Tanzania's Leadership Faces Scrutiny Over Election Violence

Tanzania's president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, addressed election-related violence by promising to investigate and expressed condolences to affected families. An inquiry commission will be formed to uncover the causes of clashes. The opposition claims massive casualties, and international bodies like the U.N. have voiced concerns over human rights violations.

Tanzania's president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, announced on Friday an investigation into election-related violence, marking her first public acknowledgment of the incidents' impact. She extended condolences to the bereaved families and declared the establishment of a commission for reconciliation and peace.

Opposition party CHADEMA claims security forces killed over 1,000 people, while the U.N. estimates several hundred deaths during the protests. The unrest was fueled by the exclusion of key opposition candidates and allegations of dissent suppression, which the government denies.

Hassan urged the withdrawal of treason charges against protestors who 'merely followed the crowd.' The government has consistently denied accusations of widespread rights abuses, asserting that the election process was fair. This investigation becomes the latest in a series of probes into alleged government misconduct.

(With inputs from agencies.)