Tanzania cancels independence day over protests

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan inspects a guard of honour during her arrival at the Tanzanian Parliament for the official inauguration of the 13th Parliament in Dodoma on November 14. [AFP]

Tanzania will not hold independence day celebrations on December 9 after calls for protests over the mass killings during recent contested elections, the prime minister said Monday.

Hundreds and possibly thousands of protesters were shot dead by security forces after anger erupted over the rigging of elections on October 29, according to tallies by rights groups and the opposition.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with 98 percent of the vote, but her main opponents were either jailed or disqualified, and observers reported signs the vote was manipulated.

Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba announced independence day celebrations would be cancelled on December 9 -- the date set by opposition parties and others for fresh protests -- saying the money would instead be spent on rebuilding infrastructure damaged during the unrest.

"I urge my fellow Tanzanians to come together and discuss the issues affecting us. Let us not return to what we went through, because the consequences are irreparable," he said.

The government has not specified the number of people killed or injured during the unrest. It has set up a commission of inquiry, which the opposition says is staffed by ruling party loyalists.

Hundreds of young people were arrested in the wake of the protests and charged with treason, which carries the death penalty.

In a bid to ease tensions, the president called for some cases to be dropped.

On Monday, there were reports of numerous suspects being released.

Prosecutors announced cases were being dropped against 47 of 48 people at one Dar es Salaam court, 24 in Arusha and 57 in Mwanza, with suspects being kept on one-year supervision orders.