Tanzania partially restores internet access, warns against image sharing

The government in Tanzania has warned people not to share photos and videos that may cause panic as the internet slowly returns after a six-day shutdown during deadly protests that began on election day.

Mobile phone users received a text message on Monday night saying that sharing images that could cause panic or demean human life would lead to “treason charges.”

The messages came shortly after the internet was reconnected, when people began sharing unverified images of bodies they claimed were victims of the election protests.

A social media page that had been uploading videos and photos of purported election protest victims was pulled down on Monday evening, after attracting thousands of followers within a day.

The government has yet to release an official death toll from the protests, but President Samia Suluhu Hassan, during her Monday swearing-in, said there had been loss of life and urged security agencies to ensure a return to normalcy.

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday condemned the violent crackdown on protesters in Tanzania and cited officials from the main opposition party, Chadema, who said more than 1,000 people had died in the protests.

The Catholic Church on Monday also said that people had died in their “hundreds,” but it too was unable to verify or confirm the exact numbers.

President Hassan ran in a disputed Oct. 29 election from which candidates from the two main opposition parties were barred. She was declared the winner with more than 97% of the vote, despite a low turnout reported by international observers.

Chaos broke out on election day as youths protested the exclusion of the main opposition parties, and demonstrations continued for several days as protesters called for a halt to vote tallying. Security agencies cracked down on protesters by firing live bullets and tear gas canisters, and a nationwide curfew was declared.

On Tuesday, life was slowly returning to normal in the capitals Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, with gas stations and grocery shops reopening and public transport resuming after days of closure.

The government spokesperson on Monday asked all government workers to return to work, effectively ending a work-from-home order that had been announced after the curfew imposed on election night.

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday asked the Tanzanian government to ensure accountability for all election-related deaths, citing point-blank shootings reported by various residents.

“The Tanzanian authorities’ violent and repressive response to election-related protests further undermines the credibility of the electoral process,” said Oryem Nyeko, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The rights group also called for the full restoration of internet connectivity, saying that restrictions violate the right to freedom of expression and access to information.