Tanzania police patrol streets on national holiday ahead of planned protests over October election

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Police have been deployed in mostly empty streets in Tanzania’s major cities on Tuesday ahead of planned protests that the government has preemptively declared illegal, urging citizens to stay home for Independence Day celebrations in the Eastern African nation.

Activists have called for protests over the ruling party’s victory in a disputed election Oct. 29, which led to days of protests in which hundreds of people were killed and more than 2,000 were detained. The demonstrations lasted three days as protesters burned vehicles, polling stations and gas stations while calling for the cancellation of results declaring the reelection of President Samia Suluhu Hassan with more than 97% of the vote.

Police trucks and officers on foot patrolled Tuesday morning in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, the administrative capital Dodoma and the northeastern city of Arusha, while roadblocks were erected near key government installations including Hassan’s heavily guarded offices in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.

There was no public transport in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday after bus owners withdrew their vehicles, fearing a repeat of October’s vandalism.

Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba on Monday asked all nonessential workers to stay home Tuesday. The annual Independence Day celebrations were cancelled in November and the government said funds that would have been used for the celebrations would be used to repair damaged infrastructure.

The country’s two main opposition parties were barred from running a candidate to face Hassan, the former vice president who was elevated following the death in office of her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli. The main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, demanded electoral reforms before the October polling but has been imprisoned since April facing treason charges.

Human Rights Watch on Monday decried a crackdown on Tanzanian activists, stating that at least 10 people have been arrested since mid-November following social media posts about the planned protests. Amnesty International also issued a statement Monday urging Tanzania to respect the right to peaceful assembly and warning against another internet shutdown like the one that lasted for over a week after the October election.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday asked Tanzanian authorities to “refrain from using force to disperse non-violent assemblies and make every effort to de-escalate tensions.”

Dozens of Kenyan activists expressed solidarity with their Tanzania counterparts and urged the government to investigate killings and disappearances during the October demonstrations.

Tanzania’s government has established a commission to investigate the post-election violence but its findings are yet to be announced.