At Separate Memorial Mass, Tanzanian Catholic Archbishops Condemn Extra-Judicial Killings Linked to Election Violence

He went on to lament, “Tanzania, we have lost the understanding of justice, and many times in our discussions, either deliberately or out of ignorance, we talk about peace, but we do not talk about justice.”

“There is no peace without justice. Let that be well settled in your minds; justice is the necessary foundation of peace,” Archbishop Ruwa’ichi said and added, “Wisdom is an attribute of God, and the righteous human being is expected to have wisdom; do we Tanzanians have wisdom?”

The 71-year-old Catholic Church leader appealed, “As we celebrate this Mass for our brothers, relatives, friends, and fellow citizens who were killed during the election week, let us ask God to have mercy on us, to grant us wisdom, to grant us again the readiness to act justly, and to be people of truth.”

Demonstrations reportedly spread across Tanzania for several days following the October 29 vote, as citizens took to the streets to protest an election that, according to foreign observers, fell short of democratic standards after key opposition figures were barred from participating.

At least 240 people have reportedly been charged with treason in connection with the deadly protests, while human rights groups allege that thousands were killed in the post-election violence, and warn that some victims may have been buried in secret mass graves.

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According to a BBC news report, authorities in Tanzania have sought to downplay the scale of the violence, while a nationwide internet shutdown — in place until the afternoon of November 3 — made it nearly impossible to obtain information from the country or verify the death toll.

“Access remains severely restricted, especially to social media sites and messaging platforms,” the BBC reported, citing information by internet monitor NetBlocks.

Meanwhile, in his homily on November 9 during another Holy Mass offered for the victims of the post-election violence in Mbeya Archdiocese, Archbishop Nyaisonga recounted that on November 4, he had “witnessed” an “unusual number of people who were buying coffins.” 

“I also witnessed convoys of vehicles carrying the grieving outside the City of Mbeya,” he added, noting that the Mbeya Metropolitan See “is among the areas most deeply affected. That is why we deemed it appropriate to celebrate this Mass.”

The Tanzanian Archbishop continued, “Those killed included children, young people, and the elderly, as well as women and men, both civilians and security officers.”

He also condemned the excessive use of force against protesters, stating, “Most of the deceased were killed by firearms – guns that, by law, are meant to be used only by officers who have been entrusted and sworn to handle them according to safety regulations.”

“There are those who lost their lives while sheltering in their own houses because some of those bearing guns did not hesitate to storm those houses,” said the 59-year-old Catholic Church leader.

He prayed for the safe return of those reported to have disappeared or who were made to disappear before and after the October 29 general election.

He said, “Before and during the general election, several people were reported missing under suspicious circumstances; some are believed to have been kidnapped by unknown individuals. In this Mass, we pray to God to help us find them, whatever their condition may be.”

“If they are alive, let us rejoice in their being found. If they are dead, let us mourn and bury them with human dignity. Let us pray for them to have God’s peace and then close the grieving,” said Archbishop Nyaisonga, and warned that those hiding the victims are doing so in violation of human rights.

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He implored, “Let us continue to ask God to truly help us to admit our shortcomings, to have true repentance that will bring reforms, fundamental corrections—not a chance to argue and fight for power. This is an opportunity for us to humble ourselves before the Almighty God.

“Everything else can be corrected – except the souls of our brothers and sisters; we cannot have them as they were. May they rest in peace—and their lives remain a clear sign of how far we must hold on to our faith, even if it requires us to give the greatest sacrifice,” Archbishop Nyaisonga said in his November 9 homily at the Mwanjelwa Marian Shrine.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.