Tanzania detains CPJ’s top African officials; passports seized

Authorities in Tanzania are reported to have detained two top officials of international press rights group, United States – based Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ.

The pair, Angela Quintal – CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, and Muthoki Mumo – its sub-Saharan Africa representative were detained in their hotel rooms in Dar es Salaam, Quintal said.

The officials – reportedly from Tanzania Immigration authority are said to have searched the pair’s belongings and would not return their passports when asked.

Quintal and Mumo were then escorted from the hotel and have been taken to an unknown location. They were in the country on a reporting mission for CPJ, the body said in a statement.

“We are concerned for the safety of our colleagues Angela Quintal and Muthoki Mumo, who were detained while legally visiting Tanzania,” said Joel Simon, CPJ’s executive director. “We call on the authorities to immediately release them and return their passports,” he added.

Source: africanews.com