EU issues statement on Tanzania elections as Samia is sworn in Dodoma
The European Union has issued a statement following the deadly violence that gripped Tanzania.
In a statement dated Sunday, November 2, 2025, and released on Monday, November 3, 2025, on its official X account, the EU representative expressed concerns with the events that led to the results of the presidential elections.
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In the elections that were held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, the EU condemned the internet shutdown as well as reports of irregularities in the election process.
“The European Union (EU) takes note of the proclamation by the Independent National Electoral Commission of Tanzania and the Zanzibar Electoral Commission of the results of the presidential elections held on 29 October 2025,” part of the statement read.
The EU has also expressed concerns over the events that occurred throughout Election Day, which the EU says are still ongoing, including violence and internet shutdown.
The EU is very concerned with the events that occurred throughout Election Day and that are still ongoing, including violence and the internet shutdown, as well as reports of irregularities in the election process in some places.
Suluhu swearing in
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in on Monday, November 3, 2025, for a second term following an election marred by violent protests and rejected by the opposition as a sham.
The inauguration ceremony is being held at a military parade ground in the capital, Dodoma, in an event closed to the public but broadcast live by the state-run TBC.
Samia was declared the winner on Saturday with 98% of the vote. She faced little opposition, with key rival candidates either imprisoned or barred from running.
EU calls on the abduction
On the other hand, the EU has noted that reliable reports indicate a large number of fatalities and significant injuries, which have created concerns while urging authorities to exercise maximum restraint to preserve human lives.
Likewise, the EU has expressed the lack of a level playing field in the run-up to the elections, which the EU maintains was marked by reports of abductions and disappearances, together with violence limiting the civic and democratic space.
Similarly, the EU has demanded the release of all detained politicians and a transparent and fair trial of those arrested on a sound legal basis, also demanding a swift and thorough investigation into all reported incidents of abductions, disappearances, and violence.
“The EU calls for the release of all detained politicians and for a transparent and fair trial of those arrested on a sound legal basis and for swift and thorough investigations into all reported incidents of abductions, disappearances, and violence,” read the statement in part.
The EU has maintained it values its long-standing partnership with Tanzania in line with the joint commitments entered into under the EU-OACPS “Samoa” Agreement, in particular on strategic priorities.
In addition, the EU has encouraged the Government of Tanzania to continue its efforts towards the implementation of a fully-fledged multi-party system and to engage in an open and inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders, in particular opposition parties and civil society, for reconciliation.
