UK, Canada, European missions urge Suluhu government to release bodies to families
Tanzanian riot police officers walk past a vandalised campaign poster of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Dar es Salaam. A coalition of foreign missions and delegations, including the British and Canadian High Commissions, the Embassies of Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the European Union Delegation, have issued a joint statement urging Tanzania to release all bodies of those killed in the October electoral violence to their families.
While expressing deep concern over the recent events in Tanzania, the foreign missions also urged President Samia Suluhu's government to free political prisoners and allow detainees to get legal and medical help.
Highlighting credible reports of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and the concealment of bodies, the statement urged authorities to release all deceased individuals to their families and ensure political prisoners have access to legal and medical support.
The international community also called on the Tanzanian government to address shortcomings identified in preliminary election reports by the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC).
US 'reviewing ties' with Tanzania
The statement comes a day after the US government said it was reconsidering the state of relations with Tanzania in the wake of Dodoma’s heavy-hand response against post-election protesters.
The announcement, which piles fresh pressure on Tanzanian leader Samia Suluhu Hassan, said Washington was concerned with the security agencies’ violent response to protests, including killings. The US said such actions “raise grave concerns about the direction of our bilateral relationship and the reliability of the Tanzanian Government as a partner.”
“As a result, the United States is comprehensively reviewing our relationship with the Government of Tanzania. The Government of Tanzania’s ongoing repression of religious freedom and free speech, the presence of persistent obstacles to US investment, and disturbing violence against civilians in the days leading up to and following Tanzania’s October 29 elections, required this reconsideration of our ties.”
This move could be a step backwards for Samia who had retooled ties with Washington after taking the mantle of presidency in 2021, following the death of the inward-looking John Pombe Magufuli.
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