NAIROBI: Authorities in Tanzania faced mounting concern Tuesday over killings during crackdowns on protests surrounding last week’s election, with the largest opposition party alleging that security forces were secretly dumping bodies of hundreds killed in the violence.
Demonstrations spread across the East African country for several days after the Oct. 29 voting as mostly young people took to the streets to protest an election that foreign observers said failed to meet democratic standards because key opposition figures were barred.
Authorities declared a nationwide curfew and security forces cracked down on protests by firing live bullets and tear gas canisters.
The main opposition party, Chadema, has claimed that more than 1,000 people were killed and said Tuesday that security forces were trying to hide the scale of the deaths by secretly disposing of the bodies. The authorities have not responded to the claims.
“Tanzanians’ hearts are bleeding right now. This is a new thing for Tanzanians,” Brenda Rupia, Chadema’s director of communications, said by phone from the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam.
