Tanzania is facing a severe shortage of cash, food, and fuel as an internet shutdown entered its seventh day, deepening the crisis following a disputed election and violent protests that have reportedly left over 700 people dead.
The UK government has issued a travel advisory against Tanzania, citing “disruption and unrest” after the October 29 vote that handed President Samia Suluhu Hassan a second term. On Monday, Suluhu was sworn in after the disputed polls that regional observers, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC), described as a “sham”.
“There are shortages of food, fuel and cash, compounded by the lack of internet services,” the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said in a notice.
The continuing blackout has paralysed key parts of the economy, cutting off mobile money transactions, disrupting bank systems, and leaving millions unable to access savings or send remittances from abroad. Cross-border payments platform NALA Money, which facilitates remittances from the UK, US, and Europe to East Africa, is among the service providers that have been impacted.
“Turn the internet back on, Tanzania,” NALA Money co-founder Benjamin Fernandes wrote on X, Sunday.
Blackout with painful costs
According to data from NetBlocks, network connectivity in Tanzania remains down, resulting in the shutdown of access to major digital platforms and cloud services. It has made it nearly impossible to verify reports or assess the full scale of the unrest.
Two journalists who spoke to on Sunday confirmed widespread unrest across much of mainland Tanzania, while the semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar has remained largely peaceful.
“It’s hard to move or even report right now, communication lines are down, and people are scared,” one journalist based in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, said.
Civil society groups and foreign missions have estimated that over 700 people have been killed in the clashes that erupted after protests broke out in several cities, including Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, and the western border town of Sirari. Security forces have been accused of using live ammunition against demonstrators.
With mobile money and banking services disrupted, cash circulation has collapsed. Airlines have been unable to issue or print tickets. At the same time, cross-border trade has come to a halt, with truckers stranded for days at major border crossings, including Namanga, Sirari, and Rusumo.
Foreign missions, including those of the UK, the EU, and the United States, have asked the Tanzanian government to restore internet access and allow independent observers to assess the situation. However, the government has maintained that the country is peaceful and that elections were free and fair.
