Tanzania is reeling from the massacre of hundreds of protesters following its disputed October 29 elections, as a powerful cabal tightens its grip on the nation’s leadership.
According to multiple government insiders who spoke to AFP, senior politicians are horrified but too terrified to speak publicly as a small circle of hardliners around President Samia Suluhu Hassan consolidates total control.
Horrific images of bodies lying on streets have flooded social media since the elections, which gave President Hassan a controversial 98 percent victory. Opposition leaders were either jailed, disqualified, or abducted during the vote.
The opposition claims that over 1,000 people were killed during five days of unrest that followed the elections, while the government has yet to release any official casualty figures. The violence occurred under a complete internet blackout that shielded the bloodshed from real-time scrutiny.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said there are “disturbing reports that security forces have been seen removing bodies from streets and hospitals to undisclosed locations,” suggesting an attempt to conceal evidence.
A senior government official, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal, told AFP they had identified two suspected mass grave sites near Dar es Salaam — at Kondo and Mabwepande. The locations remain unverified, but satellite imagery reportedly shows heavy ground disturbance.
Both the official and a former presidential advisor described the group surrounding the president as a “tiny cabal” made up of her son Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, private secretary Waziri Salum, intelligence chief Suleiman Abubakar Mombo, and East African MP Angela Kizigha.
“They are the ones influencing the president and running the country,” the advisor said. “Everyone else has been completely frozen out.”
The insider also alleged that President Hassan’s son commands a private militia believed to be behind the wave of abductions and executions targeting critics since 2024. The government has denied involvement in kidnappings, though over 83 cases had been confirmed by the Tanganyika Law Society before the election.
Some victims were high-profile figures, such as former government spokesman Humphrey Polepole, who vanished after resigning in protest. Others were young citizens abducted for criticizing the government online.
“The only explanation is deep-seated paranoia,” the ex-advisor added. “And now, it’s completely out of control.”
Lawmakers, though horrified, are reportedly too scared to confront the regime or address their constituents.
“What’s clear,” one official said, “is that Tanzania will never be the same again.”