President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the October 29 election with 98 percent of the vote, after senior opposition figures were jailed or removed from the list of candidates.

The opposition said that more than 1,000 people were killed during the unrest, and Hassan on Friday promised to establish a commission to investigate the killings.

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The Council of Imams said: “We strongly condemn the killing of innocent people who were killed during the 2025 general election.”

Hassan came to power following the sudden death of President John Magufuli in 2021, but since taking office she has been accused of restricting freedoms and suppressing the media.

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However, repression intensified in 2024, especially in the weeks leading up to the elections. The conduct of the security forces and the overall organisation of the polls have been heavily criticised both domestically and abroad.

Muslim leaders said their observers had found evidence of vote rigging and the registration of dead people as voters, adding that it was “impossible” to have a legitimate election outcome under such circumstances.

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Hundreds of protesters have been arrested and charged with treason, which carries the death penalty, but the president said they could be pardoned or given leniency.

The message Hassan delivered on Friday was the first to show an attempt at calming tensions and reaching out to the protesters. Since the unrest began, the government has not released the actual number of those killed or injured.