Africa-Press – Tanzania. On Saturday, November 1, the African Union Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, sent his congratulations to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu after she was declared the winner with 98 per cent of the votes in the just-concluded General Elections conducted on Wednesday.
Following the statement, in which Youssouf acknowledged the post-election violence experienced after the polls, social media has exploded with criticism from several fronts, including Kenyans.
Youssouf also called for calm among the citizens, even as they practised their constitutional right to picket.
“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, takes note of the results of the presidential election in Tanzania and congratulates H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her victory,” the statement read.
“The Chairperson deeply regrets the loss of human life during the post-electoral protests and extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims. He underscores the imperative of upholding fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to peaceful assembly and expression, and encourages the authorities to safeguard these rights within the framework of the law.”
The sentiments from mostly Kenyans stemmed from the fact that the AU chair congratulated President Suluhu in the same breath that he mourned the lost lives.
“African Union really out here sending condolences and congratulations in the same paragraph, like a eulogy signed by the murderer,” one user lamented, with another one adding, “You are not extending condolences to victims’ families if you are congratulating those responsible for their victimisation.”
“Why is the African Union so quick to send congratulations at a time when lives were lost? Is the Union protecting Electoral Authoritarianism in Africa?” another mused.
“An organisation fed by the same hands it’s meant to discipline will never bite. Anybody that survives on contributions from the same countries it’s supposed to check will always protect power, not people. AU, UN and EU same thing,” another commented.
“This is a very shameful statement. Was there an election in Tanzania? You had observers on the ground; did you listen to their reports, or y’all just support dictators nowadays?”
Others chose to attack Kenyans who had run a campaign against the late Raila Odinga, who was vying for the AUC seat against Yoosouff during the February election.
They rationalised that things might have been different if Raila had won the election instead of Youssouf, making fun of the Kenyans who had thought otherwise eight months ago.
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