A Tanzanian government commission has reported that 518 people died from "unnatural causes" during last year's post-election unrest, with 197 fatally shot. The findings, released by commission chair Mohamed Chande Othman, mark the first official death toll from the violence, which opposition and human rights groups had previously estimated in the thousands.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who won the October 29 poll with 98% of the vote after main challengers were excluded, stated the government will learn from the tragedy but defended security forces, claiming they prevented anarchy. She announced a criminal investigation into post-election offenses, including looting, infrastructure damage, and deaths.
The opposition Chadema party dismissed the report as a "cover-up" and "whitewash." The commission called for a new constitution by 2028, a national day of mourning, and further inquiries into responsibility, but stopped short of assigning blame for the deaths.