowo, were denied entry into Tanzania during the election period, CNN depended largely on open-source tools, satellite images, and drone footage to document what was happening on the ground.
Satellite imagery reportedly showed fresh patches of disturbed soil in several areas, including Kondo cemetery, further fueling fears about the existence of mass graves.
The Tanzanian government has strongly pushed back against these claims. Officials dismissed CNN’s report as biased and accused foreign media of attempting to smear President Suluhu’s administration. Government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa argued that many of the images and videos used in the report originated from social media platforms and were shared without proper verification.
He insisted that international media outlets failed to reach out to the government for its side of the story before publishing their findings, calling it a major breach of journalistic standards.
Msigwa urged CNN to uphold accuracy and fairness in its reporting and to avoid presenting unverified content as fact.
Many observers believe that only a transparent and impartial investigation can shed light on the truth and address the concerns raised by both local citizens and the global community.
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