Tanzania election violence: Mohamed Chande Othman says 518 people killed

A total of 518 people died in Tanzania from "unnatural causes", including 197 who were shot dead, in the widespread protests that followed last year's general election, the commission of inquiry set up to investigate the violence has announced. However, commission chairman Mohamed Chande Othman did not say who was responsible for the deaths, recommending further investigations. This is the first time the authorities have said how many people died. Opposition parties and human rights groups had previously accused the security forces of unleashing a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters, killing thousands. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the 29 October poll with 98% of the vote - which the opposition described as a "mockery" of democracy after her main challengers were excluded. At the time, the president said the election was fair and transparent and blamed foreigners for the violence, saying it was part of a plot to overthrow her. International observers, however, last year raised concerns over the lack of transparency in the vote, with the African Union and the southern Africa bloc Sadc saying the election had fallen short of democratic standards.