AU, EAC asked to hold Tanzania's President Suluhu accountable over protester suppression

The Civil Society Groups are now calling on the Africa Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the East Africa Community (EAC) to hold President Samia Suluhu accountable for suppressing demonstrators.

With anti-government protests entering a second day in the East African Nation, human rights activists in the region say security agencies are using excessive force to suppress demonstrators.

"There are serious human rights abuses, reported deaths and abductions. You saw what happened to us when we went to legally represent our colleague," Martha Karua said.

"They are attacking young men and women fighting for their rights," Kawithe Wambua, CEO of Inuka Kenya ni Sisi, said.

"The youth in Tanzania are expressing their constitutional rights and must be protected," the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) stated.

"Security forces are using excessive force to suppress the protesters," Hussein Khalid of Vocal Africa stated.

"There are youth who have been beaten up," Felix Wambua of the Free Kenya Movement said.

The Civil Society Groups say the Tanzanian elections were not free and fair.

"There was no election. It was Samia versus Suluhu. The elections were boycotted. There were massive cases of rigging, involving an army lorry carrying ballot boxes stashed with votes," Karua said.

"Tanzanian authorities barred international observers from monitoring the process. What were they hiding?" the KHRC stated.

The Human Rights Groups are now petitioning the Africa Union, the Southern African Development Community, and the East Africa Community to hold President Samia Suluhu accountable for using excessive force on demonstrators who are exercising their democratic rights.

"Tanzania is undergoing a democratic re-awakening and youth are being targeted. Government critics have been jailed or killed. We call upon AU, SADC, and EAC to intervene and protect the will of the people of Tanzania," Karua said.

"We call upon global condemnation against the Tanzanian authorities for human rights abuses," the KHRC said.

The Civil Society Groups announced that they will mobilize citizens in the country in rejecting oppressive legislations controversially passed by parliament.