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Per the primary opposition faction, about 700 civilians have purportedly died during a three-day period of voting unrest in the East African nation.

Unrest Breaks Out on Voting Day

Unrest commenced on election day over claims that protesters called the silencing of the opposition after the removal of prominent contenders from the presidential race.

Death Numbers Claimed

An rival spokesperson stated that numerous of people had been lost their lives since the unrest commenced.

"As we speak, the death toll in Dar es Salaam is nearly 350 and for another city it is 200-plus. Including estimates from other regions throughout the country, the total count is approximately 700," the official stated.

He added that the death count could be even larger because killings could be occurring during a night-time restriction that was enforced from Wednesday.

Additional Accounts

• An security insider reportedly claimed there had been accounts of exceeding 500 dead, "possibly 700-800 in the entire nation."
• Amnesty International reported it had received information that a minimum of 100 civilians had been slain.
• The opposition stated their numbers had been collected by a team of supporters attending medical facilities and health clinics and "tallying dead bodies."

Appeals for Action

Rival officials demanded the administration to "stop harming our demonstrators" and demanded a interim government to pave the way for just and transparent votes.

"End violence. Uphold the voice of the people which is democratic rights," the spokesperson said.

Government Response

The government reacted by imposing a curfew. Online restrictions were also reported, with global monitors reporting it was countrywide.

The following day, the army chief criticized the clashes and referred to the protesters "offenders". The official stated law enforcement would attempt to control the unrest.

International Response

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated it was "worried" by the fatalities and harm in the demonstrations, noting it had gathered accounts that no fewer than 10 civilians had been slain by security forces.

The office stated it had received trustworthy reports of fatalities in Dar es Salaam, in Shinyanga and Morogoro, with security forces firing real bullets and chemical irritants to scatter crowds.

Legal Perspective

An human rights attorney claimed it was "unreasonable" for authorities to employ violence, noting that the country's president "should refrain from deploying the police against the civilians."

"The president should listen to the people. The sentiment of the country is that there was no fair vote … We cannot vote for only one option," the advocate said.