By Muhammad Abu l May 22, 2026
The United States government has imposed sanctions on a senior Tanzanian police official, accusing him of involvement in serious human rights abuses, including the alleged torture and sexual assault of East African activists detained in Tanzania.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Tanzanian police officer Faustine Jackson Mafwele has been barred from entering the United States over what Washington described as credible allegations of gross violations of human rights.
According to the U.S. government, the sanctions stem from the detention and alleged abuse of Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, who traveled to Tanzania in May 2025 to observe the trial of opposition politician Tundu Lissu in Dar es Salaam.
Rubio said members of the Tanzanian police force detained, tortured, and sexually assaulted the two activists while they were in custody. The activists later alleged that Mafwele personally participated in the abuse before they were abandoned near the Kenya-Tanzania border.
The sanctions come amid mounting international scrutiny of Tanzania’s human rights record following the country’s disputed 2025 general election, which saw President Samia Suluhu Hassan secure another term after a sweeping crackdown on opposition groups and dissenting voices.
A commission established by President Hassan to investigate post-election violence reported that at least 518 people were killed and thousands injured during unrest that followed the polls. Opposition figures and civil society groups, however, claim the actual death toll may be significantly higher.
The commission’s report, released in April 2026, recommended further investigations into police conduct during the protests, including allegations that security forces opened fire on unarmed civilians inside their homes. The report also highlighted widespread internet disruptions after the elections, which critics said were aimed at suppressing evidence of state violence circulating online.
Human rights organizations across East Africa have repeatedly accused Tanzanian authorities of intensifying repression ahead of and after the elections. Activists and opposition supporters have reported arbitrary arrests, intimidation, enforced disappearances, and torture in detention facilities.
The U.S. sanctions are expected to further strain relations between Washington and Tanzania, as American officials continue to express concern over democratic backsliding and alleged abuses by state security agencies.