Tanzania: Bloc Relations Flourish in Samia One-Year Reign

AS Tanzanians marked the country’s first female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan with a slogan of ‘kazi iendelee’ reign on 19th March, this year-after taking leadership from the late President John Magufuli, bilateral cooperation and cementing relations with neighboring countries in blocs ranked high in strengthening ties.

An Economist by profession, President Samia to elaborate her working style on 8th June, 2021 said: “A woman is like a tea bag; you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” This quote, attributed to former US first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, has held true for the Tanzanian 61 year-old leader, who inheriting an economy that was hard-hit by the vagaries of the coronavirus, hence, she had to save the economy, further improve political and civil society relations, and promote foreign relations.

So, she hit the ground running with different stakeholders and observers giving a nod. To practically see into it that the relations were heightened in all fields of the economy, social and political lines, President Samia for instance, visited Uganda in April 2021, where the two countries inked an oil pipeline deal worth $3.5 billion with oil giants Total and CNOOC.

Equally, in her talk with President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, the two leaders agreed on various key strategic projects that will deepen cooperation in trade and development, notable among which is the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) scheme, that will not only see oil flow downstream from the Albertine region and in future from Kadam in Karamoja in the country to DRC and South Sudan, but will also see gas flow from the coastal region in Tanzania upstream, to the continent’s inlands.

“I am happy to tell Tanzanians, Ugandans and the world that the activities on the pipeline are complete,” said President Museveni on arrival in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 27th November, 2021.

On health matters, the two leaders agreed to work closely on developing a vaccine as a measure to further combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus and other pandemic diseases. In response, Museveni said he was happy that his counterpart, President Suluhu was willing to partner with Uganda to exploit the pathogenic economy through joint production of pharmaceuticals.

“There are diseases but there is also money within these diseases. COVID-19 awakened us all. We must establish Pharmaceutical companies for vaccines and veterinary drugs.

We should address the issues of viruses but also reagents to use for the vaccines. There is a huge business in the world of pathogenics but we must work on both the vaccines and reagents. When we had a breakthrough, I contacted Her Excellency and we agreed to cooperate. We started with the AIDS drugs, now we are saying, if we are sick, why not treat ourselves and get that money for our economies,” he said.

On other joint projects, the two Heads of State reaffirmed their commitment to fast-track the implementation of energy and road transportation networks, specifically, the ongoing construction of the Omugakorongo-Kigarama-Murongo (km 111)/Kikagati-Mbarara-Kampala (km 392) and Masaka-Mutukula (km 89.5)/Mutukula-Kyaka and Bugene-Kasulo-Kumunazi (km 157.6).

In the same year, President Samia in May 2021, was in Kenya for a two-day state visit to aimed at improving trade relations between the two East African neighbors, being her first journey outside the country, since she took over the presidency following the death of John Magufuli in March, 2021.

Keen to emphasise the importance of trade between the East African neighbours, which stands at more than $450m (£324m) annually, she used the example of wildebeests crossing from Kenya’s Maasai Mara to the Serengeti in Tanzania, saying: “God has blessed these two countries to be neighbours. We have land and sea borders. And even our ecology is one. Even our animals are family and neighbours.

“There are these animals of wildebeests, that come to get pregnant in Kenya and deliver in Tanzania… Now, if the animals had citizenship, what nationality would they be?” she said.

She made a play on her name and that of her Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta, to urge businesses to boost trade links, saying: “You are lucky that between our two countries, on one side you have ‘Uhuru’ [Swahili for freedom] to do business and on the other side there is ‘Suluhu’ [Swahili for solution] to remove trade barriers. The task is now on you.” The two leaders later signed an agreement to eliminate barriers hindering the smooth flow of trade and people between the two nations.

According to a statement from Kenyatta’s communications office, a team of experts from both countries were to be urgently established to coordinate enforcement of cross-border Covid-19 containment protocols, one of the most pronounced non-tariff trade barriers between the countries.

