Latest news with #Swahili
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Struggling to be alive': Kenyan activist speaks of 'sexual torture' in Tanzania
Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing. A Kenyan activist has told the BBC that he is "struggling to be alive" after allegedly being sexually tortured in detention in Tanzania last month. Boniface Mwangi said he had decided to speak despite the "shame and guilt of being sodomised with all manner of things". Mwangi said he was held in Tanzania after going to the country to show solidarity with detained opposition politician Tundu Lissu. At a press conference in Kenya's capital, Mwangi tearfully claimed that he was stripped naked, hung upside down, beaten on his feet and sexually assaulted while detained. The police chief in Tanzania's main city of Dar es Salaam disputed Mwangi's account and told the BBC they were "opinions" and "hearsay" coming from activists. "If they were here, I would engage them, I would ask them what are they saying, what do they mean... In law, those things are called hearsay or hearsay evidence," Jumanne Muliro told the BBC. He said Mwangi should make a report to the authorities for investigation. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government has been accused by rights groups of becoming increasingly repressive in the run-up to October's presidential and parliamentary elections. Regional rights groups have called for an investigation, and Amnesty International said Tanzanian authorities should hold to account those responsible for the "inhuman" treatment. Mwangi said he was held by Tanzanian authorities for several days along with Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, who had earlier also spoken of being raped in detention. She attended the press conference in Nairobi on Monday, where Mwangi described his sexual assault in graphic detail. He said his torturers would sexually assault him and tell him to say "asante" (thank you in the Swahili language) to their president. Mwangi added that the officers told him they were filming everything and would leak the footage if he spoke about what he had gone through. Mwangi told the BBC Newsday programme that the torture had left him in mental anguish. "You have a lot of nightmares, you have a lot of thoughts, and you're alone in the dark, and you're thinking you're going to get killed. So that entire mental anguish lives with you," he said. Ugandan activist alleges she was raped while in Tanzanian detention Tanzania president warns 'meddling' Kenyan activists Mwangi said he wanted his medical records be made public so that "what happened to me should never happen to anyone else". "I have wounds all over my body, I have wounds on my private parts, I have wounds on my feet, I have two broken toes, I have fractures… So I'm still struggling". Mwangi and Atuhaire were among several activists who travelled to Tanzania two weeks ago in solidarity with Lissu who was appearing in court on treason charges that he denies. He has been demanding sweeping changes, saying current laws do not allow for free and fair polls, which the government denies. Lissu was arrested on 9 April following his rallying call of "no reforms, no election". Mwangi told the BBC that their visit to Tanzania was to highlight Lissu's "sham case", adding that this "wasn't taken lightly" by the authorities. President Hassan warned at the time that she would not allow activists from neighbouring countries to "meddle" in Tanzania's affairs. The whereabouts of Mwangi and Atuhaire were unknown while they were being held, sparking widespread condemnation. Mwangi said his "abduction" was shocking in how brazen it was as he had been "picked from a very prominent hotel". "So having been abducted during broad daylight and never knowing where I was, and I was still tortured, means that the Tanzanian government doesn't care about what people think about it," he told the BBC. Earlier, Atuhaire said that despite Uganda being "very dictatorial", she did not imagine she "would find a worse foreign country, a worse government". Mwangi said their experience showed "how broken" countries in East Africa were. "So it makes me more of a pan-African in this fight," he told the BBC. The US Department of State's Bureau of Africa Affairs previously said it was deeply concerned by the reports of the two activists' mistreatment, noting that Atuhaire had been recognised by the department "in 2024 as an International Women of Courage Awardee". Other activists, including Kenya's former Justice Minister Martha Karua and former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga were blocked from entering and were deported from the international airport in Dar es Salaam. Additional reporting by Munira Hussein in Dar es Salaam. Kenyan president apologises to Tanzania over deportation row Could this be the end of the road for Lissu, Tanzania's great survivor? Why Samia's hesitant reforms are fuelling Tanzanian political anger 'Manhandled and choked' - Tanzanian activist recounts abduction Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Time of India
11 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
HRW warns Rwanda-backed M23 executing DR Congo civilians
