Tanzania's Guardian of Stability Faces Unrest and Criticism

Sun Nov 09 2025 16:31:31 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Tanzania, often viewed as a symbol of peace in Africa, is grappling with unprecedented protests and political instability since the recent elections. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, initially seen as a reformer, now faces backlash amid accusations of crackdowns on dissent.

The recent electoral crisis in Tanzania has raised significant concerns about the country's stability, traditionally known for its political peace. President Samia Suluhu Hassan's administration faces increasing scrutiny and protests—especially among the youth—over allegations of electoral manipulation and repression of opposition. As families mourn those lost in post-election violence, the public rallies against a backdrop of failed reforms and internal party strife, suggesting a profound change in Tanzania's political landscape.

Tanzania remains gripped by the aftermath of its worst post-election violence in decades, a crisis that has shaken its long-standing reputation as a beacon of peace and stability in Africa.

It has also earned the country rare rebukes from regional and continental organisations.

The death toll is not clear but families continue to search for or bury relatives killed following the recent disputed poll, that President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with 98% of the vote.

Samia, the soft-spoken leader whose calm and gentle demeanour, initially inspired optimism when she assumed power in 2021 after the sudden death in office of her authoritarian predecessor, John Magufuli.

But that has now changed.

Samia has pushed Tanzania to its thick winter of protests, instability and uncertainty, Prof Peter Kagwanja, a Kenyan policy analyst, told BBC.

The protests, organised by young people, drew clear parallels with global Gen Z-led mobilisations against entrenched leadership and unresponsive governments.

Analysts say while the unrest was unprecedented for Tanzania, it was preceded by a tense political climate - marked by stalled reforms, years of simmering youth anger, power tussles within the ruling party and the sustained persecution of opposition leaders.

Gado's satirical cartoons depicting President Samia as authoritarian and intolerant of political competition, have been circulated widely on social media.

Veteran Tanzanian journalist Jenerali Ulimwengu described in a column how the recent election was the boiling point reached by societal soups that have been cooking for decades in a slow cooker without being noticed by an absent-minded rulership, totally submerged in the middle of its gravy train.

But it is the nature of this latest election that has exposed a shocking new side of Tanzania, a country long seen as protest-shy, especially when compared with neighbouring Kenya.

In her inaugural speech, Samia linked the protests to foreign actors while the African Union and the Southern African Development Community raised concerns over transparency and fairness in the elections.

As she begins her second term, the mounting pressure highlights a significant shift in Tanzanian politics, with the previously unthinkable now unfolding under her leadership.