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Based on the chief rival faction, nearly 700 individuals have purportedly been killed during a three-day period of poll-related unrest in Tanzania.

Violence Starts on Election Day

Protests broke out on Wednesday over what activists called the stifling of the rival camp after the disqualification of key candidates from the presidential ballot.

Fatality Figures Reported

A opposition spokesperson announced that numerous of people had been slain since the demonstrations commenced.

"Currently, the fatality count in the port city is nearly 350 and for another city it is over 200. Added to numbers from other places across the nation, the total count is about 700," he stated.

He added that the death count could be significantly greater because fatalities could be occurring during a evening restriction that was implemented from Wednesday.

Other Reports

• An security insider supposedly stated there had been accounts of more than 500 deaths, "maybe 700-800 in the entire nation."
• Amnesty International said it had obtained information that a minimum of 100 civilians had been slain.
• Rival groups stated their estimates had been collected by a team of party members visiting medical facilities and health clinics and "documenting dead bodies."

Calls for Change

Rival officials urged the government to "stop harming our activists" and called for a transitional administration to pave the way for free and fair polls.

"End police brutality. Uphold the will of the citizens which is electoral justice," the official stated.

Government Reaction

The government reacted by enforcing a curfew. Internet disruption were also reported, with international observers reporting it was nationwide.

The following day, the army chief condemned the violence and labeled the protesters "offenders". He said authorities would try to contain the crisis.

Global Reaction

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was "worried" by the deaths and injuries in the unrest, noting it had received reports that no fewer than 10 people had been killed by security forces.

The office stated it had obtained trustworthy information of deaths in Dar es Salaam, in a northwestern region and an eastern area, with officials discharging live ammunition and chemical irritants to break up demonstrators.

Legal Perspective

A human rights lawyer claimed it was "unjustified" for security agencies to employ violence, adding that the nation's president "must avoid deploying the police against the civilians."

"The president should heed the citizens. The sentiment of the country is that there was no election … We cannot choose only one option," the advocate commented.