HRW warns Rwanda-backed M23 executing DR Congo civilians (AP) KINSHASA: The Rwanda-backed M23 militia has carried out "mass killings" of Congolese civilians in the occupied eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Tuesday. With Rwanda's support, M23 fighters have seized swathes of the DRC's resource-rich east, capturing the key city of Goma in late January, following a lightning offensive. Since then, the M23 has set up to govern the regions under its control for the long term. With hundreds of Congolese soldiers and allied militia fighters having dispersed to avoid capture, the M23 has carried out frequent raids in a bid to stamp its authority on the restive region. In one such raid on February 22 and 23, the armed group "summarily executed at least 21 civilians and most likely many more" near a former Congolese army barracks in Goma's Kasika neighbourhood, HRW said in a statement. A 15-year-old boy was among the bodies found dumped at a building site near the barracks, according to the watchdog. HRW said the lack of fighting and the wounds inflicted "indicated that M23 fighters deliberately executed those in their custody", accusing the armed group of "war crimes". Citing witnesses who gave their testimony to HRW remotely, the rights group said it had "credible information" that the M23 targeted the area because of reports of the presence of the Congolese army and pro-government militiamen. Called "Wazalendo", meaning "patriots" in Swahili, those fighters are sometimes dressed in civilian clothes, making their allegiance to an armed group difficult to determine. "The M23's brutal control over Goma has created a climate of fear among those perceived to be allied to the Congolese government," said Clementine de Montjoye, a senior HRW researcher for the African Great Lakes region. "The mass killings don't seem to be actions by rogue fighters, but rather the M23 leadership's efforts to solidify their control by whatever means necessary," Montjoye added. Urging the international community to pressure Rwanda to end its backing for the M23, the researcher added that the "Rwandan government, as the direct supporter of the M23, may be complicit in the armed group's war crimes". Besides the 22 eyewitness accounts, the watchdog said it had drawn on authenticated video and photographs to reach its conclusions. HRW said it had on May 23 contacted the M23's spokesman, Lawrence Kanyuka, but had not received a response by the time of publication. Responding on X, Kanyuka accused HRW of publishing "a propaganda instrument", complaining of a "lack of professionalism in certain human rights organisations". Kanyuka last week slammed allegations from HRW's fellow rights group, Amnesty International, that the M23 was torturing civilians it had imprisoned as "grotesque and unsubstantiated".
France 24
a day ago
- Politics
- France 24
Kenyan rights campaigner speaks of Tanzania sexual torture
Award-winning Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, who was with Mwangi when they were both abducted in Tanzania on May 19, had previously made similar allegations to AFP. The opposition and rights groups, as well as the US Bureau of African Affairs, have referenced the cases of the two in accusing President Samia Suluhu Hassan of treading the same authoritarian path as predecessor John Magufuli, whom she succeeded in 2021. Mwangi and Atuhaire were detained in Tanzania's economic capital, Dar Es Salaam, to where they had travelled to offer support to Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu, facing a potential death sentence in a treason trial, ahead of elections in October. "They take you through sexual torture, and tell you if you speak, you're going to be reported to your family and all that," said Mwangi, addressing a press conference alongside Atuhaire. "And what they did to us is, it breaks me. Then they started beating my feet... I was screaming so hard. I couldn't breathe. There were no tears coming out because of how painful it was." "They would put objects in my anus and then say, 'say you're feeling nice, say you're feeling good'. Then they would say, 'say asante (thank you in Swahili) Samia, asante Samia', so I say asante to their president," said Mwangi. "We're here to share our story, and to say that our bodies may be broken, but our spirit is strong," he added. Demand for 'justice' President Hassan has accused foreign activists of attempting to "intrude and interfere" in Tanzania's affairs, prompting international criticism. On the day of the abductions, she also urged security services "not to allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here". Atuhaire, who sat beside Mwangi at Monday's press conference in Nairobi, revealed she had filed a criminal complaint against the Tanzanian authorities and intended to have her voice heard. "The only thing I desire is justice," she insisted. "It is what has enabled me to hold on in this situation." She added: "I come from a very dictatorial country, where impunity reigns. But I never imagined one day I 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." Mwangi was found dumped on a roadside in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border on May 22 while Atuhaire says she was left in the early hours of the following day by Tanzanian security agents near the Ugandan border. Tanzania is to hold presidential and legislative elections in October. The east African nation of some 65 million people has been run by the same party since independence in 1961. Lissu, Hassan's main poll rival, was arrested and charged for "incitement to block the polls" in what supporters see as politicised allegations. His party has been banned from the poll. He appeared in court on Monday and reiterated his campaign mantra of "no reforms, no elections", which saw him earn a warning from a magistrate. His legal case has been postponed to June 16.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Post falsely links unrelated Ruto speech to recent Kenya-Tanzania tensions
