Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid has called on the Tanzanian government to arrest officers involved in the recent abduction of Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire and Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi, warning of international consequences if action is not taken swiftly.
Speaking during a media interview on May 24, 2025, Khalid revealed that his organisation had submitted formal complaints to both the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, urging the two international bodies to pressure Tanzanian authorities to respond to the reported human rights violations.
“As Vocal Africa, we also wrote to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. We also submitted an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances,” he stated.
Khalid explained that while such international organisations often operate discreetly due to diplomatic protocols, there is an increasing effort to escalate the matter beyond Tanzania’s borders.
“These are units within the United Nations and the African Commission that work to push states to address human rights violations when reported to them. So we believe by now the Tanzanian government must have received the formal complaint,” he noted.
The human rights advocate added that their focus had now shifted from demanding the release of the two activists—who have since been freed—to seeking justice.
“We’ve changed now from ‘Free Boniface’ and ‘Free Agather’ because we have them, to ‘Justice for Boniface’ and ‘Justice for Agather’,” he stated.
Identified suspects
According to Khalid, both victims have positively identified individual officers believed to have participated in the abduction.
He specifically named one officer—referred to as Mafwele—stating that they now have photographs and witness accounts linking him and others to the incident.
“We went to show Boniface and Agather whether they could identify those individuals, and they said yes. One of them said, ‘This is the guy who actually called officers from Central Police Station to come for us,’” he explained.
on May 21, 2025. PHOTO/@husskhalid/X
Khalid said Vocal Africa had backed this information with evidence from trusted partners and confirmed that the next course of action would involve seeking international warrants if Tanzania fails to act.
“The next course of action is that they must be arrested immediately. And if the government of Tanzania does not do it, then we have to invoke international instruments—Interpol and others—so that if they ever try to step outside of Tanzania, then whichever country is around, they need to arrest them,” he warned.
Call for accountability
Khalid highlighted that this case underscores a broader principle of accountability for human rights violations across the region, urging the international community to take a firm stand against what he described as blatant impunity.
While issuing an ultimatum, he stated that the Tanzanian government must demonstrate accountability if it expects to uphold its reputation in the global community.
“So we want to send a very clear message, with this particular incident. That you cannot just operate with such impunity of this kind. The message has to go out very clearly that this is unacceptable,” he declared.
Victims recount ordeal
Mwangi and Agather, who were released and deported on May 22 and 23, 2025, respectively, have since shared disturbing accounts of their ordeal.
Mwangi reported enduring brutal torture at the hands of Tanzanian authorities.
“I have gone through four dark days; I have been tortured very badly. I can barely walk,” Mwangi recounted.
He described his ordeal as the worst form of torture, stating that they were threatened with public humiliation if they revealed details of their treatment.
“Everything that happened to us in Tanzania was done in Samia Suluhu’s name, and we will ensure the world gets to know. We shall speak for the Tanzanian victims who are too afraid to speak,” Mwangi asserted.
“What Suluhu did to us will be revealed to the world. We shall not be silenced by a torturous dictator who has her foot on the necks of the Tanzanian people,” he added.
In a statement on Saturday, May 24, 2025, Agather, who was dumped near the Ugandan border at Mutukula, recounted the traumatic moment of their abduction.
“Good people, I have no words to thank you for your support, concern, and love. I am not okay, but what a relief to be alive and back home! I still can’t believe Boniface Mwangi and I made it out alive,” she remarked.
“When five mean-looking men and one woman pushed us into a very dark car, where I almost sat on guns, and very violently blindfolded us and drove off, I thought it was over! Anyway, I will say more later,” Atuhaire added.
The pair had travelled to Tanzania to observe court proceedings in a treason case involving opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
Their abduction has sparked regional and international outrage and intensified calls for accountability.
