Sweden's Foreign Ministry advises against non-essential travel to Tanzania due to the security situation following the presidential election. Several Swedish charter companies are canceling trips to Zanzibar, where at least 700 people have died in violent protests. Thousands of Swedes are urged to contact the embassy.
Tanzania's presidential election took place on Wednesday, sparking unrest in several cities driven by young protesters opposing corruption and barriers to the opposition. Two leading opposition figures were prevented from running, one jailed and one disqualified. Police responded with live fire to attacks on polling stations, and internet and telecommunications were shut down on Friday. At least 700 people are believed to have died in the clashes, mainly in the capital Dar es Salaam.
An anonymous Swedish woman with family in Tanzania expresses concern: 'I was shocked and didn't think anyone would take to the streets on Wednesday. This has never happened before. People are very scared.' She cites dissatisfaction with the ruling party due to high unemployment and corruption, noting the new generation's bravery but doubting the president's resignation. Her family in Dar es Salaam is unreachable due to internet outages: 'I'm extremely worried and don't know what's happening.'
On Friday, Sweden's Foreign Ministry (UD) issued an advisory against non-essential travel to Tanzania. An estimated 1,000 Swedes are in the country, urged to register on the Swedish list. Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) states: 'The embassy's primary task in this situation is to ensure the safety of staff and Swedes in the country.'
Swedish charter companies are responding swiftly. Tui is canceling a few bookings for the coming weeks and contacting customers for refunds or rebookings at no extra cost. The company has around 100 Swedes on Zanzibar, advised to avoid crowds but scheduled to fly home as planned. Communications head Dian Martinez Valencia says: 'We knew it could get messy... We always follow UD's recommendations.' Excursions to the mainland have been canceled, but the situation is calm on the island with power outages and unstable internet.
Ving is canceling all nearby trips, offering refunds or rebookings. They have eight Swedes on site, heading home within days. Press officer Charlotte Hallencreutz: 'As soon as UD advises against it, trips are canceled.' Claes Pellvik adds that guests are fine but affected by disruptions. Apollo has no travelers on Zanzibar but is canceling some bookings.