The call follows a detailed CNN exposé led by Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo, which uncovered worrying claims of mass graves, police brutality, and an attempt to hide the real number of casualties.
The U.S. Senate committee said the situation in Tanzania had reached a serious level that requires urgent attention.
In their statement, the senators described the actions of Tanzanian security forces as “an unacceptable attempt to cover up gross violations of human rights.”
They added that the Tanzanian government must allow a transparent probe to establish the truth about the deaths reported across the country.
The controversy began after President Samia Suluhu was declared the winner with 98 percent of the vote, a result that many citizens and observers questioned immediately.
Protests erupted in several regions, with demonstrators accusing the government of conducting a rigged election.
The response from security agencies was swift and forceful, with witnesses telling CNN that police used excessive force, including live bullets, to disperse crowds.
According to the CNN investigation, morgues were overwhelmed with bodies shortly after the election.
Some witnesses said families were denied access to injured or deceased relatives, raising more suspicions about the scale of the violence.
Because foreign journalists were blocked from entering Tanzania during the election period, CNN relied on satellite imagery and drone footage to verify events on the ground.
The images reportedly showed new patches of disturbed soil in known burial sites such as the Kondo cemetery, fueling claims of mass graves.
The U.S. Senate committee said these findings pointed to a possibility that the true number of deaths may be far higher than what the government has admitted.
The committee stressed that the international community should not ignore such serious allegations.
They insisted on an independent investigation carried out by neutral bodies to ensure fairness and transparency.
However, the Tanzanian government strongly rejected the CNN report. Government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa accused the media of spreading misleading information and relying on unverified videos from social media.
He said CNN did not give the government an opportunity to respond before publishing the story, which he described as unfair and unethical.
Msigwa insisted that Tanzania has nothing to hide and blamed foreign outlets for tarnishing the country’s image.
Despite the denial, pressure continues to build. Human rights groups, regional leaders, and international observers are pushing for a clear and trustworthy examination of the events that took place after the elections.
Many believe that only an independent investigation can restore confidence among Tanzanians, especially after weeks of fear, anger, and uncertainty.
Experts say the situation has put President Samia Suluhu’s leadership under the global spotlight.
While she has been praised in the past for presenting a more open and reformist image than her predecessor, the current crisis threatens to undo those gains.
Critics argue that the government must choose transparency over defensiveness if it hopes to regain public trust.
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