EU calls on Tanzanian authorities to show ‘restraint’ in election violence: Kallas

BRUSSELS: The European Union on Sunday called on Tanzanian authorities to avoid adding to the violence that erupted after the contested re-election of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

“Reliable reports of large number of fatalities and significant injuries are of extreme concern. The EU urges authorities to exercise maximum restraint to preserve human lives,” Kaja Kallas, the EU’s chief diplomat, said in a statement.

The EU is “very concerned” about “the violence, the internet shutdown as well as reports of irregularities in the election process in some places,” Kallas added.

She also highlighted the “lack of level playing field” ahead of the election, which was marked by reports of “disappearances and violence limiting the civic and democratic space”.

“The EU calls for the release of all detained politicians and for a transparent and fair trial of those arrested,” the foreign policy chief said, and called for a thorough investigation into reported incidents of violence and abductions.

Hassan won a landslide election victory, results showed Saturday, after key candidates were jailed or barred from a vote that has triggered days of violent protests.

The opposition described the vote as a “mockery of the democratic process” and said hundreds have been killed by security forces.