Tanzania inquiry says 518 died in post-election violence

A Tanzanian government-appointed commission says 518 people died in violence linked to the country's October 2025 election, releasing the first official death toll from the unrest.

The commission also said 2,390 people were injured, including more than 800 with gunshot wounds. Its chairman, Mohamed Chande Othman, said the death toll could still rise because some burials were not recorded at morgues.

The report was presented on April 23, 2026, after the commission received an extension to finish its work by April 24. Reuters, AP and local reporting all published the findings the same day.

The commission's release immediately raises questions about accountability and what happens next. Opposition figures have already criticized the inquiry, while the government has said the October 29, 2025 events were organized violence and rejected unverified death claims.

The commission's findings are the first official attempt to put a number on the scale of the unrest, but they may not be the final word on the human toll or on responsibility for the killings and injuries.