Tanzania is examining a CNN report that alleges state security forces shot unarmed protesters and secretly buried victims following the disputed October 29, 2025, general election.
The Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports said the government is reviewing and verifying the contents of the documentary and promised an official response once the assessment is complete.
The CNN investigation detailed unrest that followed President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s victory, declared with 98 per cent of the votes, after several opposition figures were blocked from contesting.
Protesters took to the streets in multiple regions, and the situation reportedly escalated into violence.
According to the investigation, videos, audio recordings, and witness accounts depict crowded morgues filled with casualties.
Satellite imagery and video evidence reportedly show freshly disturbed soil at Kondo cemetery, north of Dar es Salaam, where bodies of protesters may have been buried.
Authorities responded to the unrest with a curfew and an internet blackout. When connectivity partially returned, police allegedly restricted the sharing of photos and videos deemed to cause panic.
Government officials initially denied any deaths occurred during the protests.
President Suluhu later acknowledged that some people had died but did not provide specific figures.
She announced a commission to investigate the unrest and suggested that some protesters may have been paid.
CNN, which collaborated with open-source investigators, documented overcrowded morgues at Sekou-Toure Regional Referral Hospital in Mwanza and Mwananyamala Hospital in Dar es Salaam.
A doctor in Mwanza, speaking anonymously, said he treated gunshot victims over four days and described how bodies were stored in the morgue until capacity was reached.
“All had sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of the body, including the head, abdomen, chest, and limbs,” the doctor said.
Video footage verified by CNN shows multiple bodies on the floor at Mwananyamala Hospital.
A woman, who requested anonymity, said she recognised her brother among the deceased, adding he was killed during protests near his home.
In Arusha, videos appear to show a pregnant woman and a young man being shot. Witnesses said the woman was three months pregnant. Forensic audio analysis estimated that the shots came from a distance.
Drone footage captured demonstrators fleeing as armed men reportedly fired in civilian areas. Some clips show individuals in civilian clothing operating alongside uniformed police in Ubungo.
Opposition officials have claimed that bodies were secretly disposed of in undisclosed locations, although these claims remain unverified.
Satellite imagery from November 2 to 15 shows signs of disturbed soil at Kondo cemetery, with exposed roots and pieces of fabric, suggesting recent burials according to witnesses.
The United Nations Human Rights Office cited multiple sources, reporting that hundreds of protesters and civilians may have been killed, with many more injured or detained.
CNN also reported that the Tanzanian government and police did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
