A top US senator has raised new concerns over rising cases of human rights abuse in East Africa, weeks after warning against Kenya's dalliance with China.
Senator Jim Risch, who doubles up as the chairman of the U.S.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, castigated the governments in the region, saying that the new reports of abductions and torture expose serious government failure.
According to the Idaho senator, failure to address the abuses not only risks destabilising the region but also threatens America's interests. "Rising abductions and torture in East Africa signal more than abuse - they expose state decay and impunity," Risch wrote on X, adding, "That's a direct threat to regional stability, security, and US interests." Senator Risch was reacting to the arrest and deportation of Kenyan and Ugandan rights defenders from Tanzania during the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu on May 19.
