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Per the primary rival faction, roughly 700 civilians have reportedly been slain during a three-day period of poll-related unrest in the East African nation.

Unrest Breaks Out on Election Day

Unrest started on Wednesday over claims that demonstrators described as the suppression of the rival camp after the disqualification of major hopefuls from the presidential ballot.

Death Estimates Reported

An rival spokesperson claimed that numerous of people had been lost their lives since the unrest started.

"As we speak, the death toll in Dar es Salaam is about 350 and for Mwanza it is over 200. Including numbers from other regions around the country, the total figure is nearly 700," the spokesperson remarked.

The spokesperson noted that the number could be even larger because killings might be occurring during a evening restriction that was imposed from Wednesday.

Further Accounts

• A security insider supposedly stated there had been accounts of exceeding 500 fatalities, "perhaps 700-800 in the nationwide."
• Amnesty International stated it had gathered reports that no fewer than 100 people had been killed.
• Rival groups stated their numbers had been collected by a team of activists going to clinics and health clinics and "tallying dead bodies."

Demands for Change

Rival officials called for the authorities to "stop killing our protesters" and called for a interim administration to enable free and fair polls.

"Halt police brutality. Respect the voice of the people which is electoral justice," the spokesperson stated.

Government Response

The government reacted by implementing a curfew. Online restrictions were also noted, with global monitors reporting it was across the nation.

On Thursday, the military leader criticized the unrest and labeled the activists "lawbreakers". He announced authorities would try to manage the unrest.

International Reaction

The UN human rights office stated it was "alarmed" by the deaths and injuries in the unrest, noting it had gathered information that at least 10 civilians had been slain by authorities.

The organization stated it had received credible accounts of casualties in the port city, in Shinyanga and an eastern area, with law enforcement firing real bullets and chemical irritants to disperse protesters.

Expert View

An human rights lawyer stated it was "unacceptable" for law enforcement to employ violence, stating that the nation's leader "must avoid deploying the law enforcement against the public."

"The president should heed the public. The sentiment of the country is that there was an unfair process … We are unable to vote for a single contender," the lawyer said.