Around 700 people have been killed in bloody clashes between protesters and regime forces in Tanzania over the past 24 hours, as 14 Cypriot students and two teachers remain trapped in the East African country.
Hundreds of people lost their lives yesterday, Friday 31 October, in anti-government protests, with concern about the situation taking on international dimensions, according to the opposition.
International media report that internet access in the country has been cut off by the regime. Since Wednesday, Tanzania, with 68 million inhabitants, has been plunged into violence.
The trigger was presidential elections held without opposition, as the two main challengers to President Samia Suluhu Hassan have been jailed or barred from the electoral process.
Hospitals turned into battlegrounds
An Agence France-Presse journalist heard gunfire on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam, the country’s economic centre and largest city, as hundreds of people demonstrated and set fire to a police station. The protests then spread across the rest of the country.
At the moment we’re speaking, the death toll in Dar es Salaam is around 350 and there are already over 200 in Mwanza in the north, John Kitoka, spokesman for the opposition Chadema party, told AFP. If we add the numbers from other parts of the country, we reach a total of around 700 dead.
A source from the security services gave AFP a similar toll.
An Amnesty International researcher told AFP he had received reports of at least 100 deaths in Tanzania over the past two days.
Security forces are in hospitals trying to control witness testimony and prevent casualty figures from becoming known to avoid embarrassing the government, he said. Internet access remains largely blocked, making it extremely difficult to gather this information, he added.
Several hospitals and health centres refused to speak to AFP, fearing the authorities, who have not released any casualty figures.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today called on security forces in Tanzania not to use “unnecessary or disproportionate” force against protesters.
Protests continue despite curfew
Despite a curfew imposed in Dar es Salaam, hundreds of people demonstrated in the city’s streets today, Friday, Kitoka and a security services source told AFP.
The target of their anger is President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took over Tanzania’s presidency after the death of her predecessor John Magufuli in 2021 and who this time hopes to be elected.
Although she initially relaxed some of the strict restrictions imposed by Magufuli, Hassan was subsequently accused of harsh repression of her critics.
Cyprus students trapped in violence
A volunteer work trip to Tanzania by a delegation of Cypriot students and teachers has turned into a nightmare. According to Philenews, they have become trapped in the country, with their families enduring hours of anguish whilst awaiting answers on how they will return safely to Cyprus as soon as possible.
The private school delegation, comprising 17- and 18-year-old boys and girls, departed on a flight from Larnaca on 22 October and was due to begin its return journey tomorrow, 2 November.
The group travelled via Dubai to Tanzania, then moved to Kilya village, many kilometres away, to help build schools and create playgrounds.
Days after their arrival, internet access was cut off due to the upcoming elections. The situation escalated further with the army taking to the streets and many protesters losing their lives.
The Cypriot delegation then received a message from the airline with which they had booked their tickets saying their flight was cancelled.
So far neither the delegation members nor the parents know what will happen, and they are requesting a repatriation plan with the help of the Foreign Ministry and the Republic of Cyprus.
Foreign Ministry issues travel advisory
The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus issued a travel advisory yesterday, 31 October 2025, concerning Cypriot citizens who are in or intend to travel to Tanzania.
The ministry, taking into account the security situation in Tanzania, advises Cypriot citizens to exercise particular caution due to ongoing unrest and the imposition of a curfew in the country.
Additionally, Cypriot citizens in the country are advised to avoid all gatherings and demonstrations, remain vigilant and follow the instructions of local authorities.
They are also advised to closely monitor developments and information from international and local media, avoid unnecessary travel and implement maximum security measures.
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