The U.S. State Department took strong action on Thursday, May 21, by sanctioning Faustine Jackson Mafwele , the senior deputy police commissioner of Tanzania. Accused of serious human rights violations, this high-ranking official is now banned from entering the United States .

This decision follows the attack, a year ago in Dar es Salaam, on two figures of East African civil society: Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi .

A recap of the events: a week-long ordeal

On May 23, 2025, the two activists traveled to Tanzania to support political opponent Tundu Lissu, who was being prosecuted for treason. They were apprehended by security forces almost immediately upon arrival.

For several days, they endured a true ordeal:

1. Secret detention and forced isolation.
2. Repeated acts of torture and sexual violence .
3. Abandoned in open countryside near their respective national borders.

According to Agather Atuhaire's statements, Faustine Mafwele personally orchestrated the operation by ordering her "henchmen" to carry out the kidnapping and torture.

"Relieved but not satisfied": the victims' reaction

For Agather Atuhaire, this American announcement brings a first sense of justice after months of apparent impunity:

"My first reaction was one of immense relief. I felt that the world finally cared about what had happened to us."

However, the journalist insists that this sanction should only be a first step. According to her, the police officer was merely acting as the executor of a broader political agenda.

1. Unpunished masterminds: She demands sanctions against Tanzanian political leaders who covered up these actions.
2. A risk of recidivism: "These people must be arrested. Otherwise, there will be more victims," she warns.

Faustine Mafwele: the éminence grise of Tanzanian repression

For specialists in the region, the profile of the sanctioned police officer gives Washington's decision a highly strategic significance. Nicodemus Minde, a Tanzanian researcher, describes Mafwele as a pivotal and feared figure within the security apparatus:

1. A heavy legacy in Arusha (2011-2015): As head of criminal investigations, he was directly implicated in the bloody repression of the Chadema opposition party demonstrations in January 2011.
2. The "mastermind" of special operations: Many families of victims attribute to him the responsibility for the worst waves of kidnappings and enforced disappearances in the country.
3. An aura of terror: His influence is such that he inspires fear even within his own police hierarchy.

An aggressive American diplomacy towards the regime of Samia Suluhu Hassan

Political context in Tanzania

This sanction comes amid a clear deterioration in relations between Washington and Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government is facing a barrage of international criticism regarding the erosion of civil liberties. Just last Wednesday, US senators demanded a comprehensive reassessment of the economic and diplomatic partnership with Tanzania.