Tanzania’s president defended her government’s response to violent protests following the October elections, insisting that the actions taken were crucial to prevent a threat she described as an “attempted coup.”
Speaking Tuesday at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, President Samia Suluhu criticised both regional and international critics for what she called selective condemnation of Tanzania’s measures.
“I heard people saying that we used a lot of force. What, then, is little force? Should we have just stood by and watched protesters overthrow our government instead of taking action?” she asked, emphasising that decisive intervention was needed to protect the state. She noted that similar protests in neighbouring countries were met with heavy-handed responses without drawing the same level of criticism.
“These protests have not happened in Tanzania alone. We have also witnessed these protests in our neighbours. Many protesters took to the streets, but their government used a lot of force,” she said, pointing to what she described as a double standard applied by international actors.
President Samia assured that security agencies would continue to track down those responsible for instigating the unrest, reinforcing her commitment to maintaining order.
Her remarks come amid mounting calls for accountability over election-related fatalities.
On November 25, the Madrid Bar Association and partner groups submitted a petition to the International Criminal Court, requesting investigations into alleged “state-engineered assaults on civilians, murders, torture and forced disappearances.” The October 29 elections saw violent clashes that left multiple dead, including a Kenyan teacher.
The president suggested that foreign forces played a role in fomenting unrest, saying Tanzania’s stability “has irritated outsiders” who sought to destabilise the nation after failing in their own territories.
She expressed sympathy for victims’ families: “When one Tanzanian sheds blood, we all feel the pain,” while noting that property damage and disrupted businesses exposed the scale of the planned unrest.
President Samia referenced social media content that she said showed young participants following scripts from unrest in other countries, including Madagascar, framing the protests as “a wide-ranging project” to destabilise the government.
“Why on the day of the election?” she asked, describing the violence as orchestrated with specific goals. She insisted that security personnel acted appropriately in response to the threats.
She also criticised opposition parties, saying they chose to withdraw from the elections rather than compete and then justified unrest with their decision.
“The coordinators are funded from abroad… many who joined the unrest did not understand the broader objectives,” she said, suggesting financial hardship drew some participants into the chaos.
Reflecting on previous efforts to engage opposition parties between 2020 and 2023, she said her overtures were ignored. Addressing economic frustrations, especially among the youth, she urged Tanzanians to recognise hardships elsewhere and condemned foreign arrogance over the nation’s resources, including rare minerals.
“It should not become a curse that we fight and kill each other. Tanzania belongs to all of us, and we must protect it,” she said, urging citizens to preserve the country’s unity and sovereignty.
