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Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Elizabeth Shackelford: East African governments turn up repression as the United States turns away
I met Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan human rights defender, in late May at the Oslo Freedom Forum, an event celebrating activists against authoritarianism. She was petite but powerful, bruised but not broken. Traveling to this event was her latest act of defiance. Only days earlier, she and Boniface Mwangi, a high-profile Kenyan activist, had been dumped near the Tanzanian border after being detained and tortured for days by Tanzanian police when they tried to attend the trial of Tanzania's main opposition leader. The abuse was excruciating. They recounted being stripped, hung by their bound feet and hands, brutally raped and beaten. The entire sick process was recorded to elicit shame and more fear. I spent years working in East Africa, so I'm familiar with its explosive politics and the authoritarian tendencies of those clinging to power. But this felt like something new. Atuhaire received the U.S. State Department's International Women of Courage Award just last year. Where was the outrage? Once, the U.S. government used its influence to prevent these abuses. Now, Washington is practically silent. Repression has been on the rise across the region. When governments stop trying to hide or temper their abuse, the dangers escalate. Cross-country cooperation in governmental repression is ticking up too. Tundu Lissu, the politician Atuhaire and Mwangi were in Tanzania to support, was arrested in April and charged with treason after spearheading a campaign ahead of Tanzania's upcoming elections. Tundu was fighting for reforms to unrig a system that has enabled the ruling party to win every election since independence. Several other critics of the Tanzanian government have been abducted over the last year. One opposition party official was killed after being taken from a bus in September. His body was later found soaked in acid and beaten. Maria Sarungi Tsehai, a prominent Tanzanian activist, was abducted in January in Nairobi, Kenya, where she had been living since seeking asylum there in 2020 because of threats from the Tanzanian government. After a few hours of assaulting her as they tried to gain access to her phone and social media, Tsehai's abductors dumped her on a side road. Tsehai was also in Oslo and told me she was certain the Tanzanian and Kenyan authorities were working together to repress their citizens, so nowhere was safe now. In November, Ugandan opposition politician Kizza Besigye and his aide were also abducted in Nairobi, only to emerge four days later in military court in Kampala, Uganda. Kenyan authorities have since admitted to cooperating in the kidnapping. These are just some of the hundreds of civilian opposition actors to face military courts in Uganda, even though the country's supreme court has ruled it unconstitutional. Yoweri Museveni has ruled the country since 1986. His son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is the chief of Uganda's Defense Forces and recently bragged on social media of capturing an opposition leader, holding him captive in his basement, and torturing him. Perhaps the Kenyan government has become more amenable to facilitating repression in the region since it's upped its own at home. Last June, Kenya saw a wave of antigovernment protests led by Kenya's youth. Kenyan police killed dozens in their aggressive response. Waves of protests continued throughout the year, and in the final weeks of 2024, at least 10 young activists were abducted. As a former U.S. diplomat, I expected more of an American response to these events. It wouldn't prevent all the abuses, but it would have mattered. Activists I've spoken with have assured me, for example, that the abuse of Mwangi and Atuhaire wouldn't have occurred under prior U.S. administrations (even Donald Trump's first administration), since the Tanzanian government would have anticipated consequences. The United States has provided these countries with military assistance and development and humanitarian support for many years. But America has a very different relationship with the region today. Though some advocates in Congress continue to speak up, the Trump administration has made clear that it will not use its influence to fight human rights abuses. Not only has it gutted foreign assistance, which could previously be used as an incentive for better behavior, but it also has explicitly stepped back from promoting human rights at all. The weight of America's moral leadership has been weakening for years, but it is now wholly broken. And the consequences, on individuals and democracy movements across the globe, are real and likely to worsen. You may think it isn't America's business to promote human rights internationally, but it was never much of an investment. Prior to the Trump administration's draconian cuts, the entire foreign aid budget amounted to less than 1% of the country's expenditures, and only 3.2% of that went to democracy, governance and human rights programs. But by using our diplomats and assistance to impose even a small cost for the worst repression, we once helped protect and uplift those fighting for values we used to hold dear. What will we gain by not doing so? Nothing, but it will cost others plenty.
