The US State Department announced Thursday that the United States is reviewing its relationship with Tanzania following a brutal crackdown on protesters following a disputed presidential election in October.
United Nations human rights experts estimate that hundreds of people were shot dead and hundreds more detained in the aftermath of the vote.
“The Tanzanian government’s continued repression of religious freedom and freedom of speech, persistent obstacles to U.S. investment, and disturbing acts of violence against civilians in the days leading up to and following the October 29 elections in Tanzania require us to reconsider our relationship,” State Department Deputy Spokesman Tommy Piggott said in a statement.
“These actions endanger American citizens, tourists, and American interests in Tanzania, and threaten to undermine the mutual prosperity and security that has defined our decades-long partnership.”
CNN has reached out to the Tanzanian government for comment.
The US statement came after an exclusive CNN investigation found that patrolling police and armed men shot and killed unarmed protesters. Geolocated video, audio forensic analysis of gunshots fired, and first-hand accounts from witnesses and victims documented the brutality meted out to young demonstrators following the re-election of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. The president claimed victory with 98% of the vote, keeping his main rivals out of the race.
Additionally, satellite images, videos, and eyewitness accounts pointed to the presence of mass graves north of the East African country’s main city, Dar es Salaam.
After the contested vote, youth-led protests against the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party erupted across the country. Hassan accused the protesters of being paid to overthrow the government. She confirmed there were some casualties, but no official figures have been released.
The move also comes as Meta acknowledged in a statement to CNN that it had disabled or restricted the social media accounts of two Tanzanian activists who had posted videos of post-election violence.
Meta said it had locked Maria Sarungi Tsehai’s Instagram account in Tanzania, following a legal order from the government. It also confirmed that Mange Kimambi was banned from Instagram and WhatsApp for repeatedly violating the platform’s recidivism policy.
Both activists opposed the decision regarding X. Kimambi said in the post that the move appeared to be “an attempt to justify actions taken under significant pressure from the Tanzanian government to silence voices representing the people.”