'President Ruto responds to Samia Suluhu,' reads the text overlaid on a TikTok post published on May 21, 2025, and shared 6,000 times. The caption on the post reads: 'President William Ruto in State House Nairobi today during his meeting with Ukambani leaders after Samia Suluhu kick out Kenyan activists in Tanzania (sic).' Ukambani is a region in central Kenya. 'We are a great nation. Let nobody tell you negative things about Kenya. I have so much faith in this nation. I would not know what to do in any other nation,' Ruto says in the clip, partly in Swahili. He further expresses strong optimism for Kenya's future, asserting his conviction that the country is destined for global greatness. The recent diplomatic tensions between Kenya and Tanzania stemmed from the detention and deportation of Kenyan and Ugandan activists who had gone to Tanzania to attend the May 19, 2025, treason trial of opposition leader Lissu. Among those affected were Kenyan opposition leader and lawyer Martha Karua (archived here). Activists Boniface Mwangi from Kenya and Uganda's Agather Atuhaire, who were part of the group, accused Tanzanian authorities of torture during their incommunicado detention, with Atuhaire also alleging sexual assault (archived here). These grave allegations drew concern from human rights bodies, prompting calls for immediate investigations (archived here and here). Amid the rights abuse claims, Suluhu warned against foreign interference in Tanzania's affairs (archived here). However, the TikTok clip does not show Ruto addressing his Tanzanian counterpart over the recent events. AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches on keyframes from the clip and confirmed that it shows Ruto speaking during a meeting with Ukambani leaders at State House Nairobi on May 21, 2025. The clip was published by Kenyan news outlet The Standard and shows Ruto dressed in the same attire, speaking from behind a lectern (archived here). "This country will change," President William Ruto declared during a meeting with Ukambani leaders today at State House, Nairobi. — The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) May 21, 2025 We found a longer version of Ruto's address published on YouTube by TVL News, a local digital news platform. He did not mention Tanzania or Suluhu (archived here). According to local media reports on the meeting, Ruto affirmed his government's commitment to equitable development and resource allocation for the Ukambani region (archived here and here). He also urged the leaders to encourage their residents to register for the Social Health Authority insurance scheme, highlighted progress in the affordable housing government projects and announced significant development projects in the region. There were no mentions of Ruto addressing the Tanzania dispute in these reports either. However, a week later during the 2025 National Prayer Breakfast held in Nairobi, Ruto publicly apologised to Tanzania (archived here). 'To our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us,' he said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kenyan rights campaigner speaks of Tanzania sexual torture
Kenyan human rights campaigner Boniface Mwangi broke down in tears Monday as he recounted brutal treatment including "sexual torture" at the hands of Tanzanian security forces which he said left him broken. Award-winning Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire, who was with Mwangi when they were both abducted in Tanzania on May 19, had previously made similar allegations to AFP. The opposition and rights groups, as well as the US Bureau of African Affairs, have referenced the cases of the two in accusing President Samia Suluhu Hassan of treading the same authoritarian path as predecessor John Magufuli, whom she succeeded in 2021. Mwangi and Atuhaire were detained in Tanzania's economic capital, Dar Es Salaam, to where they had travelled to offer support to Tanzanian opposition figure Tundu Lissu, facing a potential death sentence in a treason trial, ahead of elections in October. "They take you through sexual torture, and tell you if you speak, you're going to be reported to your family and all that," said Mwangi, addressing a press conference alongside Atuhaire. "And what they did to us is, it breaks me. Then they started beating my feet... I was screaming so hard. I couldn't breathe. There were no tears coming out because of how painful it was." "They would put objects in my anus and then say, 'say you're feeling nice, say you're feeling good'. Then they would say, 'say asante (thank you in Swahili) Samia, asante Samia', so I say asante to their president," said Mwangi. "We're here to share our story, and to say that our bodies may be broken, but our spirit is strong," he added. - Demand for 'justice' - President Hassan has accused foreign activists of attempting to "intrude and interfere" in Tanzania's affairs, prompting international criticism. On the day of the abductions, she also urged security services "not to allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here". Atuhaire, who sat beside Mwangi at Monday's press conference in Nairobi, revealed she had filed a criminal complaint against the Tanzanian authorities and intended to have her voice heard. "The only thing I desire is justice," she insisted. "It is what has enabled me to hold on in this situation." She added: "I come from a very dictatorial country, where impunity reigns. But I never imagined one day I 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." Mwangi was found dumped on a roadside in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border on May 22 while Atuhaire says she was left in the early hours of the following day by Tanzanian security agents near the Ugandan border. Tanzania is to hold presidential and legislative elections in October. The east African nation of some 65 million people has been run by the same party since independence in 1961. Lissu, Hassan's main poll rival, was arrested and charged for "incitement to block the polls" in what supporters see as politicised allegations. His party has been banned from the poll. He appeared in court on Monday and reiterated his campaign mantra of "no reforms, no elections", which saw him earn a warning from a magistrate. His legal case has been postponed to June 16. jcp/jf/djb/cw/rmb
