TANZANIA CANCELS INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS AFTER POST ELECTION UNREST

Tanzania has cancelled its planned Independence Day celebrations on December 9, while funds earmarked to be redirected toward rebuilding infrastructure damaged during recent post-election unrest, Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba announced on Monday.
The decision comes amid calls from opposition groups for demonstrations over a violent crackdown following last month’s disputed presidential election, which President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with 98% of the vote.
The elections have been widely criticized, with key opposition figures barred from contesting and observers reporting irregularities. Protests erupted after the vote, with at least 240 people charged with treason and reports suggesting hundreds may have died, though the government has not confirmed a death toll.
Nchemba urged Tanzanians to avoid violence and stressed the importance of political dialogue, while a government-appointed commission of inquiry is investigating the unrest.