(MENAFN- Live Mint) A day after the general elections in Tanzania were marred by violent demonstrations, the United States issued an advisory to its citizens living or travelling to the East African nation. In its advisory, the US Embassy of Tanzania issued a travel advisory level two.

It said,“National presidential and parliamentary elections in Tanzania are ongoing. There are reports of country-wide demonstrations resulting in outbreaks of violence and roadblocks.”

“Some major roads, including the main road to Julius Nyerere International Airport, are closed. There is a widespread internet blackout, making all communication difficult,” the embassy said as it listed out the actions American nationals can take to avoid being caught in the violence.

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The embassy has asked the American citizens to avoid demonstrations and crowds, keep a low profile, monitor local media for updates and be aware of their surroundings.

Tanzania violence

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets for a second day of demonstrations in Tanzania after a disputed election, while Amnesty International reported that two people have died.

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After the protests broke out on Wednesday, the government shut down the internet, imposed a curfew and deployed the military to the streets. Teargas and gunshots were fired at the protesters to disperse the crowd.

Protests broke out in Dar es Salaam and other cities after two opponents of President Samia Suluhu Hassan were excluded from running in the presidential race.

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The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM party, which has been in power since independence in 1961, sought to extend its rule. The incumbent, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, faced 16 other candidates from smaller parties who barely campaigned.

During the vote counting, the electoral body announced that President Hassan had taken an early lead. According to the poll body, the president had won 96.99 per cent of the votes in 8 out of 272 constituencies.

As the results started coming out, the lawmakers from the European Parliament alleged that the elections in Tanzania were“neither free nor fair”.

Turnout during Wednesday's election was low, and chaos broke out in the afternoon as protesters burned a bus and a gas station, attacked police stations and vandalized polling centers.

The British government, too, said international flights had been cancelled to and from Dar es Salaam's airport and that the airport in Arusha and one near Mount Kilimanjaro were closed.

(With agency inputs)

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