19 embassies warn Tanzania over post-election killings and detentions

Nineteen diplomatic missions in Tanzania, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and several European embassies, issued a joint statement Friday urging authorities to return the bodies of people killed in post-election unrest, release detainees and address mounting allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

The statement, released in Dar es Salaam, said envoys "deeply regret the tragic loss of lives and numerous injuries in the wake of the elections" and noted that "credible reports show evidence of extrajudicial killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and concealment of dead bodies."

They called on authorities to release all detainees held over the protests and allow full legal and medical access for those still in custody.

The diplomats urged the government to implement recommendations from African Union and Southern African Development Community observers, who documented irregularities during the Oct. 29 elections.

They said the government must uphold constitutional guarantees of expression and access to information, and stressed that any inquiry into the violence should be independent, transparent and inclusive of civil society and political actors.

The joint intervention came one day after the US warned that Tanzania's "ongoing repression" and "disturbing violence against civilians" had put the country at risk of a rupture in diplomatic relations.

"The United States values its longstanding partnership with the people of Tanzania, which has brought prosperity to our populations and security to the region. Recent actions by the government, however, raise concerns about the direction of our bilateral relationship," the Trump administration said.

Tanzania has faced growing international scrutiny following deadly clashes that erupted after the National Electoral Commission declared President Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner with 97.66% of the vote.

Human rights groups and opposition figures claim security forces have killed far more people than the government has acknowledged.

The embassies said they recognize the government's stated desire for peace but urged restraint from security forces and swift action to address concerns raised across affected communities.

They called on authorities to return the bodies of those killed to their families without delay and to release political prisoners as a step toward restoring public trust.