Reports of security forces removing corpses from mortuaries to conceal evidence is “deeply disturbing,” the body’s human rights chief has said
Hundreds of people were killed and an unknown number injured or detained during unrest that erupted in Tanzania after a disputed general election last month, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has said, citing information from “different sources.”
In a statement on Tuesday, the OHCHR said it has been unable to independently verify the toll because of the volatile security situation and an internet shutdown in the East African country.
“There are also disturbing reports that security forces have been seen removing bodies from streets and hospitals and taking them to undisclosed locations in an apparent attempt to conceal evidence,” UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said.
He demanded an independent probe into the alleged killings and urged the authorities to account for the missing and hand over the bodies of those killed to their families.
Violent protests erupted across Tanzania after the October 29 election, in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with around 97% of the vote.
The demonstrations were triggered by the disqualification of Hassan’s two main rivals, including Tundu Lissu, the leader of the opposition Chadema party, who has been in detention for months on treason charges. Lissu had called for electoral reform, arguing that credible elections cannot be held without structural changes.
John Kitoka, a spokesperson for Chadema, reportedly said the party has collected reports of up to 1,000 people killed by police and unidentified security personnel after the elections in eight of Tanzania’s 31 regions. The authorities have acknowledged fatalities but rejected opposition figures as exaggerated.
Earlier, the OHCHR said it was “alarmed” by police use of “unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal weapons, against protesters.”
Police on Monday released several opposition leaders on bail, including Chadema’s vice chairman. More than 300 people have been charged over the protests, with at least 145 facing treason counts, Reuters reported.
Last week, the African Union Election Observation Mission concluded in a report that the Tanzanian elections “did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks, and other international obligations and standards.” It cited ballot stuffing, expulsion of observers during counts, and the exclusion of key opposition figures from the contest.
