KAMPALA, Uganda — A Ugandan activist has publicly accused Tanzanian security agents of subjecting her to sexual violence and torture while she was held in a secret detention facility. Agather Atuhaire made the harrowing allegations days after she was found abandoned near the Uganda-Tanzania border. Her account has prompted immediate and urgent calls for an independent investigation into the claims.
Atuhaire, who leads the Agora Centre for Research in Uganda, had traveled to Tanzania with Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi to attend a court session in support of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu. However, what began as a solidarity visit quickly devolved into an ordeal, with both activists alleging severe mistreatment following their detention.
Speaking to the BBC, Atuhaire described being blindfolded, stripped naked, and sexually assaulted by men in civilian clothing. “The pain was too much,” she said, displaying a scar on her wrist she attributed to being handcuffed. “I was screaming so hard they had to cover my mouth.” She further alleged that Mwangi, her Kenyan counterpart, was also tortured and faced threats of forced circumcision.
The activists were reportedly held incommunicado after being prevented from observing the court session. Mwangi recounted parts of their alleged abuse on social media, stating they “had been tortured, and we were told to strip naked and to go bathe. We couldn’t walk and were told to crawl and go wash off the blood.”
According to a statement from the Agora Centre, Atuhaire was located at the border on Thursday night, four days after her detention. Mwangi was similarly found abandoned near the Kenyan border.
As of Monday, Tanzanian officials had not publicly addressed the serious allegations. However, regional human rights bodies and the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs have strongly condemned the alleged mistreatment and demanded a full investigation. The U.S. bureau specifically called for “all countries in the region to hold to account those responsible for violating human rights, including torture.”
Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously accused Tanzanian authorities of denying consular access to Mwangi during his detention. Uganda’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Fred Mwesigye, confirmed Atuhaire’s return home and stated she was “warmly received by her family.”
The incident follows a recent public warning from Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan that foreign activists would not be permitted to “meddle” in the country’s internal affairs or incite “chaos.”
