How One Visa Ban Is Reshaping Regional Activism in East Africa

The United States just banned a senior Tanzanian police commander from ever setting foot on American soil. His name is Faustine Mafwele. And the reason? Torture.

Last May, Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan lawyer Agather Atuhaire traveled to Dar es Salaam to observe a political trial. Instead, they were abducted, stripped, beaten, hung upside down, and sexually assaulted. Mwangi named Mafwele as the orchestrator. Atuhaire still wears doctor-prescribed shoes because of the damage to her feet .

The US finally acted under Section 7031(c) — a law that lets Washington blacklist foreign officials involved in gross human rights violations. It’s not jail time. But it’s a statement. And for East African activists who’ve watched impunity reign for decades, it’s a crack of light. Read my full analysis Here.