Tanzania's recent elections have drawn significant international condemnation, with the African Union (AU) asserting that the vote failed to comply with fundamental democratic standards. This strong rebuke adds to growing international pressure on President Samia Hassan's administration, particularly concerning the vote's deadly aftermath.

The AU's election monitoring arm, which deployed 72 observers to Tanzania and Zanzibar for the October 29 election, released a report detailing several critical issues that "compromised election integrity." These included widespread ballot stuffing, a government-imposed internet blackout, credible allegations of excessive military force against citizens, and politically motivated abductions. The mission's report unequivocally concluded that the election "did not comply with AU principles, normative frameworks, and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections," further noting that the overall environment was "not conducive to peaceful conduct and acceptance of electoral outcomes."

Following the election, protests erupted in Dar es Salaam and other major cities, where demonstrators were met with severe police violence, extensive use of tear gas, and restricted internet access. Chadema, the country's primary opposition party, claimed that hundreds of people were killed during these clashes, a figure vehemently denied by the government. However, videos reviewed by Al Jazeera reportedly depicted numerous bodies, some with gunshot wounds to the head, alongside protesters with severe injuries and security forces firing weapons in the streets.

In response to the escalating violence, the AU mission urged Tanzanian authorities to exercise restraint and to conduct "thorough investigations" into the use of force against protesters. The report also called upon Tanzania to prioritize "electoral and political reforms to address the root causes of its democratic and electoral challenges witnessed ahead of, during, and after the 2025 general elections."

This AU report was closely followed by another rare and strong condemnation from the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Earlier this week, the SADC issued a preliminary report chronicling instances of violence, censorship, and "general intimidation" targeting both the public and opposition figures. The SADC concluded that "voters could not express their democratic will" and that the elections "fell short" of SADC principles. This marked a significant criticism, as the SADC had last openly critiqued an African election process during Zimbabwe's election in 2023, having observed several others without such direct condemnation.

President Hassan secured nearly 98% of the vote, a landslide victory achieved after her two main competitors were barred from participating. Chadema was disqualified in April for refusing to sign an electoral code of conduct, while ACT-Wazalendo, the country's second-largest party, was excluded following an objection from the attorney general. Furthermore, Chadema's leader, Tundu Lissu, is currently facing a treason trial after advocating for election reforms. The SADC's report explicitly chronicled these disqualifications, stating that they had created an "uneven political playing field" that severely undermined the democratic process.

President Hassan, who assumed power in 2021 following the unexpected death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, appeared to attribute the protests to foreign influence in her first comments after being sworn in. According to an Associated Press translation, she stated that "it was not a surprise that those arrested were from other countries." Since her ascendancy, both local and international watchdogs have consistently raised alarms regarding her administration's alleged systematic campaign of forced disappearances, torture, and assault against critics, in addition to widespread media repression. A panel of United Nations experts reported in June having documented over 200 disappearances in Tanzania since 2019, underscoring persistent human rights concerns.