Tanzania’s police have announced a ban on proposed nationwide rallies scheduled for next week, following days of unrest that broke out after the October 29 elections. The protests erupted after opposition groups accused President Samia Suluhu Hassan of election manipulation and targeting her critics.

President Hassan was declared winner with 98% of the vote, a result that sparked widespread anger. Opposition groups and rights organisations claim that security forces responded with extreme force during the protests, leaving many citizens alarmed. The government has not released an official report on the incident, further fuelling public frustration.

Despite attempts to limit the spread of information, calls for renewed protests on December 9 have been circulating online. Responding to this, police spokesperson David Misime said that no official request for the rally was submitted, and cited “unlawful tactics” seen in earlier demonstrations as a reason for the ban.

According to Misime, the planned protests do not meet the legal requirements for authorisation and are therefore prohibited. He added that some of the rally organisers were using anonymous social media accounts and foreign phone numbers, which the police consider a security concern.

The ban comes shortly after Meta suspended the Instagram accounts of two Tanzanian activists who had shared visuals from the earlier crackdown. The move has drawn renewed attention from the international community, with the United States announcing that it would be reviewing its relationship with Tanzania in response to the post-election violence.