Tanzania bans political rallies ahead of youth-led protests

DAR ES SALAAM, June 26 - Tanzania's interior minister, Patrobas Katambi, said on Friday the government was banning all political rallies, less than two weeks before youth-led protests planned for July 7.

• Katambi told lawmakers in parliament that the ban was because of security threats and did not say how long it would last.

• The protesters plan to gather on the July 7 public holiday to call for democratic reforms and justice for people killed in election violence last year.

• A government-appointed commission of inquiry said in April that at least 518 people were killed in the unrest, which was driven by the exclusion of leading opposition candidates from the elections.

• Tanzanian authorities have denied allegations by human rights groups that the security services used excessive force.

• The commission placed the blame for the violence with the protesters, which infuriated the government's opponents, who accused it of bias. The main opposition party has said thousands were killed in the election unrest.

• President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the presidential election last year with nearly 98% of the vote. She said the election unrest was an attempt to overthrow her government and received foreign funding, without providing evidence. REUTERS