“We have agreed that our health ministers need to sit down and come up with a structured system of testing our people at the border points to allow easy movement of our people so as to do their businesses,” said President Samia.

Close analysis; however, note that of the six nations that make up the East Africa Community, Kenya is the largest investor in Tanzania and the fifth largest on the continent.

In another round, President Samia in July, 2021 visited Burundi for a two-day visit, where her a tête-à-tête with the host President Evariste Ndayishimiye led to the signing of eight bilateral cooperation memoranda of understanding:- on the holding of political and diplomatic consultations; in the mining sector; energy; the teaching of Kiswahili in Burundi and French in Tanzania, field of health; transfer of detainees; in the agricultural field; and field of fishing being signed.

As stated in their joint communiqué, during their talks, she recognized the great achievements made by his counterpart, President Ndayishimiye to consolidate peace, stability and self-confidence in Burundi and commended his tireless efforts in favor of economic recovery, national reconciliation, promotion of the rule of law, democracy and good governance in the country.

In response, President Ndayishimiye expressed gratitude to Tanzania for having hosted Burundian refugees from 1972 until today, and for the unfailing solidarity that has been shown to them over the years.

This also included Dar es Salaam’s major role played in the conclusion of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreements and in the entire reconciliation process in Burundi.

In addition, she hailed the withdrawal of Burundi from the agenda of the United Nations Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, as well as the lifting of sanctions against Burundi by other partners.

They therefore called on Burundi’s partners who have not yet lifted the remaining sanctions imposed in 2015 to do so immediately, in order to revive the socio-economic development of Burundi. Turning to Rwanda, another member of the EAC bloc, President Samia in August, 2021 was in the country for a two-day visit on strengthening ties between the two neighbouring countries.

In the country’s itinerary, she visited several companies in various sectors, including the Special Economic Zone which is home to 120 companies with activities ranging from manufacturing, agro-processing and education in business for further trade ties.

That was based on the fact that some of the major Tanzanian businesses operating in Rwanda are Azam Group, Bakhresa, Matelas Dodoma, among others, while Rwandan companies like Sulfo Rwanda, and Pharmalab, have established footprint in Tanzania.

Again, Rwanda uses the port of Dar es Salaam for much of her inbound and outbound cargo, (over 80 per cent) through what is commonly known as the Central Corridor and some of Rwanda’s submarine sea cables IT infrastructure are through the port of Dar es Salaam.

From their talk, the Rwanda Defence Force Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura and Inspector General of Police CGP Dan Munyuza culminated on May, 2021 visiting Tanzania on a commitment by both countries to cooperate closely on border control and crime prevention, information and intelligence sharing on terrorism and other transnational crimes.

In Lilongwe on 17 August – 18 August, 2021, President Samia attended the 41st Ordinary Summit of Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government in Malawi aimed at further strengthening the bloc ties.

That was also followed by attending Zambia’s President, Hakainde Hichilema inauguration on 24 August, 2021 in Lusaka. While in Mozambique in the northern town of Pemba, the provincial capital of Cabo Delgado on January 28, this year, President Samia met the country’s President Filipe Nyusi and the two leaders discussed on regional, integration cooperation, strengthening trade ties as well as security.

In quick analysis, the fighting in northern Mozambique has occasionally spilled across the border with Tanzania, which has deployed troops in the country under the umbrella of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

“Tanzania has always been on our side, has always offered to help Mozambique within the scope of SAMIM,” Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said, referring to the SADC mission.

Again within her one year in office, President Samia has steadily steered Tanzania in cementing relations outside the African continent, and that culminated in her being invited to attend the 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York City on 18 September – 24, last year.

Equally, on 31 October – 4 November 2021, she attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, purely showing that her one year reign maps Tanzania in the globe as far as cooperation and ties with other countries are.

On 10th February to 15th, this year, President Samia attended-The One Planet Summit, For the Ocean 2022 in France in Brest, France in an itinerary of also visiting Brussels on 16th February to 18th to attend the 6th European Union – African Union Summit in Belgium.

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