The mother of missing former Tanzanian diplomat Humphrey Polepole has made a heartfelt plea for his safe return, urging authorities to act swiftly and compassionately. “If he is alive, return him to me. If he is not, bring his body and let me bury my child myself. They should not throw him into the sea,” Annamary Polepole said in an emotional interview about her son’s disappearance.
Humphrey Polepole, the former Tanzanian ambassador to Cuba, was reportedly abducted from his home in Dar es Salaam in the early hours of Monday. His family claims the attack was politically motivated, following his public criticism of the government. His brother, Godfrey, said he found the house door broken and blood on the floor.
Local police confirmed they are investigating, though earlier statements by Dar es Salaam police chief Jumanne Muliro raised doubts about the incident. He questioned how the attack could have occurred when, according to him, the former diplomat “often claimed to be out of the country.”
Polepole’s mother said her son’s abduction, coming just months after his sister was also reportedly kidnapped, has brought unbearable pain to their family. “As a woman who struggled to raise children as a widow, it is very painful for such things to happen. They are hurting people as if they were hurting buffaloes or elephants,” she said, lamenting the state of Tanzania’s leadership.
Polepole resigned from his diplomatic post earlier this year after accusing the government of undermining justice, the rule of law, and constitutional values. His criticisms led to President Samia Suluhu Hassan formally revoking his diplomatic status. The ex-diplomat had also alleged that armed men had been stalking his home and harassing his family, but claimed that police failed to act despite several reports.
Tanzanian police have now called on another of Polepole’s brothers, Augustino, to clarify claims he made on social media suggesting a police officer’s involvement in the abduction.
The case unfolds against the backdrop of mounting political tension ahead of Tanzania’s October 29 general elections. President Samia, seeking a second term, has faced growing criticism for what many see as a rollback of democratic freedoms.
For Ms. Polepole, however, the issue is deeply personal. “Imagine seeing someone you raised from infancy, who had reached a point where he could support the family, and now he is suddenly taken away,” she said. “It is painful indeed. My son has always been a man of integrity full of love, kindness, and warmth toward everyone.”
As the investigation continues, Tanzanians remain divided some view Humphrey Polepole as a courageous truth-teller, while others see his plight as a stark reflection of the country’s shrinking space for dissent.
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