Tanzania remains gripped by the aftermath of its worst post-election violence in decades, a crisis that has shaken its long-standing reputation as a beacon of peace and stability in Africa. It has also earned the country rare rebukes from regional and continental organisations.
In a defiant inauguration speech on Monday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan said the election was fair and transparent but acknowledged people had died during the protests. She blamed foreign actors for the deadly protests.
The death toll is not clear but families continue to search for or bury relatives killed following the recent disputed poll, that Samia won with 98% of the vote.
Samia, the soft-spoken leader whose calm and gentle demeanour, initially inspired optimism when she assumed power in 2021 after the sudden death in office of her authoritarian predecessor, John Magufuli. But that has now changed.
Samia has pushed Tanzania to its thick winter of protests, instability and uncertainty, Prof Peter Kagwanja, a Kenyan policy analyst, told the BBC. The protests, organised by young people, drew clear parallels with global Gen Z-led mobilisations against entrenched leadership and unresponsive governments.
Analysts say while the unrest was unprecedented for Tanzania, it was preceded by a tense political climate - marked by stalled reforms, years of simmering youth anger, power tussles within the ruling party, and the sustained persecution of opposition leaders.
Veteran Tanzanian journalist Jenerali Ulimwengu described in a column how the recent election was the boiling point reached by societal soups that have been cooking for decades in a slow cooker without being noticed by an absent-minded rulership, totally submerged in the middle of its gravy train.
Gado's satirical cartoons depicting President Samia as authoritarian and intolerant of political competition, have been circulated widely on social media.
In the months preceding election day, the CCM government worked to systematically eliminate any credible competition, according to analysts.
Despite promises of reform and reopening, the reality of harsh crackdowns and an increasingly authoritarian stance has emerged, casting serious doubts on her ability to unite Tanzania.
In response to the violence and unrest, international organizations have expressed significant concern, indicating that her presidency faces a legitimacy crisis both domestically and abroad.
