Tanzania's electoral violence in October last year left at least 518 dead, far below opposition estimates and without clear who was responsible. The election sparked days of protests, which were brutally suppressed by security forces. Opposition groups claim thousands were killed, while Western diplomats estimate between 1,000 and 2,000. President Samia Suluhu Hassan portrayed the protests as pre-planned and claimed they were orchestrated by foreigners. The commission's leader, Mohamed Chande Othman, dismissed independent reports of mass graves and bodies being seized from hospital mortuaries. The African Union criticised the election for not meeting standards for democratic elections.