DODOMA, Tanzania (AP) — Tanzania’s president has, for the first time since the disputed October election, commented on a six-day internet shutdown as the country went through its worst postelection violence.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Thursday expressed “sympathy” to diplomats and foreign nationals living in the country, saying the government would strive to ensure there is never a repeat of the same.
Hassan won the October election with more than 97% of the vote after candidates from the two main opposition parties were barred from running and the country’s main opposition leader remained in prison facing treason charges.
Violence broke out on election day and went on for days as the internet was shut down amid a heavy police crackdown that left hundreds of people dead, according to rights groups.
Hassan blamed the violence on foreigners and pardoned hundreds of young people who had been arrested, saying they were acting under peer pressure.
Speaking to ambassadors, high commissioners and representatives of international organizations on Thursday in the capital, Dodoma, she sought to reassure envoys of their safety, saying the government would remain vigilant to prevent a repeat of the disruption.
“To our partners in the diplomatic community and foreigners residing here in Tanzania, I express my sincere sympathy for the uncertainty, service restrictions and internet shutdowns you experienced,” she said.
Hassan defended her administration, saying the measures were taken to preserve constitutional order and protect citizens.
“I assure you that we will remain vigilant to ensure your safety and prevent any recurrence of such experiences,” the president told diplomats on Thursday.
Tanzania has, since the October elections, established a commission of inquiry to look into the violence that left hundreds dead and property worth millions of shillings destroyed in a country that has enjoyed relative calm for decades.
Foreign observers said the election failed to meet democratic standards because key opposition figures were barred.
latest_posts
- 1
Flat Earth, spirits and conspiracy theories – experience can shape even extraordinary beliefs - 2Fireball sightings are surging across the US — here's what's really going on
- 3Israeli naval intelligence reduces Iranian threat to Strait of Hormuz
- 4Cyprus: War-related tourism concerns and climate change efforts
- 5Clones of Stumpy, Washington D.C.'s beloved cherry blossom tree, have flowered for the first time
- NASA loses contact with its Maven spacecraft orbiting Mars for the past decade
- Satellites capture aftermath of Ethiopian volcano's 1st eruption in recorded history (images)
- Regeneron's experimental therapy combo effective in untreated cancer patients
- Robyn returns to music with 'Dopamine,' her 1st single in 7 years: 'Came to save music once again'
- Israel says soldiers wounded in Gaza fighting amid fragile truce
- Sources: IDF does not actually know how many ballistic missiles Iran has left
- Recent studies prove the ancient practice of nasal irrigation is effective at fighting the common cold
- Figure out How to Use Your Nursing Abilities for Better Compensation
- Did we start the fire? A 400,000-year-old hearth sparks new questions about human evolution
