Africa-Press. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Tanzanian Deputy Police Commissioner Faustin Jackson Mafweli, based on what has been described as “credible information” regarding his involvement in “gross human rights violations.”
The sanctions were issued under U.S. legislation that requires the Secretary of State to designate foreign officials and their immediate family members as ineligible for entry into the United States due to their involvement in significant corruption or gross human rights violations.
Rubio noted in his statement that “a year ago, individuals from the Tanzanian police detained, tortured, and sexually assaulted Ugandan activist Agather Atuheire and Kenyan Boniface Mwangi, who were in Dar es Salaam to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu.”
Mwangi and Atuheire were detained in May 2025 during their visit to Tanzania for Lissu’s trial. According to Mwangi’s later account, he was held for several days, stripped of his clothes, hung upside down, beaten on his feet, and sexually assaulted. Atuheire also reported that she was tortured and raped during her detention. The activists were later released following international pressure.
Victims’ Response
Atuheire welcomed the U.S. decision in a post on social media, stating: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Sanctions have been imposed on our torturer and the torturer of many Tanzanians,” adding, “This gives me hope that one day he will face more than just sanctions and will be behind bars.”
The U.S. State Department announced in December that it was conducting a “comprehensive review” of its relationship with Tanzania. Deputy spokesperson Thomas Pigott stated that the Tanzanian government has engaged in “ongoing repression of religious freedom and freedom of expression, obstructed U.S. investments, and committed horrific violence against civilians before and after the October 29, 2025 elections,” warning that these actions “have endangered American citizens, tourists, and U.S. interests, and threaten to undermine the shared prosperity and security that have characterized our partnership for decades.”
Tanzania witnessed presidential elections in October, in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner with 97.66% of the vote, followed by widespread protests. UN experts estimated that hundreds were killed during these protests, while the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed at least ten fatalities.
A video investigation by a local source revealed geolocated footage showing police and armed individuals firing on unarmed protesters, while satellite images and eyewitness accounts documented what the investigation described as potential mass graves north of Dar es Salaam.
