Despite accusations of a flawed election and electoral violence that, according to the opposition, claimed hundreds of lives, Samia Suluhu Hassan was inaugurated as president of Tanzania on Monday. The inauguration ceremony, marked by strict security measures and the absence of the public, took place in Dodoma, the capital, in an atmosphere of mistrust and tension.

Tanzanian authorities blocked access to the Internet during and after the vote, a measure seen as an attempt to stifle dissent. Several international organizations, including the European Union and the UN, have called on the authorities to end the violence and ensure the rights of protesters and political opponents are respected.

Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has been leading the country since the death of John Magufuli in 2021, was initially praised for her openness and the easing of restrictions imposed by her predecessor. However, as the elections approached, she was accused of tightening her regime and suppressing her opponents.

Wearing a red veil and a long black garment, the president pledged to serve her country “with diligence and a sincere heart.” Against a backdrop of songs and hymns praising “Mama Samia,” the ceremony, although modest, did not dispel doubts about the legitimacy of this new term.