The Tanzanian presidential election failed to comply with democratic standards, according to African Union monitors.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan was reelected last month, but the vote was marred by violence — widespread protests were met with bloody crackdowns, reportedly killing 800, although the government disputed the figure.
AU observers said they witnessed ballot stuffing, a government-imposed internet blackout, and violence and abductions by government forces. The Southern African Development Community similarly criticized government “intimidation” of opposition figures: One senior opposition leader is facing terrorism charges.
Sub-Saharan Africa has seen a sweeping democratic retreat in recent years, with repeated military coups, especially in the Sahel region, and popular support for democratic rule is on the decline, according to the Brookings Institution.
