Tanzania starts new probe into fatal 2025 election violence

Western diplomats and rights groups accuse Hassan's government of massacring hundreds of people during the election unrest, as well as abducting and murdering critics in the run-up to the vote.

An initial government-appointed enquiry, which submitted its findings in April, said at least 518 people died during and after the ballot, which Hassan was declared to have won with 98 percent of the vote.

Opposition and religious groups say thousands were killed by security forces, while Western diplomats have given estimates of between 1,000 and 2,000.

The enquiry's report declined to say who was responsible for the violence but recommended a criminal investigation to "identify the main perpetrators" and "recommend accountability steps".

"This (new) commission will conduct a deeper investigation to determine who instigated the violence, who participated in it and who financed the events that occurred in our country," Hassan said during a brief function at Dar es Salaam State House on Friday.

"I recognise the magnitude of this task but the commission has initially been given five months to complete its work and submit its report.

"If more time is required, we will consider extending the deadline," she said.

The six-person team includes judges from Uganda and Namibia to strengthen the credibility and independence of the investigation, she added.

"We decided to involve our colleagues so that we can obtain a broader perspective... We therefore invited one judge from the East African region and another from the Southern African Development Community," the president said.

She appealed to Tanzanians to cooperate with the commission and allow it to work without interference.