Humphrey Polepole, former Tanzanian Ambassador to Cuba and an outspoken government critic, was reportedly abducted in Dar es Salaam on 6 October 2025 by unidentified security personnel. According to reporting by The Africa Report, sources later indicated that he is dead, though circumstances surrounding his alleged death remain unclear and officially unconfirmed. His disappearance occurred amid increasing repression of political dissent in Tanzania.
Polepole had publicly criticised President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), for shrinking civic space, human rights violations, and the prosecution and imprisonment of opposition figures including Tundu Lissu. Amnesty International reported growing fears over his fate, highlighting concerns that his case reflects a broader pattern of enforced disappearances targeting critics of the government (Amnesty International, 2025). BBC News similarly documented the abduction and the climate of intimidation facing opposition supporters and activists.
Tanzania’s seventh general election, held on 29 October 2025, resulted in President Samia Suluhu Hassan securing a second five-year term. The election period was marked by allegations of repression against opposition parties, particularly CHADEMA, and civil society actors. Human rights organizations have documented a systematic pattern of “mysterious abductions” rarely acknowledged or investigated by authorities, raising serious concerns under international human rights law, including obligations relating to the right to life, liberty, and protection from enforced disappearance.
The failure to provide transparent information regarding Polepole’s fate, ensure accountability, and protect critics undermines Tanzania’s commitments under international human rights instruments and erodes public trust in state institutions.
As the Rights Defenders Initiative (RDI), we call on the Government of Tanzania to conduct an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the abduction and reported death of Humphrey Polepole; disclose the truth regarding his fate; hold those responsible accountable; end the practice of enforced disappearances; and guarantee full protection of civic space, political opposition, and human rights defenders in accordance with international law.
References
- https://www.theafricareport.com/394794/exclusive-abducted-tanzanian-former-ambassador-humphrey-polepole-is-dead-sources/
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgryqv4020o
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/10/tanzania-fears-mount-over-disappearance-of-government-critic-humphery-pole-pole/
- https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/whereabouts-government-critic-unknown
