Africa-Press – Tanzania. The government of the United Republic of Tanzania has issued a response to the troubling CNN exposé detailing the unrest witnessed in the country.
In a terse public notice on November 21, the state acknowledged it is reviewing and verifying the contents of CNN’s recent documentary that detailed unrest following the country’s disputed October 29 presidential election.
CNN verified videos showing crowded morgues, which aligned with witness accounts describing mass casualties during the unrest.
“The government of the united republic of Tanzania has taken note of a documentary recently published by CNN regarding the events of October 29, 2025.The government is currently reviewing and verifying the contents of the documentary,” the notice signed by government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa reads.
The official added that an official response will be issued upon completion of the assessment.
The statement comes in the wake of a CNN investigation which analysed geolocated videos, audio evidence and witness accounts which documented the scale of unrest before and after President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with 98 per cent of the votes on October 29.
Some of her main rivals were barred from running, a decision that triggered demonstrations in multiple areas of the country.
According to CNN, satellite images and videos showed recently disturbed soil at Kondo cemetery, north of Dar es Salaam, where human rights groups and witnesses say some bodies of protesters may have been buried in mass graves.
Authorities imposed a curfew and an internet blackout in the days following the election.
When connectivity was partially restored, police reportedly restricted the sharing of photos and videos deemed to cause panic.
Government officials initially denied that any protesters had been killed.
Last week, President Suluhu acknowledged some casualties but did not provide figures and launched a commission to investigate the unrest, while also suggesting that some protesters may have been paid.
The President also insinuated that some of the protesters came from a neighbouring country.
CNN reported that the Tanzanian government and police did not respond to requests for comment.
The United Nations Human Rights Office, citing multiple sources, indicated that hundreds of protesters and civilians may have been killed, with an unknown number injured or detained.
CNN, in collaboration with open-source investigators, reviewed videos and images showing victims and overcrowded morgues at Sekou-Toure Regional Referral Hospital in Mwanza and Mwananyamala hospital in Dar es Salaam.
In Mwanza, photos show at least 10 bodies on a stretcher outside the hospital. A doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, described treating gunshot victims over four days and said bodies were brought to the morgue until capacity was overstretched.
“All had sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of the body, including the head, abdomen, chest, and limbs,” the doctor said.
In Dar es Salaam, video footage verified by CNN shows multiple bodies on the floor at Mwananyamala hospital.
The Ministry of Health denied the authenticity of the footage.
A woman who requested anonymity said she recognised her brother among the deceased, who she said was killed during protests near his home.
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