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As per the leading opposition party, roughly 700 citizens have purportedly perished during 72 hours of voting protests in the East African nation.

Violence Breaks Out on Polling Day

Protests started on Wednesday over claims that protesters labeled the stifling of the opposition after the removal of prominent candidates from the presidential race.

Fatality Numbers Reported

A rival spokesperson announced that numerous of civilians had been killed since the demonstrations commenced.

"At present, the death toll in the port city is around 350 and for Mwanza it is 200-plus. Added to numbers from other places around the country, the overall number is around 700," he stated.

He noted that the toll could be even larger because killings might be taking place during a evening lockdown that was imposed from election day.

Other Estimates

• An official source supposedly stated there had been reports of over 500 fatalities, "perhaps 700-800 in the whole country."
• The human rights organization said it had received reports that no fewer than 100 people had been killed.
• The opposition claimed their estimates had been compiled by a group of activists visiting medical facilities and medical centers and "tallying the deceased."

Calls for Action

The opposition called for the administration to "halt targeting our protesters" and demanded a interim government to enable free and fair polls.

"End violence. Respect the voice of the public which is fair elections," the spokesperson said.

Government Reaction

Authorities responded by enforcing a lockdown. Online restrictions were also noted, with international watchdogs reporting it was across the nation.

The following day, the army chief condemned the violence and called the protesters "offenders". He stated law enforcement would seek to contain the crisis.

Global Concern

The UN human rights office stated it was "deeply concerned" by the casualties in the demonstrations, noting it had obtained information that at least 10 individuals had been slain by law enforcement.

The office mentioned it had received credible reports of fatalities in the port city, in Shinyanga and Morogoro, with law enforcement discharging real bullets and teargas to break up crowds.

Expert Perspective

An civil rights attorney stated it was "unreasonable" for authorities to resort to arms, stating that the nation's leader "ought to refrain from deploying the law enforcement against the people."

"The president must listen to the public. The mood of the nation is that there was no fair vote … We are unable to choose a single contender," the lawyer stated.