The United States Ambassador to Tanzania,on Thursday, Michael Battle, reaffirmed that the US remains committed to promoting democratic rights and principles as a fundamental part of its partnership with Tanzania.
This statement follows criticism from President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who earlier this week accused the US Embassy of spearheading a condemnation of recent abductions and killings in the country, coinciding with the approach of local elections in November.
President Samia cautioned foreign nations against meddling in Tanzania’s internal matters, arguing that such actions violate the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
She emphasised the need for respect as Tanzania addresses the security concerns surrounding the rising incidents of abductions.
Although she did not name any mission in particular, the president singled out two recently reported assassination attempts on US presidential candidate Donald Trump as “proof” that incidents of pre-election violence were also prevalent in the West.
But, addressing a democracy conference in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, Mr. Battle acknowledged that the US was not “immune to challenges and imperfections” in maintaining democratic standards as it prepares for its own presidential election this year, but remained adamant that Washington’s support for Tanzania, which he said has so far resulted in about $7.5 billion in aid commitments over the years, would remain hinged on respect for democracy and human rights.
“As long as we remain Tanzania’s partner, we will always speak openly and honestly on these principles. We will not back away or hold back. It is an obligation fundamental and paramount to human dignity and human respect,” he said.
The US embassy in Dar es Salaam was the first to publicly condemn the shocking abduction and violent murder of Ali Mohamed Kibao, an official from the opposition Chadema party, which occurred two weeks prior.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan issued a strong warning to foreign diplomats on Tuesday, cautioning them against “interfering” in the country’s internal matters.
This comes amid accusations that Tanzania’s state security agencies are behind a series of abductions and killings of opposition figures, as the nation gears up for local government elections in November.
In her first major statement on the wave of violence, President Samia emphasised that her government is fully capable of addressing the issue without external intervention.
She criticised the statements of condemnation made by several Western diplomatic missions in Tanzania, stating they were unwelcome and violated the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Article 41 of the convention outlines that diplomats must refrain from interfering in the domestic affairs of the host country.
The president made it clear that Tanzania would not accept directives from foreign nations on how to handle the investigation of politically motivated violence.
This statement followed the escalating violence, most notably the September 6 abduction and murder of Ali Mohamed Kibao, a senior member of the Chadema opposition party.
Kibao was forcibly taken in broad daylight by suspected security agents from a bus near the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.
His lifeless body was found in a nearby bush hours later, with his face partly disfigured by a chemical believed to be acid.
The incident came on the back of a growing number of disappearances, detentions, and beatings involving political and human rights activists in what the United States mission in Dares Salaam described in a September 9 statement as “efforts to disenfranchise citizens ahead of (the) elections.”
The European Union, British and Canadian High Commissions, and Norway and Switzerland embassies also issued a joint statement condemning the trend on September 10.
While the US embassy in Dar called for an “independent, transparent, and prompt investigation” into the incidents, the other five missions called for a “thorough inquiry.”
In a televised speech at an event in Moshi on Tuesday marking the 60th anniversary of the Tanzania Police Force’s formation, President Samia said “outsiders” should not claim to be more pained by the events than Tanzanians themselves.
“It is our own responsibility to find out why they (abductions and killings) are happening at this moment in time. We know what we need to do as a sovereign nation, and do not appreciate other countries telling us to do one, two, or three,” she said.
“I believe these statements were not sanctioned by the heads of state of those countries, but I have my own ways of checking with my fellow presidents, and once I confirm that they were not, I will lodge formal complaints with them.”
Before the diplomatic corps raised concerns, President Samia had already ordered a swift investigation into Ali Mohamed Kibao’s murder, with instructions for the findings to be made public as soon as possible.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa also addressed the matter on Monday, suggesting that while it’s “easy to blame the police,” there could be other hidden forces causing disruptions during election periods.
Chadema party leader Freeman Mbowe has expressed distrust in Tanzanian law enforcement and called for Britain’s Scotland Yard to be involved in the investigation. He emphasised that the party is sceptical about local authorities conducting a “proper and transparent” inquiry.
Chadema has further warned that it will organise nationwide protests if there is no significant progress in the investigation by next week.
Kibao’s killing, along with other violent incidents, has triggered public outrage and intensified concerns about safety as the country prepares for the municipal elections on November 28.
These elections are seen as a prelude to next year’s general election, where President Samia will seek re-election, and the ruling CCM party aims to retain legislative control until 2030.
Rescuers are facing difficult conditions like broken phones and roads that are blocked or damaged, the president’s spokesperson, Zuhura Yunus, said in a statement on Monday.
