US Imposes Travel Ban On Tanzania's Makonda And Family

Tanzania's outspoken highly controversial regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam urban region Paul Makonda was on January 31, 2020 banned by US State Department from entering the USA. That was reported by various media on February 1, 2020.

According to the reports, the US travel ban was imposed on Mr Makonda for gross violations of human rights. Particularly, the US State Department observed Mr Makonda has been barred from entering the USA because of involvement in the following violations of human rights:

1) Crackdown on freedom of expression and association

2) Oppression of political opposition and

3) Targeting of marginalized individual, among others

The US State Department said Mr Makonda has been using his political status as a regional commissioner to unleash the above mentioned violations of human rights.

In 2018, Paul Makonda made headlines worldwide by announcing his plan to hunt down all gays in his administrative area, in what he seemed to have seen as not only a political move but some sort of vital divine crusade as well!

Also banned to enter USA, are close members of Mr Makonda's Family.

The State Department emphasized it is concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Tanzania, probably indicating more senior government officials may also be barred from entering the USA in the near future if the situation does not improve.

Even on February 1, 2020, Sweden reportedly announced it was decreasing its annual financial aid to Tanzania by 25% because of the deteriorating human rights situation in the East African country.

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