Tanzania’s recent foreign minister, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, told AFP on Tuesday that the government still did not know how many were killed in protests, which he deemed illegal, around the election of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.Kombo relinquished his position as foreign minister on Monday when Hassan was sworn in for a second term after winning 98 percent of the vote, according to the electoral commission. Multiple sources — including the opposition, a legal activist and two diplomatic sources — say hundreds, and possibly even several thousand, have been killed by security forces after protests broke out on election day on October 29. But information remains hard to verify after days of internet blackout and a strict curfew that only began to ease on Monday. Protesters were angry over the opposition being barred from the election and a spate of rights abuses including abductions and extra-judicial killings of government critics. Kombo spoke to AFP by phone. – ‘Social media incitement’ -Question: How many people were killed during the protests? Answer: Until now there is no number given. I’m sure people lost lives, lost properties. But until now, there is no official number.The government was busy containing the situation. Now I’m sure the new government will sit and assess this clearly and the numbers will come out.Q: Why did people protest the election? A: From what I can see, I think it’s social media incitement. I would like to meet them to ask them what do you want, is it about jobs? For me, this was not a legal protest. Because when you see somebody coming with a rock, coming with machete… or with a bottle of petrol and cloth, that is not a demonstration.Q: Were they protesting about human rights abuses, abductions, killings and the barring of the opposition from the election?A: I cannot comment on that one because I don’t have enough information.I would recommend that the government meet those who have got those concerns and have dialogue.We feel very bad for those who were affected or who were shot by the police. I feel very sad also for the police officers who lost lives and for their families on both sides.- ‘Contain situation’ -Q: Will this violence stain Hassan’s second term in power? A: Definitely. But I believe the president will take action within her first 100 days to contain this situation.Q: Does President Hassan have control over the security organs accused of the killings and rights abuses? A: I reserve my comment on that. The opposition sat at the table several times with the president. She gave them an opportunity under her philosophy of “4Rs”: resilience, rebuilding, reform and reconciliation. They mismanaged that, they abused it, they attacked her personally.Chadema (the main opposition party) couldn’t use the advantage of having such a good, humble listener. She would have done a lot of changes within the security organs if Chadema could have used that opportunity appropriately.- ‘Security organs’ -Q: Why were foreign journalists barred from covering the election? A: This one I cannot unfortunately answer, because this one has to be answered by the security organs. But it’s very unfortunate. I wish this (permission) was given, because then the other side of the story would have been heard.
