Dar es Salaam – The United States Department of State has publicly designated Faustine Jackson Mafwele, a Senior Assistant Commissioner of the Tanzania Police Force, barring him from entering the United States. The May 21, 2026, announcement cited “credible information” of his involvement in gross violations of human rights.
The designation stems from a high-profile incident in May 2025 involving two foreign nationals. According to the State Department, police officers under Mafwele’s involvement detained, tortured, and sexually assaulted Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi.
The two activists were in Dar es Salaam to observe the judicial trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Lissu is facing treason charges and he has been in custody since April 2025 pending the highly controversial case that has drawn criticism from a wide array of actors and stakeholders.
Who is Faustine Mafwele?
According to information publicly available, Faustine Jackson Mafwele, 47, is a career police officer who has held critical positions within the force. He currently serves as a Zonal Criminal Officer, a powerful role that places him at the centre of regional law enforcement operations.
Online, Mafwele has become a notorious figure among civil society and opposition supporters. Social media platforms are replete with allegations linking him to a broader network of state-enabled brutality.
He has been dubbed the “Torturer-in-Chief,” with multiple victims, including Atuhaire, Mwangi, and local activist Edgar Mwakabela, publicly naming Mafwele as the central figure in their abductions and subsequent abuse.
Despite these severe and public allegations, Mafwele has not issued any public denial or statement regarding the charges. He has remained in his senior position within the police force, a fact that has continually frustrated human rights advocates demanding accountability.
Victims’ ordeal
The ordeal of Atuhaire and Mwangi drew international condemnation when it occurred. Amnesty International reported that the pair were arrested by immigration and police officers at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam on May 19, 2025.
They were then driven to an unknown location where they were held incommunicado for four days. During this time, they were allegedly beaten, tortured, and stripped naked by individuals believed to be members of the military or security forces.
Following intense diplomatic pressure from Kenya and Uganda, the activists were forcibly deported. Mwangi was found abandoned at a border post between Kenya and Tanzania on May 22, whilst Atuhaire was left at the Uganda border on May 23. Both appeared severely beaten upon their release.
READ MORE: Activist Boniface Mwangi and Lawyer Agather Atuhaire from Uganda Arrested in Dar
“For four days, these two human rights defenders were subjected to unimaginable cruelty,” Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director, stated at the time.
However, Tanzania’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abdallah Posi, addressed the issue on June 18, 2025, telling a UN forum that the two activists had failed to declare their genuine purpose of entering Tanzania.
“Although these claims against the government are highly doubtful, we take the allegations of torture, sexual abuse, and malpractices very seriously,” Possi said after the Defend Defenders Network raised the issue.
“That is why the government is currently investigating, and if established, the concerned will be held accountable.”
What the designation means
The State Department’s action was taken under Section 7031(c) of the US National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.
This specific legal provision requires the US Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate foreign officials when there is credible information of their involvement in significant corruption or gross violations of human rights.
In practical terms, this public designation immediately prohibits Mafwele from entering the United States. It serves as a powerful diplomatic censure, formally recording the US government’s conclusion that he is a human rights violator.
Mafwele is not the first official from the country to face such a designation. In January 2020, the US State Department publicly designated Paul Christian Makonda, then former Regional Commissioner of Dar es Salaam.
Makonda, who now serves in President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s cabinet as Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, was designated for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, including the oppression of the political opposition and crackdowns on freedom of expression.
Broader implications
This latest designation arrives at a precarious moment for bilateral relations. It comes just one day after US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Ted Cruz introduced a bipartisan bill threatening sweeping sanctions and the suspension of critical aid over democratic backsliding.
The timing suggests a coordinated escalation of US pressure following the State Department’s announcement in December 2025 of a comprehensive review of bilateral relations. The designation of a serving senior police officer directly challenges the government’s narrative regarding the post-election violence.
President Samia recently formed a special criminal investigation commission to probe the October 2025 events. However, civil society groups have criticised domestic inquiries for failing to name specific perpetrators despite having evidence.
The US designation of Mafwele effectively bypasses these domestic processes, publicly naming a perpetrator that local commissions have thus far ignored.
This action is likely to embolden civil society demands for genuine accountability and may signal that further US designations of security officials are forthcoming if domestic prosecutions fail to materialise.
