German government must clearly condemn systematic violence after elections in Tanzania

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is deeply concerned about the German government's continued silence on the massive human rights violations following the controversial presidential elections in Tanzania on October 29. Despite numerous documented attacks, lethal violence by security forces, and indications of possible mass graves, Berlin has so far expressed neither sympathy nor solidarity, let alone a clear condemnation.

“The reports are shocking and require an immediate response from the international community,” emphasizes Laura Mahler, STP's Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa. “The systematic violence against the civilian population must not be ignored.” Independent investigations by international media and human rights organizations confirm that police and armed groups have deliberately fired on unarmed demonstrators. According to a CNN investigation, videos and eyewitness accounts confirm overcrowded morgues in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, while satellite images indicate freshly dug mass graves at the Kondo cemetery. According to consistent reports, the victims include numerous young people, including pregnant women. Many were shot from behind while trying to flee.

While the European Parliament is already taking steps to suspend planned development funding for 2026 in light of massive democratic setbacks, the German government remains inactive. “Germany's silence in the face of this dramatic situation is hardly justifiable,” Mahler explains. “A public, clear statement would send an important signal to the victims, their families, and democratic civil society in Tanzania.” The STP calls on the German government to publicly and unequivocally condemn the violence in Tanzania and to advocate for an independent, international investigation into the events.

“Bilateral cooperation must be linked to the rule of law – not to economic interests. As long as these serious human rights violations remain unresolved, there should be no regular cooperation between the German and Tanzanian governments. Those who remain silent now are complicit in normalizing state arbitrariness,” Mahler concludes.

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at presse@gfbv.de.