The Tanzanian government has deployed military personnel in the streets ahead of planned nationwide protests tomorrow.
BBC reports that military officers, alongside their colleagues from the police department, and patrolling the streets in large numbers in many parts of the country.
This follows defiance from planners of the demonstrations, who are still calling for protests despite police warnings that they are illegal.
The government has since declared it’s readiness to combat the protesters, vowing to protect the lives of citizens and their property.
President Samia Suluhu, in a recent address, stated that her government will go to any extent to ensure calm remains in the country.
“The government is ready to handle any situation. We are ready to battle whatever comes out way and will protect the country at all costs,” she stated.
This comes as the same government continues to battle claims of violating human rights during previous protests that happened in October.
It has been accused of applying too much police force on the demonstrators, culminating in the killing of an undisclosed number, some of whom, according to CNN, were buried in mass graves.
The Tanzanian Catholic Bishops Council (TEC) has confirmed that many protesters were killed, with it’s Secretary General, Father Charles Kitima, claiming that the situation was very bad in Catholic-owned hospitals across the country during and after the protests.
The demonstrators are pushing for better electoral laws and an end to police-enforced killings and abductions of opposition figures, some of whom have gone missing never to be seen again.
By Creatorhub