Blood on the Streets: verifying the locations of killings during Tanzania’s post-election protests

By Mike Yambo& Benjamin Strick|Illustrated by Geoffrey Onyambu| Published Nov 12, 2025

When gunfire cracked through the streets of Arusha and Dar es Salaam in late October, few imagined the scale of the bloodshed that would follow.

What began as peaceful demonstrations over election results quickly descended into chaos - and death.

As tensions rose, internet connectivity across the East African nation began to falter. By the evening of October 29, network monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed a nationwide internet disruption, affecting major providers and social media platforms.

For nearly a week, Tanzanians were cut off from sharing or receiving information. When the connection was restored, horrific footage began pouring out, showing the extent of the violence that had been hidden from public view.

In response, the Tanzanian Police Force issued a warning to citizens not to either post or share “disturbing” videos, claiming they could “cause panic or dehumanise victims.”

Despite that, we obtained and verified several clips that reveal what truly unfolded on the streets during the State-scantioned terror against civilians.

Today, videos verified by Nation Forensic Unit reveal the exact locations where Tanzanian security forces, some in plain clothes, used excessive force and intentionally killed protesters in Arusha and Dar Es Salaam.

Violent shootings in Dar Es Salaam

We observed several videos showing groups of plain-clothes men patrolling the streets and residential areas, armed but without any visible uniform.

In the first video, about four men are seen stepping out of a car along Sam Nujoma Road: -6.767801, 39.226275. In the background, gunfire echoes as they appear to take aim at protesters.

One witness commenting under the post on X claimed the men were dropped off in Buza - one of Dar es Salaam’s protest flashpoints - where they allegedly killed more than 30 people within minutes.

In the second video, bursts of heavy gunfire echo as a group of armed men jump out of a white, unmarked Land Cruiser and spread out in different directions toward protesters along Kawawa Road: -6.80431,39.26005. They’re all dressed in black civilian clothing, making it harder to identify who they are.

We observed what appears to be a man from the same group of shooters, this time firing in what looks like narrow backstreets near residential buildings and homes.

Human rights groups said protesters were deliberately targeted, even in their homes. We verified several shootings in residential areas, including one incident showing Tanzanian police firing within a neighborhood in Mwanza: -2.519866, 32.907661.

In a joint statement issued under the “Jumuiya Ni Yetu” movement and the Pan-African Solidarity Collective, more than 40 human rights organizations from across Africa accused security forces of raiding homes in major cities - including Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya, and Songwe - and opening fire on residents who protested the October 29 election results.

Mapping the Killings

Using videos and photos shared on social media, the Nation Forensic Unit verified and geolocated multiple scenes where civilians were shot.

The footage reveals bodies sprawled across the streets - many bearing gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and back.

Arusha

A video captures relentless shooting around a shopping centre in Arusha, showing the moment at least two people are shot as they try to flee amid heavy gunfire. Despite locals rushing in to help the wounded, the shooting continues relentlessly.

Dar es Salaam

A video shows a victim along Mwembechai Street in Dar es Salaam during the shootings, an area that saw several confrontations between security forces and protesters.

Dar es Salaam

The video shows people walking along a street when gunshots suddenly ring out. Moments later, two people are seen lying in front of what looks like a row of shops and homes. The shooting took place in the Kinondoni Mkwajuni area.

We analysed several videos which showed a high concentration of shootings and killings along Shekilango Road, Kawawa Road, Sam Nujoma Road, and Mwembechai Street.

Dar es Salaam

Footage from Shekilango Road shows a man lying motionless after being shot. An eyewitness in the video says the victim was trying to run away when police fired, hitting him at the back of the head and killing him instantly.

Dar es Salaam

A video shows a wounded man being pushed on a cart after being shot along Shekilango Road. People around him are seen rushing through the streets, trying to get him to a nearby health facility to stop the bleeding.

Dar es Salaam

A video shows a group of men wheeling a wounded person on a cart toward a health facility on Shekilango Street. The victim appears to have been shot in the abdomen and is bleeding heavily.

Dar es Salaam

A video shows a man shot dead in front of a shopping store. Nearby, a group of young protesters appear visibly upset and shaken by the incident, which took place opposite Shekilango Street, an area where several victims were reported. Police can still be seen firing from a distance.

Dar es Salaam

A video shows at least two victims in the Kinondoni Mkwajuni neighborhood, which is located next to Kawawa Street - Earlier, we identified a group of plainclothes shooters targeting protesters on this street.

A Pattern of Denial

CHADEMA, the country’s main opposition party, and several human rights groups have accused security forces of killing over 1,000 people during the violence.

The government has dismissed those figures as exaggerated but has not provided its own official death toll.

On Saturday, Tanzanian police arrested Amani Golugwa, the deputy secretary-general of CHADEMA in connection with the recent post-election unrest.

Police named Golugwa and nine others as wanted suspects in the ongoing investigation, just a day after prosecutors charged 145 people with treason linked to the same protests.

This is not the first time elections in Tanzania have turned deadly. During the 2020 polls, Human Rights Watch documented at least 14 protesters shot dead in Zanzibar under similar circumstances.

To date, no member of the security forces or affiliated militias has been held accountable for those killings.

The Nation Forensic Unit continues to investigate the events in Tanzania.