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- Prominent East African activists are facing detention and torture following government crackdown on dissent in Uganda and Tanzania
- The United States voiced its concern over the mistreatment of several activists and called for an investigation into human rights abuses
NAIROBI: The United States expressed concern Saturday over the 鈥渕istreatment鈥� of two east African activists in Tanzania, days after they were detained and reportedly tortured.
Prominent campaigners Boniface Mwangi of Kenya and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda traveled to Tanzania this week in solidarity with detained opposition leader Tundu Lissu ahead of his court hearing on charges of treason, which carries a potential death penalty.
But they themselves were detained before being deported and then found abandoned near the Tanzanian border.
Mwangi and rights groups allege that both were tortured while held 鈥渋ncommunicado鈥� for days.
The US Bureau of African Affairs said on X it was 鈥渄eeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment鈥� of Atuhaire and Mwangi while in Tanzania.
鈥淲e call for an immediate and full investigation into the allegations of human rights abuses,鈥� it said, urging 鈥渁ll countries in the region to hold to account those responsible for violating human rights, including torture.鈥�
Atuhaire received in 2023 the EU Human Rights Defender Award for her work in Uganda and was honored last year with the International Women of Courage Award by former US First Lady Jill Biden.
Mwangi is a longtime critic of the Kenyan government, frequently denouncing instances of alleged injustice and rights abuses.
Human rights groups say Tanzania and neighboring Uganda have accelerated crackdowns on opponents and dissidents as they prepare for presidential elections in the next seven months.
But Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has slammed what she called interference in the country鈥檚 affairs and had urged security services 鈥渘ot to allow ill-mannered individuals from other countries to cross the line here.鈥