CNN Investigation Reveals Evidence of Police Killings and Possible Mass Graves in Tanzania

A months-long CNN investigation has uncovered disturbing evidence that Tanzanian security forces killed protesters and may have used mass graves to conceal the extent of their actions. The findings are based on a comprehensive review of eyewitness accounts, digital forensics, and satellite analysis, painting the most detailed picture to date of state violence inside the country.

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CNN journalists conducted forensic analysis of videos, examined high-resolution satellite imagery, and spoke with more than 100 Tanzanians, including witnesses, family members of missing protesters, local officials, and human rights advocates. Many described scenes of chaotic crackdowns in which police opened fire on crowds, beat demonstrators, and carried bodies away from protest sites.

Satellite imagery and geospatial analysis appear to reveal freshly disturbed earth in several remote locations shortly after reported clashes—areas that multiple witnesses independently identified as burial sites. Forensic video review also suggests that some victims were shot at close range while unarmed or attempting to flee.

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Residents told CNN that authorities removed bodies under the cover of night, loading them into trucks and transporting them out of town. Several said they feared speaking publicly due to threats and reprisals.

Despite repeated requests over several weeks, Tanzania’s government and national police force did not respond to CNN’s inquiries or provide comment on the allegations.

Human rights organizations have called for an independent international investigation, warning that the alleged abuses—if confirmed—could amount to serious violations of international law.

CNN’s report adds new urgency to growing concerns over political repression and the safety of civilians in Tanzania. For many families of the missing, the investigation offers the first public acknowledgement of what they have long suspected: that their loved ones may have been killed and secretly buried in an attempt to hide the scale of the violence.