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According to the main opposition group, nearly 700 civilians have allegedly been slain during 72 hours of election-related clashes in the East African nation.

Unrest Starts on Voting Day

Demonstrations started on Wednesday over allegations that demonstrators described as the silencing of the opposition after the disqualification of major candidates from the election contest.

Casualty Numbers Claimed

An rival official claimed that numerous of people had been slain since the protests started.

"Currently, the number of deaths in the port city is around 350 and for Mwanza it is more than 200. Including numbers from other places around the nation, the final figure is nearly 700," he remarked.

The spokesperson mentioned that the death count could be even larger because deaths may be taking place during a nighttime curfew that was implemented from election day.

Other Estimates

• An security insider reportedly mentioned there had been accounts of over 500 deaths, "possibly 700-800 in the entire nation."
• Amnesty International reported it had received reports that at least 100 civilians had been killed.
• The opposition claimed their numbers had been compiled by a network of supporters going to medical facilities and health clinics and "documenting dead bodies."

Appeals for Change

The opposition called for the authorities to "halt targeting our activists" and demanded a caretaker administration to facilitate democratic elections.

"End police brutality. Honor the voice of the public which is electoral justice," the spokesperson stated.

Government Reaction

Authorities responded by imposing a curfew. Web outages were also observed, with international watchdogs indicating it was across the nation.

The following day, the military leader criticized the violence and referred to the protesters "criminals". He announced security forces would attempt to manage the unrest.

Global Concern

United Nations human rights office stated it was "deeply concerned" by the deaths and injuries in the unrest, adding it had gathered reports that no fewer than 10 individuals had been lost their lives by security forces.

The office mentioned it had collected trustworthy accounts of fatalities in the port city, in Shinyanga and an eastern area, with law enforcement discharging real bullets and teargas to disperse demonstrators.

Expert Opinion

An human rights advocate remarked it was "unreasonable" for security agencies to resort to arms, noting that the nation's leader "ought to avoid deploying the police against the public."

"She must listen to the public. The sentiment of the country is that there was no fair vote … The people are unable to elect a single contender," the advocate said.