Tanzania authorities repatriate Ugandan human rights activist
Dr Wairagala Wakabi, the Executive Director, of the Uganda-based Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA). Courtesy photo
What you need to know:
- CIPESA is among the organisations nominated by THRDC to receive an award for is regional work in promoting human rights online to be handed out during the commemoration.
Tanzanian authorities have deported Ugandan human rights activist, Daily Monitor has learnt.
Dr Wairagala Wakabi, the Executive Director, of the Uganda-based Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) was deported on Thursday evening after hours of detention at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salam.
According to the statement by CIPESA, the authorities detained Mr Wakabi at the airport upon arrival claiming that they were interrogating him to determine whether he could be granted entry into Tanzania or deported back to Uganda.
Mr Wakabi had been invited to Tanzania to participate in the annual commemoration of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders’ Day hosted by the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) on April 28, 2019, under the theme “Claiming and Protecting Online Civic Space for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Tanzania.”
At the time he was still detained, Onesmo Olengurumwa, the THRDC National Coordinator said, “We are currently at the airport following the matter. They have denied us access to him. We strongly condemned this untimely and unnecessary detention of our guest from our neighbouring country Uganda. We call upon all members of the East African Community (EAC) to condemn this tendency of disturbing citizens of EAC when travelling within the sub region.”
CIPESA is among the organisations nominated by THRDC to receive an award for is regional work in promoting human rights online to be handed out during the commemoration.
