US Imposes Sanctions on Tanzanian Police Commissioner Faustine Mafwele Over Alleged Human Rights Violations

Photos of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire and Tanzanian police commissioner Faustine Jackson Mafwele.

The United States government has imposed sanctions on Tanzanian Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Faustine Jackson Mafwele over allegations of serious human rights abuses involving foreign activists in Tanzania.

In a statement released by the US Department of State, Washington announced that the sanctions were issued under Section 7031(c), a law that allows the United States to bar foreign officials implicated in gross violations of human rights from entering the country. The action means that Mafwele is now ineligible to travel to the United States.

According to the statement, the sanctions stem from allegations that Tanzanian police officers were involved in the arrest, torture and sexual abuse of Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi. The two East African activists had reportedly travelled to Dar es Salaam to follow the high profile court case involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

The case surrounding Tundu Lissu has continued to attract international attention, especially from human rights organizations and democracy activists across the region. Lissu, a prominent opposition politician in Tanzania, has often been at the center of political tensions and debates surrounding civil liberties, freedom of speech and democratic space in the country.

The US Department of State stated that the decision to sanction Mafwele was made in accordance with the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriation Act of 2026. American authorities argued that accountability for human rights violations remains a key part of US foreign policy and international engagement.

The sanctions are likely to spark fresh debate about the state of human rights and political freedoms in Tanzania, especially as regional and international observers continue to monitor the treatment of activists, opposition figures and civil society groups. Human rights organizations have repeatedly called for transparent investigations into allegations of abuse involving security officers in the country.

The development also places Tanzania under renewed international scrutiny, with many expected to watch closely how the government responds to the allegations and whether further investigations or disciplinary actions will follow.