Tanzanian Former Ambassador Abducted

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu has been the primary target of Humphrey Polepole’s criticism since his resignation in July. (Wikimedia Commons)

Humphrey Polepole, the former Tanzanian ambassador to Cuba who resigned his post in July after criticizing President Samia Suluhu’s government, was abducted from his residence on October 6, reports the BBC. His disappearance is yet another disturbing incident in a pattern of forced disappearances of opposition figures as President Suluhu, the most significant target of Polepole’s criticism, is hoping to secure a second term in the October 29 general elections.

Godfrey Polepole, the ex-ambassador’s brother, reported the abduction after his brother’s landlord informed him of the incident, writes the BBC. He released a video he took of the scene, which shows Humphrey Poleopole’s front door broken down, electrical wires cut, and a pool of blood on the floor, according to Amnesty International.

Since his resignation and becoming an outspoken critic of Suluhu’s government, Polepole has reported that armed individuals have stalked him and his family. He claimed these individuals beat and abducted his sister in July before returning her the following day, according to Amnesty International. The BBC reports that the Tanzanian police also began an investigation against Polepole in September, providing no explanation but warning he could be guilty of criminal offences.

Polepole’s disappearance is only one of many cases in a pattern of disappearances of public opposition figures in Tanzania. The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders’ Coalition has recorded more than 100 incidents of disappeared activists and government critics in the country over the past two years, according to The Africa Report. The international community has also raised an alarm about the troubling rise of abductions in the country. In June, the UN Human Rights Council called upon the Tanzanian government to “immediately stop the enforced disappearance of political opponents, human rights defenders and journalists.”

The issue is now receiving renewed attention on the world stage following Polepole’s abduction. Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, released a statement on October 8 condemning the incident and demanding that Suluhu’s government “put every effort into locating [Polepole] and bringing him back to safety” and “hold his abductors accountable.”
At the time of this article, Polepole’s fate remains unclear. The Africa Reportwrites that it heard from sources within the Tanzanian government shortly after the incident that Polepole had not survived the abduction, but activists reported on October 11 that contacts in the police force all confirmed Polepole survived. Meanwhile, Polepole’s abduction continues to draw increasing scrutiny from the international community on the Suluhu government’s record of persecuting opposition.