Police warn of armed ‘chaos plan’ to cripple nation on Dec.9

“This is a serious crime that continues to be incited… such a situation, in any country in the world, is a major threat to people’s lives, the national economy and social wellbeing,” the police said.

According to the police, the mobilisation is not about peaceful protest but a deliberate effort to trigger chaos on a national scale.

Authorities say the groups behind the campaign have issued explicit instructions online, including encouraging individuals trained in the use of firearms to “take charge” on the day of the unrest.

“They are instructing one another that anyone who does not know how to use a firearm… on that day should not hold a weapon and should leave it to those who have received training,” the statement reads, suggesting that organisers are in possession of weapons and intend to use them.

The police further outlined a list of planned disruptions, including burning telecommunications towers to “ensure the whole country loses communication”, blocking all roads in and out of Tanzania, shutting down operations at the Dar es Salaam Port and storming hospitals to paralyse medical services.

The groups are also reportedly encouraging looting, youth-led attacks on property, and violence targeting civil servants. Some messages circulating online threaten decapitations and attacks on neighbourhoods seen as opposing the mobilisation.

“They say those who are inciting and those who are being incited… we will find them having cut off each other’s heads out there in the streets,” the police warned.

Authorities describe these plans as a direct attempt to cripple economic activity and instil fear nationwide.

“Indefinite demonstrations mean that you want goods not to reach the market—so what shall we eat?” the police statement said, highlighting concerns that ordinary citizens would bear the greatest burden of such disruptions.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has also spoken forcefully on the matter, signalling that the State is prepared to prevent any attempt to destabilise the country.

Addressing the Dar es Salaam Council of Elders a day before the Police statement, the Head of State said Tanzania was still healing from the shock of the late-November violence and would not allow destructive elements to reverse national progress.

Without mentioning specific groups, President Hassan said the government’s response to any threat was rooted in duty and constitutional obligation.

She told elders that intelligence reports had exposed organised attempts to overthrow the government and paralyse key institutions.

“We will defend this country,” she insisted, emphasising that peace was too valuable to be taken for granted. Her remarks align with ongoing security operations aimed at preventing further unrest.

A country still grappling with trauma

The events of November 29 left deep scars, with businesses looted, property destroyed and residents terrified by the intensity of street violence as well as loss of life.

Many Tanzanians are still recovering from the psychological and economic aftershocks.

The police noted that some individuals inciting fresh unrest have vowed “not to accept the losses” incurred during the previous disturbance and are preparing to “protect their families, lives and property” by any means necessary on December 9.

The police emphasised that they are monitoring “dangerous groups” on social media promoting the unrest, adding that arrests have already been made for cybercrimes and incitement.

The police urged Tanzanians to reject the mobilisation, warning that those driving the campaign “have intentions to destroy our nation and return us to the suffering” experienced in November.

The statement encouraged families and communities to remain vigilant and resist manipulation by individuals whose actions could plunge the country into prolonged instability.

With year-end festivities approaching, the police encouraged residents to proceed with their preparations but to prioritise safety. Travellers were advised to secure their homes, follow traffic rules and cooperate with security authorities.

Reassuring the public, the police concluded: “The Police Force assures all peace-loving citizens that it will continue… to protect the interests of the nation, the lives of its people and their property, and will ensure that peace, calm and security continue to be strengthened in the country.”

As December 9 approaches, Tanzania stands at a tense crossroads—balancing the promise of peace against the threat of coordinated disruption, and relying on its institutions, leadership and citizens to safeguard national stability.