DW
07-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Tanzania's crackdown on activists tests East African bonds – DW – 06/07/2025
Opposition activists from Kenya allege that they were detained and tortured in neighboring Tanzania. Leaders there don't seem to like that cross-border economic cooperation has extended to human rights solidarity. An unusual request from the Kenyan president caused a stir at the end of May. "To our neighbors from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us," William Ruto told a delegation of Tanzanian MPs at a national prayer breakfast. Some Kenyans found the gesture appropriate, but others found it outrageous. Less than a week prior, prominent Kenyan photojournalist and activist Boniface Mwangi had returned to Kenya visibly weakened after five days in a Tanzanian prison. He and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire had traveled to Tanzania to support imprisoned opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is on trial on charges of treason. Lissu and his Party for Democracy and Development (Chadema), the country's largest opposition party, had called for the Tanzanian constitution to be reformed ahead of elections in October. 'Treated worse than dogs' Early this week, Mwangi and Atuhaire made serious accusations at a press conference. They described how they were arrested in their hotel and later brutally tortured and raped. Mwangi also described numerous details in a lengthy post on the social media platform X. "We were treated worse than dogs," Mwangi said after returning to Nairobi. Tanzanian government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa confirmed that Mwangi and Atuhaire were expelled from the country, but denied all other accusations. "Do they have proof of these atrocities? They cannot just tarnish the country with allegations for which they have no evidence. They have invaded the country and violated law and order," he said. "Nobody should come here and try to impose their country's political culture on Tanzania." Fear of protests amid economic uncertainty For Kenyan economist James Shikwati, the motive for the Tanzanian government's actions is clear: "What's happening is the fear of what neighboring countries saw happen in Kenya in June last year when the young people demonstrated and were able to go all the way to parliament," said Shikwati, who heads the think tank Inter Region Economic Network. The demonstrations, often referred to as "Gen-Z protests," were a reaction by young Kenyans to a bill that would have increased taxes. "I think it made our neighbors have very sensitive skin about anybody who shows capability of mobilizing people," Shikwati told DW, adding that these tensions are taking place in the context of economic difficulties. Tanzania's intolerance of transnational activism To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "It's income, jobs, opportunities shrinking, the global dynamics changing, militarization of global economy, meaning the normal trade patterns are getting disrupted and the little income these countries were making is disappearing overnight," he said. Meanwhile, international NGOs are withdrawing, USAID cuts initiated by US President Donald Trump are hitting East Africa hard, and the entire region is feeling the economic losses for export giant Kenya, Shikwati added. 'Human rights have no borders' What does the heated atmosphere mean for the East African Community, founded in 2000 by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania? Citizens have been allowed to travel freely between the member states since the 1960s, and many take advantage of this to work or study in these neighboring countries. But now there is a growing fear, especially among Kenyans, of traveling to Tanzania. In fact, other human rights activists who wanted to support Tundu Lissu were also prevented from entering the country — including Kenya's former justice minister and lawyer Martha Karua. She is also in contact with Uganda's imprisoned opposition politician Kizza Besigye and successfully campaigned for improving his conditions. "Human rights have no borders," she told DW about both cases. Leaders likely to maintain status quo? Shikwati does not expect any major upsets at government level. For him, Ruto's statements at the prayer breakfast sent a clear message. "They feel that something is not OK and most likely are trying to coordinate on this because you could see the Kenyan government trying to distance itself and say, 'Look, we're not part of the activists, so forgive us if something went wrong'." Shikwati also said that the tensions show how previous ideas of the economic community failed to reflect reality. While East Africa has relied on good cooperation between governments, it had not been considered that political opposition could also use the community to advance its own goals, he added. Despite support from neighboring countries, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is facing strong domestic headwinds. Ideas about what Tanzania's "political culture" should be sometimes differ greatly from government actions. The well-known bishop of a revivalist church, Josephat Gwajima, himself a member of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, said at the end of May: "I want to tell you the truth: kidnapping is not our Tanzanian culture." People should only be arrested on the basis of the law, he said. Gwajima's church was closed last Monday. The Registrar of Civil Societies in Tanzania said that the church had broken the law by preaching in a way that turned citizens against the government. Their bishop is now missing. With reporting by Thelma Mwadzaya (Nairobi), Florence Majani
TimesLIVE
03-06-2025
- General
- TimesLIVE
Kenyan and Ugandan activists say they were sexually assaulted in Tanzania
A Kenyan and a Ugandan human rights activist who were detained in Tanzania for several days last month said on Monday that Tanzanian security officers sexually assaulted them while in custody. Spokespeople for Tanzania's government, foreign affairs ministry and police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations by Kenya's Boniface Mwangi and Uganda's Agather Atuhaire. The spokesperson for Kenya's ministry of foreign affairs and Uganda's information minister did not respond to calls seeking comment. Mwangi and Atuhaire were detained after arriving in Dar es Salaam to attend the first court appearance of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges. Tanzanian authorities have not commented on Mwangi and Atuhaire's detentions, though in public remarks on May 19, the day they were detained, President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned foreign activists against "invading and interfering in our affairs." After being taken into custody at their hotel in Dar es Salaam, Mwangi said they were blindfolded by police officers and taken to a house. He said that while questioning him about the whereabouts of his phone and laptop, his interrogators stripped him, blindfolded him and sexually assaulted him.
