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Tanzania is seeking to arrest senior opposition figures it accuses of being behind deadly protests that swept the country during last week’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
The main opposition party, Chadema, and some human rights activists say security forces have killed more than 1,000 people. The government described these figures as exaggerated without giving its own assessment.
Police listed 10 people wanted in their investigation into the unrest on Saturday, a day after prosecutors charged 145 people with treason.
“Police forces, in conjunction with other defense and security agencies, are continuing a serious manhunt for all those who planned, coordinated and executed this dastardly act,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.
Opposition leaders wanted for arrest
Among those sought are Chadema secretary general John Mnyika, his deputy Amaan Golugwa and the party’s communications manager Brenda Rupia, the statement said.
Neither Chadema nor officials were immediately available for comment on the police statement.
Chadema leader Tundu Lissu was accused of treason in April, and his exclusion from the vote, along with that of another main opposition candidate, largely motivated the protests.
The electoral commission declared incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan the winner with almost 98 percent of the vote. She was sworn in on Monday.
African Union observers said the vote was not credible and that they had documented ballot stuffing. The government has rejected criticism of the process and said the elections were fair.
Violent protests broke out on October 29 in the cities of Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Mbeya, as well as in several regions of the country, police said in a statement released on Saturday, describing for the first time the scale of the unrest.
People were injured in the violence, police said without giving details, while private and public property, including ATMs and government offices, were destroyed.
