Authorities in Tanzania are facing growing international concern following reports of mass killings during crackdowns on protests that erupted after last week’s election. The main opposition party, Chadema, has alleged that security forces secretly disposed of bodies of hundreds killed in the unrest.

Protests swept across the country after the October 29 vote, as mostly young demonstrators took to the streets to denounce what foreign observers described as a deeply flawed election. The government imposed a nationwide curfew, and security forces reportedly used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds.

Chadema claims more than 1,000 people were killed and accused authorities of hiding the true death toll. “Tanzanians’ hearts are bleeding right now. This is a new thing for Tanzanians,” said Brenda Rupia, the party’s communications director.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with more than 97% of the vote — a landslide widely criticized as unfree and unfair. It was her first electoral victory since taking power in 2021 following the death of former president John Magufuli. Her main rivals, Tundu Lissu of Chadema and Luhaga Mpina of ACT-Wazalendo, were both barred from running; Lissu remains jailed on treason charges linked to his calls for electoral reform.

Human Rights Watch condemned the government’s response, urging an end to the “use of excessive and lethal force” and demanding accountability for security forces. The U.K., Norway, and Canada also cited “credible reports” of large-scale killings, while the Catholic Church said deaths likely numbered in the hundreds.

Tanganyika Law Society President Boniface Mwabukusi told The Associated Press that over 1,000 deaths had been reported and said his group is compiling a report for international legal bodies. “The killings were pre-planned to target politically active regions,” he said, calling the events a “massacre.”

Rupia said Chadema leaders in the Tunduma area of Mbeya had reported at least 400 deaths, while other regions reported hundreds more. She accused security forces of holding bodies and secretly dumping them to hide the extent of the violence.

Independent human rights lawyer Tito Magoti described the situation as a “national crisis,” saying families were searching for missing relatives and claiming to have seen army trucks carrying bodies from hospital mortuaries near Arusha.

President Hassan, inaugurated on Monday, acknowledged “loss of life” in her address and urged security agencies to restore calm. Meanwhile, authorities have warned citizens against sharing photos or videos online that could “cause panic,” threatening treason charges against violators. The warnings came as the internet was gradually restored following a six-day shutdown.

By Tuesday, daily life in major cities such as Dar es Salaam and Dodoma was slowly resuming, with gas stations, shops, and public transport reopening after several days of disruption.