Tanzania President Samia defends use of force on protesters, cites ‘attempted coup’ threat

Tanzania has defended its use of excessive force on protesters during the recent post-election violence, saying it was the only way to save the country from an “attempted coup.”

Speaking on Tuesday while addressing Dar es Salaam Elders at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC), President Samia Suluhu said the deployment was necessary to prevent protesters from toppling her administration, dismissing criticism from neighbouring countries as hypocritical.

She noted that those criticising her were fully aware of what had unfolded within their own borders.

“I heard people saying that we used a lot of force. What, then, is little force? Should we have just stood by and watched protesters overthrow our government instead of taking action?” she posed.

She argued that the same neighbours condemning Tanzania had recently faced similar unrest.

“These protests have not happened in Tanzania alone. We have also witnessed these protests in our neighbours. Many protesters took to the streets, but their government used a lot of force,” she said.

Samia accused the international community of applying double standards, asking why those who were “quick to lecture Tanzania” had not directed equal criticism elsewhere. She vowed that security agencies would continue pursuing those believed to have organised the violence, insisting that peace and order must be restored.

Her remarks came amid renewed pressure from opposition groups and international organisations demanding accountability for the deaths reported during the election-related clashes. Human rights organisations, including the Madrid Bar Association and partner groups, filed a petition at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on November 25 seeking investigations into alleged “state-engineered assaults on civilians, murders, torture and forced disappearances.”

The October 29 polls were marred by deadly confrontations that left several people dead, among them a Kenyan teacher.

In her speech, President Samia suggested that the election-day unrest had been fuelled by foreign interests intent on destabilising Tanzania. She said Tanzania’s stability “has irritated outsiders” who “came to destroy this country after destroying their own.”

She extended condolences to families who lost loved ones, saying, “When one Tanzanian sheds blood, we all feel the pain.”

The damage to property and disruption of business, she noted, revealed “the magnitude of the plot” behind the violence.

Referring to videos widely shared on social media, she said the young people involved appeared to have been guided and coached. According to her, they were parroting and singing exactly what happened in Madagascar, to make it happen in the country, which she described as part of “a wide-ranging project” meant to overthrow the government.

She questioned whether the events could be viewed as genuine demonstrations.

“Why on the day of the election?” she posed, describing the unrest as “orchestrated violence with specific objectives.”

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• Tanzania President Samia defends use of force on protesters
• cites ‘attempted coup’ threat

She insisted that security officers applied force “proportionate to the situation.”

President Samia also faulted opposition parties, saying they were not barred from participating in the election but chose to withdraw for fear of embarrassment, later using that decision to justify chaos.

“Why during the election? What right is being demanded at that time?” she posed.

She maintained that the plan was externally driven and that some Tanzanians were drawn in due to financial hardship.

“The coordinators are funded from abroad,” she said, adding that many who joined the unrest “did not understand the broader objectives.”

Reflecting on her earlier attempts to mend relations with the opposition between 2020 and 2023, she said she had extended a hand of mercy that was not reciprocated.

Addressing young people complaining about the cost of living, she said, “If I could, I would send Tanzanian youths to different countries, even within Africa and in neighbouring states, to see what true hardship looks like, and then claim that Tanzania is a bad place.”

She condemned what she termed foreign arrogance over Tanzania’s internal affairs, saying some states “think they are our masters, our colonisers,” adding sharply, “Who are you?”

Turning to the economy, she said Tanzania’s natural wealth, including rare minerals, had made the country a target for foreign powers. In the past, she noted, the government was ignored because it was perceived as poor, but now “they are drooling over our wealth.”

President Samia urged citizens to preserve the country’s unity.

“It should not become a curse that we fight and kill each other. Tanzania belongs to all of us, and we must protect it,” she said.