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Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn into office on Monday after a controversial election marred by deadly protests and the boycott of two leading opposition candidates.
The ceremony, held at government grounds in the administrative capital of Dodoma, was limited to invited guests.
This is a significant departure from previous inaugurations, which usually took place in packed football stadiums open to the public.
Tension continues in the commercial capital dar es salaamAfter three days of election protests. Gas stations and grocery stores remained closed and roads were nearly empty as government employees worked from home. Most people in Dodoma stayed at home.
29 October elections Violence broke out as protesters took to the streets of major cities to protest against voting and stop the counting of votes. army Was deployed to help the police in suppressing the riots. Internet connectivity in the East African nation has been on and off, disrupting travel and other activities.
protest spread all around tanzaniaAnd the government postponed the reopening of universities, which had been scheduled for November 3.
Tanzanian officials have not said how many people were killed or injured in the violence. Seif Magango, a spokesman for the UN human rights office, told a UN briefing in Geneva via video from Kenya on Friday that there were credible reports of 10 deaths in Dar es Salaam and the cities of Shinyanga and Morogoro.
The election results were rejected by the main opposition party Chadema.
“These results have no basis in reality, as the truth is that no genuine elections were held in Tanzania,” the party’s statement read in part.
Chadema party leader Tundu Lissu has been jailed for several months after being charged with treason for demanding electoral reforms he said were necessary for free and fair voting. Another opposition leader, Luhaga Mapina of the ACT-Wazalendo party, was barred from running.
The presidents of Mozambique, Zambia, Burundi and Somalia attended the swearing-in ceremony on Monday.
Kenyan President William Ruto issued a statement on Monday urging Tanzanians to maintain peace and called for dialogue among stakeholders to maintain national stability. Ruto did not travel to Dodoma on Monday and was represented by his Vice President.
Election violence in Tanzania led to the closure of the border crossing with Kenya at Namanga, where agricultural goods have been rotting in trucks for six days.