The European Union on Sunday urged the Tanzanian authorities to exercise "maximum restraint in order to preserve human lives," following violence during the re-election of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
"The EU is deeply concerned by the violence, the internet shutdown, and reports of irregularities in the electoral process in certain areas," said the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in a statement.
"Reliable reports indicating a significant number of deaths and serious injuries are extremely troubling. The EU urges the authorities to exercise maximum restraint in order to preserve human lives," she said.
Tanzania's main opposition party Chadema on Sunday rejected President Samia Suluhu Hassan's landslide victory.
The final count showed that Hassan's Chama Cha Mapinduzi won 97.66 percent of the vote.
Chadema, which was barred from the election for refusing to sign a code of conduct claimed the results were false.
It a post on social media, it said: "Chadema strongly rejects the so-called election results announced by the National Electoral Commission. These results have no basis in reality, as the truth is that no genuine election took place in Tanzania.
"The countrywide demonstrations are clear proof that citizens did not take part in what is being called an election, and that they reject anyone emerging from this flawed electoral process," the statement added.
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The EU added: "The absence of fair conditions in the period leading up to the elections was marked by reports of abductions, disappearances, and violence restricting civic and democratic space.
"The EU calls for the release of all detained political leaders, a transparent and fair trial for those arrested as well as a prompt and thorough investigation into all reports of abductions, disappearances, and violence."
Hassan, who was vice-president between 2015 and 2021, rose to the top job following the death of John Magufuli.
On Satuday, Hassan appeared at an event in the administrative capital, Dodoma on Saturday to receive the winner's certificate from electoral authorities.
The 65-year-old hailed Tanzanians for voting overwhelmingly for a female leader and added: "Now the election is over, it's time to unite our country and not destroy what we've built over more than six decades.”
“We will take all actions and involve all security agencies to ensure the country is peaceful.”
Tanzania heads to polls with opposition barred and democracy under strain
A Chadema spokesman told the French news agency AFP on Friday that "around 700" people had been killed, based on figures gathered from a network checking hospitals and health clinics.
A security source and diplomat in Dar es Salaam both told AFP that deaths were "in the hundreds". The government has disputed the figures.
A spokesman for the UN human rights office, Seif Magango, on Friday told a UN briefing in Geneva by video from Kenya that credible reports of 10 deaths were reported in Dar es Salaam, alongside Shinyanga and Morogoro towns.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday he was concerned by the situation in Tanzania and urged all parties to prevent further escalation.
Hassan oversaw "an unprecedented crackdown on political opponents,” the International Crisis Group said in its most recent analysis.
“The government has curbed freedom of expression, ranging from a ban on X and restrictions on the Tanzanian digital platform JamiiForums to silencing critical voices through intimidation or arrest.”
