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According to the chief opposition party, approximately 700 civilians have supposedly been killed during 72 hours of poll-related unrest in Tanzania.

Violence Erupts on Election Day

Unrest erupted on Wednesday over claims that activists labeled the stifling of the opposition after the disqualification of key hopefuls from the presidential race.

Fatality Numbers Reported

A opposition representative declared that numerous of individuals had been slain since the unrest commenced.

"Currently, the number of deaths in Dar es Salaam is around 350 and for another city it is 200-plus. Including numbers from other regions throughout the nation, the final count is nearly 700," the official stated.

The spokesperson added that the toll could be even larger because deaths could be happening during a evening restriction that was enforced from Wednesday.

Other Reports

• An security source supposedly stated there had been accounts of exceeding 500 dead, "perhaps 700-800 in the entire nation."
• The human rights organization reported it had obtained data that at least 100 people had been killed.
• The opposition stated their numbers had been compiled by a group of supporters going to hospitals and health clinics and "documenting the deceased."

Appeals for Intervention

Rival officials called for the government to "stop targeting our demonstrators" and demanded a interim administration to facilitate free and fair votes.

"End police brutality. Respect the will of the public which is democratic rights," the spokesperson stated.

Government Reaction

The government responded by enforcing a restriction. Web outages were also noted, with international observers stating it was nationwide.

On Thursday, the army chief condemned the unrest and referred to the protesters "lawbreakers". He stated authorities would seek to manage the situation.

Global Reaction

The UN human rights office stated it was "alarmed" by the deaths and injuries in the unrest, adding it had gathered reports that a minimum of 10 civilians had been lost their lives by security forces.

The organization mentioned it had collected reliable accounts of casualties in the port city, in Shinyanga and Morogoro, with security forces firing gunfire and teargas to disperse protesters.

Expert Perspective

A human rights lawyer claimed it was "unacceptable" for security agencies to resort to arms, noting that the country's leader "should avoid using the law enforcement against the public."

"The president must pay attention to the citizens. The feeling of the nation is that there was no fair vote … The people are unable to elect only one option," the advocate commented.