Tanzania police beef up security ahead of possible Union Day demos
What you need to know:
In Dar es Salaam’s Central Business District (CBD), the situation was calm in the first half of the day as police vehicles patrolled the area.
Dar es Salaam. Police have beefed up security in most urban centres in Tanzania incase of anti-government protests that may have happened on Thursday (April 26).
In Dar es Salaam’s Central Business District (CBD), the situation was calm in the first half of the day as police vehicles patrolled the area.
A similar calm was observed in Kariakoo - a busy market zone that usually hums relentlessly to the tune of commerce.
Today though, the space was mostly quiet, with a few shops open and folks going about their business.
Reports from Zanzibar reflect a similar sense of quiet and calm amid a visible police presence.
And Dodoma, where Union Day was marked at the national level, was littered with police and security officials ahead of President John Magufuli's visit to Jamhuri Stadium.
Local and international officials had flagged April 26 as 'risky', with British and American government issuing travel advisories warning their citizens to be careful because of a high likelihood of a heavy-handed police response to any rallying.
Had the protests occurred, they would have coincided with the 54th anniversary of the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar - a public holiday.
This partly explains the absence of people in major city hubs as offices and businesses remained closed for Union Day.
