The US has sanctioned Tanzanian police official Faustine Jackson Mafwele over alleged torture and sexual assault of activists Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire during a 2025 visit to Dar es Salaam.

📻 Breaking It Down

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 22 — The United States has designated a senior Tanzanian police official over gross human rights violations linked to the detention, torture, and sexual assault of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist and activist Agather Atuhaire during their visit to Dar es Salaam last year.

In a statement issued on May 21, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Tanzanian Police Force Senior Assistant Commissioner Faustine Jackson Mafwele under Section 7031(c) of the US Department of State appropriations law, citing “credible information” linking him to gross human rights violations.

The US State Department said the alleged abuses stemmed from the detention and mistreatment of Mwangi and Atuhaire in May 2025, after the pair travelled to Tanzania to observe court proceedings involving opposition leader Tundu Lissu in Dar es Salaam.

📌 What You Need to Know

“About one year ago, members of the Tanzanian Police Force detained, tortured, and sexually assaulted Ugandan Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan Boniface Mwangi,” Rubio said in the statement, adding that the designation bars Mafwele from entering the United States.

The sanctions mark one of the strongest international actions taken so far in response to allegations that Tanzanian security forces targeted foreign activists and journalists during heightened political tensions surrounding Lissu’s trial.

Mwangi and Atuhaire publicly detailed the alleged abuse during a press briefing on June 2, 2025, shortly after their release and deportation from Tanzania.

According to the two activists, they travelled to Dar es Salaam in solidarity with Lissu but were detained incommunicado for several days before being forcibly expelled.

Mwangi said he was deported through the Horohoro border into Kenya, while Atuhaire was expelled via Mutukula into Uganda.

During the briefing, Mwangi recounted what he described as a brutal torture ordeal allegedly carried out by Tanzanian security officers.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya