The review follows security alerts issued for Americans in Tanzania after the country’s October general election, which saw violent clashes across several regions. Rights groups, opposition parties and United Nations officials say the death toll likely reaches into the hundreds, though the Tanzanian government rejects those figures as exaggerated.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has insisted the vote was fair and has pledged an investigation into the violence, which triggered the country’s most severe political crisis in decades.
The State Department said Washington launched a comprehensive reassessment after the situation cast doubt on the stability of the partnership.
According to its statement, the Tanzanian government’s repression of religious freedom and free speech, combined with ongoing barriers to US investment and the violence surrounding the 29 October election, necessitated a re-evaluation of bilateral ties. It added that these developments placed American citizens in the country at risk.
UN human rights specialists, in a separate statement, said they had taken note of reports that victims of the election violence were being buried in unmarked mass graves or incinerated after disappearing from hospitals and mortuaries. The experts urged the government to provide information on missing individuals and to ensure that remains are identified and returned to families.
Tanzanian government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Washington’s statement. Responding to the remarks by UN experts, Msigwa said many reports circulating in media and on social platforms lack verified evidence. He added that the investigation team must be allowed to complete its work so conclusions can be based on confirmed information.
The State Department did not provide additional details about the investment barriers it referenced. In November, President Donald Trump reinstated Nigeria on a list of countries accused by Washington of violating religious freedom, citing the killing of Christians.