Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has pledged swift action and accountability after receiving an official report into the violence that followed Tanzania’s October 2025 elections, describing the events as a national shock while urging unit
Speaking at a formal handover ceremony in Dar es Salaam, the president said the findings of a commission led by former Chief Justice Mohamed Othman Chande would guide the country’s next steps, including investigations, reforms and reconciliation.
“We would be deceiving ourselves if we do not say the truth — what happened shook our nation,” she said, adding that the government would move quickly to implement the recommendations. “We have received the report… and we will not waste time.”
According to President Hassan, the commission concluded that the violence was “planned, coordinated, financed and executed” with the intention of disrupting peace and creating instability. She said critical infrastructure had been targeted as part of efforts to render the country ungovernable.
At the same time, she indicated that accountability would extend beyond those who organised the unrest. “Those who will be found to have gone against their duties will be held accountable,” she said, in remarks that appeared to include state actors.
The president also criticised what she described as misinformation surrounding the scale of the violence, saying some figures had been exaggerated. She said the commission’s report provided a more accurate account of deaths, injuries and damage.
In a pointed reference to international coverage, she accused some foreign media and external actors of distorting events and failing to show empathy. “Those most affected are Tanzanians,” she said. “We are the ones who lost our people.”
President Hassan used the address to restate her “4R” framework — reconciliation, resilience, reforms and rebuilding — as the basis for addressing long-standing political grievances, including concerns over political freedoms and the electoral process.
She announced plans to establish a national reconciliation and consensus commission, alongside a separate investigative body to pursue those responsible for the violence. The government will also cover medical expenses for victims and provide support to affected businesses, she said.
Further investigations will examine deaths, disappearances and other allegations linked to the unrest.
While striking a conciliatory tone, the president urged citizens to safeguard national unity. “It is easy to lose peace, but not easy to restore it,” she said. “If we destroy our country, we have nowhere else to go.”
Human rights groups have previously raised concerns about the conduct of security forces during the unrest, including allegations of excessive force and restrictions on political freedoms. The government has not directly addressed those claims in detail but says all findings will be reviewed as part of the implementation process.
President Hassan framed the report as a turning point, calling on Tanzanians to work together to prevent a repeat of the violence and to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.
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