Tanzania Blocks Independence Day Protests Amid Post-Election Violence

• Tanzania blocked planned Independence Day protests in Dar es Salaam, deploying police and soldiers.
• The protests were organized against the violent crackdown following the October elections.
• The government warned that any rallies on Independence Day would be considered an attempted coup.
• Post-election violence was significant, with the UN estimating hundreds killed and human rights experts reporting 700 extrajudicial killings.
• President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who secured a new term, established a commission to investigate the election-related violence.

Why It Matters: This highlights Tanzania's suppression of dissent and human rights post-election.