A new exclusive investigation by CNN has shed light on what appears to be extensive and deadly violence following Tanzania’s disputed election, with disturbing evidence suggesting the existence of possible mass graves.
CNN correspondent Larry Madowo uncovered chilling details of how security forces reportedly unleashed a brutal crackdown on demonstrators who accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government of conducting an unfair election.
Terrified Witnesses, Verified Killings
Working with open-source investigator Benjamin Strick, CNN reviewed dozens of videos from several towns and cities, reconstructing the events that unfolded during the late-October and early-November unrest.
In Arusha, forensic analysis confirmed that two people were fatally shot at a single intersection after heavily armed police advanced toward protesters. One of the victims—a three-month-pregnant woman holding a rock and a stick—was shot in the back and died instantly, leaving behind her husband and two young children.
Audio forensics placed the origin of the fatal gunfire squarely in the direction of police officers, raising further questions about the scale of force used during the protests.
Morgues Overwhelmed as Bodies Pile Up
In Mwanza, Tanzania’s second-largest city, medics described scenes of horror. A doctor who spoke to CNN anonymously revealed that morgue capacity was exceeded within hours as bodies kept arriving.
He recalled four separate trips transporting piles of dead bodies, all delivered to a mortuary that was already overflowing.
Some witnesses claimed that injured protesters were denied medical attention, with security officers allegedly transporting the wounded directly to the mortuary—effectively abandoning them to die.
A woman in Dar es Salaam told CNN she was able to identify her missing brother among dozens of bodies laid out on the floor of the Mwananyamala Hospital morgue.
Allegations of Mass Graves
The most disturbing claims involve efforts to conceal the death toll.
CNN obtained video showing freshly dug earth across a wide stretch of ground, consistent with testimony from young men who said they were ordered to dig mass burial sites.
While CNN could not independently confirm the mass graves, satellite imagery before and after the unrest showed significant soil disturbances, strengthening suspicions of clandestine burials.
The main opposition party alleges that at least 2,000 people may have been killed, though these figures remain unverified.
Government Silent on Death Toll
Tanzanian authorities did not respond to CNN’s inquiries and have dismissed opposition claims as exaggerated. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has since formed a commission to probe the unrest but drew public anger by suggesting that some protesters were “paid” to demonstrate.
As international pressure mounts, the full scale of the violence—and the possibility of mass graves—remains one of the darkest questions hanging over Tanzania's post-election crisis.