The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has demanded a peaceful resolution to the ongoing violent clashes witnessed after the general election on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

In a joint statement on Saturday, November 1, 2025, Peter Mutharika, the President of the Republic of Malawi and Chairperson of the SADC organ on Politics, Defense, and Security Cooperation, noted his concern with the happenings in the SADC nation.

Mutharika has stated that SADC has been monitoring the developments and expresses concern over the loss of life, injuries, and destruction of property.

“The Southern African Development Community (SADC) continues to closely monitor developments in the United Republic of Tanzania following the General Elections held on 29 October 2025,” a part of the SADC statement read.

We are deeply concerned by the ongoing loss of life, injuries, and destruction of property and public infrastructure. SADC calls upon all stakeholders to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from actions that may further escalate violence and unrest,” its statement continued.

The regional bloc has called for a peaceful intervention through dialogue, expressing its readiness to broker such a resolution.

Peaceful resolution

“SADC reaffirms its readiness to assist, through appropriate mechanisms, in facilitating a peaceful resolution to the current challenges. We therefore appeal for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urge all parties to prioritise the well-being and livelihoods of the people of the United Republic of Tanzania.

“We stress the importance of embracing peaceful and constructive dialogue as the preferred avenue for addressing grievances. Our collective aspiration remains the restoration of harmony and stability in the United Republic of Tanzania.”

SADC has also implored Tanzania’s security services to act with restraint and for the government and people to pursue peaceful solutions.

“SADC encourages security services to act with restraint in the use of force while maintaining law and order. Furthermore, we urge the government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania to pursue peaceful solutions to the crisis and prevent further loss of life and destruction,” the statement concluded.

The foregoing comes after President Samia Suluhu was declared the president-elect with nearly 98% of the votes.

The country’s electoral commission made the declaration on Saturday, November 1, 2025, amid violent protests across the country.

Protests erupted on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, with some demonstrators tearing down banners of Hassan and setting fire to government buildings, and police firing tear gas and gunshots, according to witnesses.

Demonstrators are angry about the electoral commission’s exclusion of Hassan’s two biggest challengers from the race and what they described as widespread repression.