, following the disqualification of two leading opposition candidates.
Internet services were severely disrupted nationwide, according to the monitoring group NetBlocks, as videos circulating on social media showed youths hurling stones at security forces and a petrol station engulfed in flames. Witnesses reported clashes in several neighbourhoods of Dar es Salaam, including the burning of a local government office.
In the northern city of Arusha, footage posted on X by the leading opposition party, CHADEMA, showed dozens of young men running through the streets amid plumes of black smoke, chanting: “We want our country!”
Protesters expressed anger over the banning of opposition candidates and alleged abductions of government critics. Demonstrators reportedly coordinated through the Zello app, which allows users to communicate like walkie-talkies via smartphones.
Police and government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Authorities have previously maintained that the election is free and fair and denied accusations of widespread human rights abuses.
The curfew took effect from 6 p.m. local time (1500 GMT), with the U.S. embassy advising its personnel to shelter in place as tensions rose in the city.
CHADEMA, Tanzania’s main opposition party, had earlier called for peaceful protests, describing the election as a “coronation” of Hassan. The party was barred from contesting in April after refusing to sign an electoral code of conduct, while its leader, Tundu Lissu, was charged with treason. Another major opposition contender, ACT-Wazalendo’s Luhaga Mpina, was also disqualified, leaving only minor parties on the ballot.
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Voter turnout appeared low at polling stations, which closed at 4 p.m. local time. Results are expected within three days. After casting her vote in the administrative capital, Dodoma, President Hassan urged citizens to participate peacefully: “I urge all Tanzanians, those who are still at home, to come out and exercise their right to vote and choose their preferred leaders.”
In addition to the presidential contest, Tanzanians also voted for members of the 400-seat national parliament and representatives in the semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago.
Hassan’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which evolved from the independence-era Tanganyika African National Union, has dominated Tanzanian politics since 1977. Hassan, one of only two female heads of state in Africa, has campaigned on her record of expanding infrastructure and energy capacity, while pledging stability and continuity.
Although praised for easing repression and censorship since taking office in 2021 after the death of her predecessor John Magufuli, Hassan’s administration has faced growing criticism from rights groups over alleged abductions of political opponents. She announced last year that she had ordered an investigation into the cases, but no official findings have been released.