DW
03-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Kenyan, Ugandan activists allege sexual torture in Tanzania – DW – 06/03/2025
Human rights activists from Kenya and Uganda who were detained in Tanzania said security forces there sexually assaulted them while they were in custody. Human rights defenders Boniface Mwangi from Kenya and Uganda's Agather Atuhaire have said that they were beaten and sexually assaulted by Tanzanian security officers while in custody. Mwangi and Atuhaire made the allegations at a joint press conference in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, on Monday. Both had separately spoken of their brutal treatment in the days after their release. The two had traveled to Tanzania attend the first court appearance on May 19, 2025, of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges. They were abducted from their hotel room and allege they were interrogated and tortured by security officers before being dumped several days later near the borders of their countries. Speaking at the press conference, they said they had both filed a complaint against the Tanzanian authorities. 'What they did to us, it breaks me' Mwangi, a photojournalist and prominent campaigner against corruption and police brutality in Kenya, broke down in tears as he recounted the brutal beatings and the sexual assault. He was stripped naked, he said, hung upside down and beaten on his feet. "They would put objects in my anus and then say, 'say you're feeling nice, say you're feeling good'," Mwangi said, addressing a press conference alongside Atuhaire. Officers told him that they filmed everything and to never speak of what happened, otherwise they would release the footage, he said. "And what they did to us is, it breaks me. ... We're here to share our story, and to say that our bodies may be broken, but our spirit is strong," Mwangi added. No shame, rather 'desire for justice' Atuhaire said she too had been blindfolded, tied up and similarly assaulted. "The only thing I desire is justice," the award-winning journalist said. "It is what has enabled me to hold on in this situation." Although she came from Uganda, a country she described as "very dictatorial," she never imagined that she "would find a worse foreign country, a worse government." "You cannot be the head of state, the president, yet publicly and shamelessly condone torture, sexual violence," said Atuhaire. On the day of the abductions, President Samia Suluhu Hassan urged security services "not to allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here". Atuhaire, who won the EU Human Rights Defenders' Award in 2023 and an International Women of Courage Award from the United States in 2024, has previously said that she refused silenced by the shame of being a victim of sexual assault. "You are the one who is committing a heinous crime, so you are the one who should be ashamed," Atuhaire told the AFP news agency in May. Ugandan social justice activist Agather Atuhaire (center) received an International Woman of Courage award in 2024. She stands with then first lady Jill Biden (left) and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) Image: Susan Walsh/AP Photo/picture alliance No comment from Tanzania's government Spokespeople for Tanzania's government, Foreign Affairs Ministry and police did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the allegations, the news agency said on Monday evening. AFP also said it attempted to reach the Tanzanian government for comment, but there was no immediate response. The case has highlighted a growing repression of political dissent in Tanzania, criticized by a wide range of bodies and organizations, including Amnesty International and the European Parliament . Tanzania's intolerance of transnational activism To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Oppposition leader Lissu, Hassan's main political rival, was arrested in April and charged with treason. His Chadema party has been disqualified from running in October's presidential and legislative elections. Hassan's ruling party has nominated her as their candidate in October's election. Tanzania has been ruled by the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party since independence in 1961. Edited by: Zac Crellin
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kenyan and Ugandan activists say they were sexually assaulted in Tanzania
NAIROBI (Reuters) -A Kenyan and a Ugandan human rights activist who were detained in Tanzania for several days last month said on Monday that Tanzanian security officers sexually assaulted them while in custody. Spokespeople for Tanzania's government, foreign affairs ministry and police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations by Kenya's Boniface Mwangi and Uganda's Agather Atuhaire. The spokesperson for Kenya's ministry of foreign affairs and Uganda's information minister did not respond to calls seeking comment. Mwangi and Atuhaire were detained after arriving in Dar es Salaam to attend the first court appearance of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who faces treason charges. Tanzanian authorities have not commented on Mwangi and Atuhaire's detentions, though in public remarks on May 19, the day they were detained, President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned foreign activists against "invading and interfering in our affairs." After being taken into custody at their hotel in Dar es Salaam, Mwangi said they were blindfolded by police officers and taken to a house. He said that while questioning him about the whereabouts of his phone and laptop, his interrogators stripped him, blindfolded him and sexually assaulted him. He cried as he described his ordeal at a press conference in Kenya's capital Nairobi, adding that the security personnel had also photographed him while assaulting him. Atuhaire said she too had been blindfolded, tied up and similarly assaulted. Both activists were eventually dumped near the borders of their countries, where they crossed back home. Lissu, who came second in Tanzania's last presidential poll, was arrested in April and charged with treason over what prosecutors said was a speech calling on the public to rebel and disrupt elections due in October. The case has highlighted a growing crackdown on opponents of Hassan, whose party has nominated her to stand in the October vote. She won plaudits after coming to power in 2021 for easing the political repression that had proliferated under her predecessor, but has faced mounting criticism over a series of arrests and unexplained abductions of political opponents. Hassan has said the government is committed to respecting human rights, and ordered an investigation into reported abductions last year.
