U.S. reconsiders Tanzania ties after deadly post-election crackdown

"The U.S. is "comprehensively reviewing" its ties with Tanzania after the State Department condemned "repression" and "disturbing violence against civilians" during protests that followed the country's disputed October presidential election, which returned President Samia Suluhu Hassan to power. Officials said the government's actions raise serious concerns about the bilateral relationship and the East African countries' reliability as a partner. According to the country's main opposition party, the United Nations and"

"It comes just days after Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan angrily hit out Western nations, religious leaders and opposition figures, accusing them of interfering in the country's internal affairs. "Do they still think they're still our masters, our colonizers? Why, because of the little money they give us?" she told a gathering of elders from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. Hassan described the deadly violence as an attempted coup and defended security forces accused of killing hundreds of protesters."

The U.S. is comprehensively reviewing ties with Tanzania after the State Department condemned repression and disturbing violence against civilians during protests following a disputed October presidential election that returned President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Officials said the government's actions raise serious concerns about the bilateral relationship and Tanzania's reliability as a partner. The country's main opposition party, the United Nations and rights groups say hundreds may have been killed in a government crackdown, while the government has not released an official death toll and independent verification remains limited. The European Union suspended tens of millions of dollars in aid citing the crackdown and lack of transparency. President Samia Suluhu Hassan accused Western nations, religious leaders and opposition figures of interfering, described the violence as an attempted coup, defended security forces, and claimed she won 98% of the vote despite main opposition parties being blocked from participating.

Read at www.npr.org