Ghana has expressed deep concern over the escalating political and human rights situation in Tanzania following the October 29, 2025 general elections, warning that the violence witnessed in the aftermath poses a serious threat to the country’s long-term stability.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Government of Ghana said the post-election period had been marked by violent clashes, loss of lives, and confrontations between protesters and security forces—events it described as alarming and detrimental to democratic governance.
Ghana extended condolences to families of civilians killed and wished a quick recovery to those injured, condemning the deaths as “unwarranted violence.” It welcomed assurances from Tanzanian authorities that issues of impunity would be addressed through accountability, justice, and respect for constitutional order.
Accra stressed that effective, rights-based policing must remain central in managing public order, particularly to protect peaceful demonstrators and ensure all state institutions meet their human rights obligations.
The statement urged all key actors—government officials, security organs, political parties, civil society, and protesters—to respect the rule of law, safeguard democratic values, and preserve the civic space needed to prevent further abuses.
Ghana, a member of the UN Human Rights Council, said it stands with the African Union, the Commonwealth, and the UN Human Rights Commissioner in calling for maximum restraint from all sides. It further supported demands for transparent, credible, and impartial investigations into the violence, to ensure due process for victims, detainees, and alleged perpetrators.
At what it called a “critical juncture,” Ghana appealed to the wider international community to support Tanzania as it navigates the political crisis.
Meanwhile, President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday issued a strongly worded response to the unrest, claiming that the violence witnessed during the elections was engineered by foreign entities seeking to destabilize Tanzania.
She accused unnamed countries of displaying “foreign arrogance” by attempting to dictate how Tanzania should handle its internal affairs, saying, “Some think they are our masters, our colonizers. Who are you?”
President Samia argued that Tanzania’s abundant natural resources—particularly rare minerals—had triggered increased foreign interest, with some external powers “drooling over our wealth” after previously dismissing the nation as poor.
The President emphasized that Tanzania’s longstanding peace had irritated outsiders intent on undermining it. “They destroyed their own countries and now want to destroy ours,” she said.
Extending condolences to Tanzanians who lost loved ones, President Samia insisted that the disturbances—including business disruptions and property destruction—reflect a wider plot designed to topple the government.
She referenced viral online videos of youths in the protests, claiming their actions bore similarities to unrest in Madagascar, which she described as evidence of a coordinated foreign-driven project.
President Samia dismissed accusations of excessive force by security agencies, arguing that the state’s response was proportionate to the threat. She questioned why the unrest occurred specifically on election day, describing it as “orchestrated violence with specific objectives.”
The President criticized opposition parties for withdrawing from the election, claiming they feared embarrassment and later used this withdrawal as an excuse to fuel tension.
She also alleged that some Tanzanians were recruited due to financial hardship, insisting that the masterminds behind the violence were funded from abroad.
Samia defended her previous political outreach efforts to the opposition between 2020 and 2023, saying she extended “a hand of mercy” that was not adequately acknowledged.
Addressing young people protesting over the cost of living, she remarked that she wished she could send them to other African countries to see “what true hardship looks like,” saying many were exaggerating the situation in Tanzania.
