US sanctions senior Tanzanian police officer over alleged torture of activists
The United States has imposed sanctions on senior Tanzanian police officer Faustine Jackson Mafwele over allegations connected to the alleged torture and sexual abuse of East African activists Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire last year.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision was based on credible claims that Mafwele had been involved in serious human rights violations.
The sanctions prohibit the Tanzanian police official from entering the United States.
Tanzania’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, told the BBC that the government had not yet officially received details of the sanctions.
The move comes amid increasing international criticism of Tanzania’s human rights situation, with some US lawmakers pushing for stronger measures against the East African country.
Mwangi and Atuhaire had travelled to Tanzania in May last year to monitor the trial of opposition politician Tundu Lissu when they were arrested and detained.
Mwangi later alleged that he was stripped naked, suspended upside down, beaten on his feet, and sexually assaulted while in custody. Atuhaire also accused authorities of raping her during detention.
At the time, Tanzanian police rejected the accusations, dismissing them as hearsay and personal opinions.
However, Rubio stated that members of the Tanzanian Police Force had detained, tortured, and sexually abused the two activists.
Although the statement did not directly outline Mafwele’s exact role, US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Riley Barnes, said Washington was taking steps to ensure accountability for the alleged abuses.
Earlier this year, a documentary by BBC Africa Eye examining abductions and repression in Tanzania featured testimony from both activists, who identified Mafwele as a key figure in their alleged mistreatment. He did not respond publicly to the allegations.
Mafwele, a senior assistant commissioner of police, becomes the first high-ranking official under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration to face international sanctions.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have previously called for investigations into the activists’ arrests, detention, torture claims, and deportation.
The sanctions also come against the backdrop of concerns over political repression following Tanzania’s disputed general election last October.
A commission investigating post-election violence recently reported that more than 500 people died during protests, including nearly 200 who were allegedly shot.
Opposition groups and rights organisations claim security forces targeted unarmed protesters and argue that the actual death toll may be higher.
President Samia, who secured victory with 98% of the vote after several major opponents were excluded from the race, defended the election as free and transparent, while accusing foreign actors of fuelling unrest.
The government has acknowledged using force against demonstrators, arguing that some groups were attempting to destabilise the country.
US lawmakers this week called for tougher action against Tanzania, accusing the government of democratic decline, restrictions on free speech and religious freedom, and failing to prevent violence linked to the elections.
President Samia, who became Tanzania’s first female president in 2021 following the death of John Magufuli, was initially commended for opening up political space, though critics now say freedoms have increasingly come under pressure.
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