The Catholic Church in Tanzania on Monday condemned the recent killings of protesters and warned that there would be no peace without justice, as the government calls for dialogue following a disputed general election that international observers say fell short of a free and fair vote.

During a funeral service on Monday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi stressed the country’s urgent need for healing, saying that “The punishment for protests is not to shoot and kill.”

Chadema, Tanzania’s leading opposition party, said at least 2,000 people died in the protests and many hundreds more were arrested and charged with treason.

On Monday, top opposition figures, including Chadema Party’s deputy leader John Heche — who was arrested before the elections on accusations of planning protests — were released on bond. Meanwhile, the treason case against main opposition leader Tundu Lissu was postponed after the prosecution’s witnesses failed to appear, citing security reasons.

On Sunday, Tanzania’s Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi said that the government would start dialogue to promote peace, without offering details on the involved stakeholders, and the opposition maintained its refusal to engage without a commitment to justice.

More protests are planned in the East African country during the upcoming Independence Day on Dec. 9.

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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa