NAIROBI, Kenya – Nearly 50 African civil society organizations have petitioned top regional bodies—including the African Union (AU), the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC)—demanding urgent action over what they describe as a “worsening human rights crisis” in Tanzania.
The groups, under the banner of the Pan-African Progressive Leaders Solidarity Network (PAPLSN), are calling for an immediate investigation into the detention, torture, and disappearance of East African activists who traveled to Tanzania to observe a politically sensitive treason trial.
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire were reportedly abducted by Tanzanian security agents on Monday, May 19, after attending the ongoing trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu in Dar es Salaam.
Mwangi was later found dumped near the Kenyan coast at Horohoro, severely injured and in need of medical attention. Atuhaire remains missing.
“This is no longer just a Tanzanian issue—it’s a regional crisis. East Africa is at risk of becoming an international crime scene,” the petition reads.
In a letter addressed to the AU Commission, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the EAC Secretariat, the signatories decried what they describe as a “coordinated crackdown” on civil society and judicial observers.
They claim the incident reflects a broader pattern of forced disappearances, torture, and unlawful deportations across the region.
The arrests of Mwangi and Atuhaire followed the earlier deportation of six international observers—including a former Chief Justice and a former Minister of Justice—who were denied entry at Julius Nyerere International Airport.
The Tanzanian government has not issued an official statement.
However, according to the petition, unnamed officials claimed the activists were deported—an assertion yet to be independently verified.
Habeas corpus applications have been filed in Tanzanian courts, but their legal status remains unclear.
Among the petition’s 48 signatories are the Law Society of Kenya, Amnesty International Kenya, Transparency International, and the Kenya Human Rights Commission, alongside pan-African legal and advocacy organizations such as PALU and AfricTivistes.
They are demanding that regional bodies:
- Press the Tanzanian government for immediate clarity on Atuhaire’s whereabouts,
- Launch an independent human rights investigation,
- Issue a coordinated diplomatic protest,
- And condition future bilateral assistance on human rights compliance.
The petition was signed by former Kenyan justice minister Martha Karua, acting as PAPLSN’s convenor, and endorsed by opposition leaders, human rights lawyers, and civil society leaders from across East, Central, and Southern Africa.
The signatories have given regional and international bodies a 72-hour deadline to respond.
“This is not just about two individuals,” said one co-signatory who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. “It’s about the future of civic space and the rule of law in East Africa.”
