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According to the primary opposition faction, about 700 citizens have reportedly lost their lives during a three-day period of poll-related clashes in the East African nation.

Violence Breaks Out on Polling Day

Unrest commenced on election day over claims that protesters called the suppression of the opposition after the removal of key hopefuls from the presidential ballot.

Death Estimates Claimed

An opposition official declared that scores of people had been slain since the unrest commenced.

"As we speak, the fatality count in the port city is around 350 and for Mwanza it is 200-plus. Added to estimates from elsewhere throughout the nation, the total figure is around 700," he remarked.

He added that the number could be much higher because killings may be happening during a night-time restriction that was enforced from Wednesday.

Other Reports

• An security insider allegedly claimed there had been reports of more than 500 deaths, "maybe 700-800 in the whole country."
• The human rights organization reported it had received reports that at least 100 people had been lost their lives.
• Rival groups claimed their figures had been gathered by a network of supporters visiting hospitals and medical centers and "counting dead bodies."

Demands for Intervention

Rival officials called for the administration to "cease killing our protesters" and called for a caretaker administration to enable free and fair polls.

"Stop police brutality. Honor the choice of the citizens which is electoral justice," the official declared.

Government Measures

Authorities responded by enforcing a curfew. Online restrictions were also reported, with global observers stating it was nationwide.

The following day, the military leader condemned the unrest and labeled the activists "offenders". The official stated security forces would seek to contain the unrest.

Global Response

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated it was "deeply concerned" by the casualties in the unrest, noting it had obtained accounts that no fewer than 10 individuals had been killed by authorities.

The office mentioned it had received reliable information of deaths in Dar es Salaam, in Shinyanga and an eastern area, with security forces using real bullets and chemical irritants to disperse crowds.

Legal Perspective

An human rights lawyer claimed it was "unjustified" for security agencies to use force, stating that the country's president "ought to refrain from deploying the law enforcement against the civilians."

"The president needs to heed the public. The feeling of the country is that there was an unfair process … The people are unable to elect only one option," the lawyer stated.