Tanzanian authorities imposed a heavy security clampdown on December 9, 2025 marking the country's 64th Independence Day deploying police and military across Dar es Salaam and Arusha to thwart planned demonstrations by activists protesting October's disputed presidential election. Officials branded the rallies unlawful and tantamount to a "coup attempt," canceling official celebrations and redirecting funds to repair election-related damage while urging citizens to stay home. Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba echoed calls for rest at home, with at least 10 opposition figures arrested for online mobilization.
The tension stems from post-election violence after President Samia Suluhu Hassan's landslide win with 98% of votes, amid opposition bans and clashes that UN estimates claim killed hundreds, with over 2,000 detained. Protests erupted nationwide from Dar es Salaam to border towns targeting polling stations and elite properties, prompting a brutal police response including door-to-door killings. Rights groups decry digital surveillance and excessive force, as Human Rights Watch warns of intensified harassment ahead of the D9 calls for peaceful dissent.
Despite patrols yielding a tense calm by midday, minor unrest persisted in neighborhoods per social media, underscoring eroded trust in Hassan's regime post-Magufuli. The UN urged respect for non-violent assembly rights, highlighting Tanzania's crossroads between democratic backsliding and reform demands.