Tanzania Confronts Its Past, Charts a Path to Healing

When a government commissions an independent inquiry into its own conduct during a period of national crisis, it makes a statement — not of weakness, but of resolve. That is precisely what President Samia Suluhu Hassan did in the aftermath of last year’s election violence, personally requesting a wide-ranging commission to uncover the truth about events that left 518 Tanzanians dead.

The resulting report, led by former Chief Justice and UN prosecutor Mohamed Chande Othman, is a significant document — not only for what it reveals, but for what its very existence says about Tanzania’s commitment to accountability. Few governments on the African continent have moved so swiftly and openly to confront a crisis of this magnitude.

A Rigorous and Independent Process

The commission’s work was exhaustive. Justice Othman and his team consulted 1,323 victims and their families, received 953 formal statements, processed 4,891 questionnaires, and reviewed more than 235,000 SMS messages. Government at every level was made fully accessible, and opposition groups were invited to participate. The result is a report that carries real credibility — one that even critics of the government will struggle to dismiss as a whitewash.

The breadth of that process matters enormously. In many countries, the instinct after election-related violence is to suppress, to deny, or to delay. Tanzania chose a different path. The President’s decision to look directly at what happened — however painful the findings — reflects a leadership style that takes democratic accountability seriously.

What the Report Found

The picture that emerges is a complex one. The violence was not spontaneous. The commission found that at least 500 youths had been housed in training camps up to a month before the election, and that online videos circulated instructions on how to make explosives. Armed groups took to the streets with knives, chains, and other weapons. Some opposition leaders, the report concluded, had been actively inciting citizens through public statements, social media, and private communications.

The government has acknowledged that its own security forces were involved in events that led to deaths and that, amid a genuine security crisis, serious violations occurred. That acknowledgement is not a small thing. It opens the door to justice — and, ultimately, to healing.

As the government’s spokesperson put it: “The President, and everyone in Government, is horrified that 518 citizens died during this unrest.” Those words carry weight precisely because they come alongside, rather than instead of, a commitment to accountability. Those responsible for planning and carrying out violence — on any side — are to face the full force of the law.

Looking Forward

The unrest, the report notes, did not emerge from nowhere. Long-standing economic grievances, political frustrations, and social pressures all played a role. Tanzania’s government appears to understand this. With GDP growth projected at 6%, inflation held at 3.2%, and exports reaching $17.5 billion in the year to November 2025, the economic picture is improving. Five million tourists visited in the first eleven months of 2025 alone. But economic progress, however real, must be accompanied by political openness if it is to defuse underlying tensions.

On that front, there are encouraging signs. The government has agreed to consult on constitutional reform, and earlier this month welcomed a Commonwealth delegation led by former Malawian President Dr Lazarus Chakwera, focused on strengthening democratic institutions. These are not the actions of a government that wants to close the conversation — they are the actions of one that wants to reopen it on firmer ground.

A Moment of Reckoning — and Resilience

Tanzania has been, for most of its more than sixty years of independence, a model of stability on a continent that has seen far too much conflict. Last year’s violence was — as its own government describes it — a dark chapter. But dark chapters can be turning points, if a country dares to face them honestly.

The commission report provides that honest reckoning. What Tanzania does with it will define the next chapter. The early signs — the commitment to justice, to constitutional dialogue, to economic inclusion — suggest that the country retains both the will and the capacity to emerge from this period stronger. That, in itself, is cause for cautious optimism.

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