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Per the chief rival party, approximately 700 civilians have purportedly perished during a three-day period of voting unrest in the East African nation.

Violence Breaks Out on Voting Day

Uprisings broke out on election day over claims that demonstrators labeled the suppression of the rival camp after the exclusion of major contenders from the presidential ballot.

Fatality Figures Reported

An opposition official stated that hundreds of people had been lost their lives since the demonstrations commenced.

"Currently, the number of deaths in the port city is about 350 and for Mwanza it is over 200. Including figures from other regions across the country, the final figure is approximately 700," the spokesperson said.

He noted that the toll could be even larger because killings might be taking place during a night-time restriction that was imposed from election day.

Further Accounts

• An official source supposedly stated there had been reports of exceeding 500 deaths, "possibly 700-800 in the whole country."
• The human rights organization said it had received data that no fewer than 100 people had been lost their lives.
• The opposition claimed their estimates had been gathered by a network of supporters visiting medical facilities and health clinics and "documenting the deceased."

Calls for Action

Rival officials urged the authorities to "cease harming our demonstrators" and demanded a transitional administration to facilitate free and fair elections.

"Halt police brutality. Uphold the will of the public which is fair elections," the spokesperson stated.

Authorities Measures

Authorities responded by enforcing a lockdown. Online restrictions were also reported, with global monitors reporting it was countrywide.

On Thursday, the military leader condemned the violence and called the demonstrators "criminals". The official said law enforcement would seek to manage the situation.

International Reaction

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated it was "worried" by the casualties in the demonstrations, mentioning it had obtained accounts that no fewer than 10 civilians had been lost their lives by security forces.

The organization mentioned it had obtained reliable reports of fatalities in the port city, in Shinyanga and an eastern area, with law enforcement discharging gunfire and teargas to scatter crowds.

Expert Perspective

A civil rights attorney stated it was "unreasonable" for authorities to use force, stating that the country's president "ought to avoid deploying the police against the people."

"She should listen to the people. The sentiment of the country is that there was no fair vote … We cannot choose only one option," the lawyer stated.