The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango alarmed by the deaths and injuries in the ongoing election-related protests in Tanzania
“We are alarmed by the deaths and injuries that have occurred in the ongoing election-related protests in Tanzania,” he said.
“Credible reports we have received indicate that at least 10 people were killed in Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga and Morogoro as the security forces used firearms and teargas to disperse protesters,” he added.
A nationwide curfew is in place, and access to the internet appears to have been widely restricted since the 29 October general election, without any official reasons being given.
“We call on the security forces to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal weapons, against protesters, and to make every effort to de-escalate tensions. Protesters should demonstrate peacefully,” Magango stated.
“We urge the authorities to fully uphold Tanzania’s obligations under international human rights law. They must promptly reinstate access to the internet and facilitate citizens’ full enjoyment of their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. Curtailment of communication will only further undermine public trust in the electoral process,” Magango said.
The violent post-election scenes come in the aftermath of electoral campaigns marred by allegations of arbitrary arrests and detentions of opposition figures, including the opposition Chadema party leader and his deputy, and reported enforced disappearances of people expressing dissenting views, including the country’s former ambassador to Cuba.
“All those in arbitrary detention must be immediately and unconditionally released and those held legally must be accorded full due process and fair trial rights. We urge the authorities to ensure prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all cases of election-related violence, and to ensure those responsible are brought to justice,” Seif Magango said.
For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Geneva
Ravina Shamdasani: +41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org
Liz Throssell: +41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org
In Nairobi
Seif Magango : +254 78834 3897 / seif.magango@un.org
Facebook unitednationshumanrights
Instagram @unitednationshumanrights
STORY: UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango alarmed by the deaths and injuries in the ongoing election-related protests in Tanzania
TRT: 01:53
SOURCE: OHCHR / UNOG
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 31 October 2025 – Geneva-Switzerland
SHOTLIST
- Various Exterior shots: Palais des Nations
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We are alarmed by the deaths and injuries that have occurred in the ongoing election-related protests in Tanzania.”
- Cut away: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Credible reports we have received indicate that at least 10 people were killed in Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga and Morogoro as the security forces used firearms and teargas to disperse protesters.”
- Cut away: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We call on the security forces to refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal weapons, against protesters, and to make every effort to de-escalate tensions. Protesters should demonstrate peacefully.”
- Cut away: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We urge the authorities to fully uphold Tanzania’s obligations under international human rights law. They must promptly reinstate access to the internet and facilitate citizens’ full enjoyment of their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. Curtailment of communication will only further undermine public trust in the electoral process.”
- Cut away: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “All those in arbitrary detention must be immediately and unconditionally released and those held legally must be accorded full due process and fair trial rights. We urge the authorities to ensure prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all cases of election-related violence, and to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNICEF
DR Congo: Ebola spreads as agencies brace for child infections
The deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is continuing to spread with a spike in child infections an increasingly likely scenario, UN agencies said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Community trust and lab testing at the heart of DRC Ebola response – WHO
In Ebola-stricken eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) a massive push for early testing and contact tracing is underway to contain the virus, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNFPA
The UN in Lebanon appealed for an additional $331.5 million on Friday to help 1.4 million people in crisis as already massive needs continue to grow, three months after deadly violence erupted between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL
UN Security Council meets amid rising Israel-Hezbollah tensions in Lebanon.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the biweekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson made the following remarks deplored the death in State custody of Brooklyn Rivera in Nicaragua.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Lebanon: Tyre hospital strikes leave patients without critical care – WHO
The UN health agency in Lebanon is verifying reports of strikes on a hospital in the southern city of Tyre on Monday, amid a concerning rise in attacks on healthcare in the country.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WMO
El Niño confirmed, extreme weather events will be more intense, says WMO
The UN urged all countries on Tuesday to bolster early warning systems after confirming the onset of El Niño, warning that the Pacific Ocean-warming phenomenon will bring above-average temperatures “nearly everywhere” and fuel more extreme weather.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘A disease you get when you care for someone’: on the frontlines of the Ebola crisis with WHO
Two weeks into the latest Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) is estimating that there are 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including 223 suspected deaths.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on 29 May called for more robust measures by both states and tech companies to make online platforms safer for children, insisting on effective regulation, oversight and accountability. The digital world that connects children to learning, community and creativity also expose them to real risks, to their safety, to their privacy, and to their well-being. Online harms to kids’ safety, privacy, and well-being are not innate or inevitable.
See High Commissioner video: https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d357/d3579089
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
Gaza: Life-saving medicines blocked as killing continues, disease gains ground
In Gaza, a dire humanitarian situation marked by continuing violence, rodent infestations and the spread of diseases is being made worse by blockages of essential medical supplies, UN agencies warned on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights spokesperson Shabia Mantoo, warned against the continuing trend of involuntary returns of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers from host countries to Afghanistan, in violation of international human rights and refugee law, at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
