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According to the chief opposition faction, roughly 700 citizens have allegedly lost their lives during a three-day period of voting clashes in the East African nation.

Clashes Begins on Polling Day

Uprisings broke out on Wednesday over allegations that protesters labeled the stifling of the opposition after the removal of key contenders from the presidential race.

Casualty Numbers Stated

A opposition spokesperson claimed that hundreds of civilians had been killed since the demonstrations began.

"As we speak, the fatality count in Dar es Salaam is approximately 350 and for Mwanza it is over 200. Including numbers from other regions across the country, the total count is approximately 700," the official said.

He added that the toll could be significantly greater because killings could be taking place during a night-time restriction that was enforced from Wednesday.

Additional Reports

• A security source supposedly claimed there had been information of over 500 deaths, "possibly 700-800 in the entire nation."
• Amnesty International stated it had received data that no fewer than 100 civilians had been lost their lives.
• The opposition claimed their estimates had been compiled by a network of activists visiting hospitals and health clinics and "counting the deceased."

Calls for Change

The opposition urged the authorities to "stop harming our protesters" and called for a caretaker administration to facilitate democratic polls.

"Halt excessive force. Respect the will of the people which is fair elections," the official declared.

Government Measures

The government responded by enforcing a restriction. Internet disruption were also reported, with global observers indicating it was countrywide.

The following day, the military leader denounced the violence and called the activists "lawbreakers". He stated authorities would seek to contain the crisis.

Global Response

United Nations human rights office said it was "deeply concerned" by the casualties in the unrest, mentioning it had gathered accounts that a minimum of 10 civilians had been lost their lives by security forces.

The organization mentioned it had collected trustworthy information of deaths in the port city, in Shinyanga and Morogoro, with law enforcement discharging live ammunition and teargas to break up crowds.

Legal View

A human rights lawyer claimed it was "unreasonable" for law enforcement to employ violence, adding that the country's leader "should avoid using the police against the public."

"The president needs to pay attention to the citizens. The feeling of the nation is that there was no election … We cannot elect a single contender," the advocate commented.