Ms Yunus said that President Samia was in Dubai for a conference on climate change, but she decided to come back to the country quickly because of a disaster that happened.
The COP28 started on November 30th and will continue until December 12th.
The president told her government to pay for the funerals of the people who died in the flooding and landslides. Ms Yunus said this. She told the government to pay for hospital bills for the injured and to provide temporary housing for people whose homes were destroyed.
Dr Godwin Mollel, who helps the Minister of Health in Tanzania, said: “We have a group of doctors and medical officers sent out to help. ” The care is really good and a lot of patients are getting better.
Fanuel John, a man with four children from a village called Gendabi, has been looking for his wife and kids who are missing.
He heard water flowing when he went outside and said it sounded like a ravine. He looked and saw water coming towards him.
“I told my wife and kids to go outside fast, and we climbed a big tree,” he said to the media. “As we climbed the tree, I saw that a flood was coming. ”
“I was surprised to see all the trees falling down. ” Several types of trees were fallend down. “I asked my family to pray,” he said.
After that, the family was surrounded by water that was about six feet (1. 8m) deep
“We got split up, and I never saw them again,” he said.
Another person who survived, Samuel Mtinda, heard a noise that sounded like a car passing by and looked out the window.
He said, “I saw that our house and our neighbors’ houses are covered in water and rocks. ” “I told my wife and kids to go to the school playground and run. ” We kept running until we found a safe place.
Flooding is the biggest natural danger in Tanzania and affects a lot of people every year.
Last month, there was a lot of rain that caused deaths and damage to buildings in Dar es Salaam and other places.
Floods destroyed some crops in some places, causing problems for the people who rely on them for a living.
Tanzania’s weather agency said it will keep raining this month.
Tanzania’s leader, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has lifted a six-year ban on political rallies that was imposed by the former president, John Magufuli.
Her decision is part of her “4 R’s” initiative: reconciliation, resilience, reform, and reconstruction.
She acknowledged parties had the right to hold rallies but she urged them to be “civil” and not to “trade insults”
Mr Magufuli had banned rallies in between electionsin what was seen as an attempt to weaken the opposition.
He dismissed rallies as a waste of time and money and said they detracted from the key challenge of building the economy.
Mrs Samia announced the reversal of his policy at a meeting with opposition politicians.
“Our duty as a government will be offering protection for the rallies,” she said.
The chairman of the main opposition Chadema party, Freeman Mbowe, said he welcomed the announcement.
“The move is first of all a return to a right guaranteed in the constitution and our laws,” he added.
Mr Mbowe spent seven months in prison, before the prosecution dropped charges of terrorism against him in March 2022.
His arrest had raised doubts about Mrs Samia’s commitment to reforms after she became president following Mr Magufuli’s death in 2021.
Another opposition politician, Zito Kabwe, told the AFP news agency that the president’s decision to lift the ban was a “big move.”
“This is the right that was snatched by the state through an illegal presidential decree,” he added.
Mrs Samia also promised to look into opposition demands for changes to the constitution.
Opposition parties say the constitution gives too much power to thepresident. They also want changes to safeguard the independence of the electoral commission and the courts.
Mrs Samiah is the leader of the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), which has been in power for more than half a century.
It has often been accused of rigging elections and harassing and intimidating the opposition. It denies the allegations.
The reshuffle comes in five months after she made minor changes in a cabinet in April this year.
In the new changes announced in a statement by the Directorate of Presidential Communication Stergomena Tax has been appointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs and East Africa Cooperation, replacing Liberata Mulamula.
Prior to the new appointment, Tax served as the Defence Minister, being the first woman on the docket.
Innocent Bashungwa who was the Minister of State in the President’s Office of Regional Administration and Local Government has been moved to the Defence ministry taking over from Stergomena Tax.
In another development, Samia has appointed Ms Angela Kairuki a member of parliament and will succeed Bashungwa in the President’s Office of Regional Administration and Local Government.
The appointees will take theoaths of their respective offices on Monday, October 3, 2022, at State House Dar es Salaam.
The unpopular banking and mobile money transaction fees will no longer be imposed on citizens in Tanzania.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan directed the abolishment of the transaction fees according to Finance Minister Mwigulu Nchemba.
“I would like to present this report whereby we have made the following adjustments that would reduce the burden of transaction fees in the society,” the minister told MPs.
The move affects charges for transactions from bank accounts to mobile money accounts, transactions within the same bank, and transactions from one bank to another.
The changes will come into effect on 1 October.
The minister said the changes will greatly affect the government’s revenue, but ordered state agencies to cut expenditures on snacks, seminars and workshops.
Last year, the banking and mobile money transaction fees was imposed amid public outcry.
