Written by
Fraidah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Tanzania. The President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan, on 22 October 2021, backed Burundi’s bid to join the Southern African Development Community (SADC), urging countries to lift sanctions on the landlocked country.
This was after President Samia held bilateral talks with Burundian counterpart Evariste Ndayishimiye in Tanzanian capital city Dodoma, where Samia said her country is satisfied with its existing relations with Burundi, adding that she will support the country’s bid to join SADC.
In 2019 SADC, a sub-regional economic block rejected Burundi’s application which was submitted in February 2017 to join the block, saying Burundi did not meet all the requirements.
President Samia vowed to strengthen security along the border with Burundi, noting that Burundi is a friendly nation and close associate, and that she will ensure that the great lakes region is safe and peaceful, Africa reported.
Tanzania- Burundi birateral ties
Burundi has been very politically alienated and unstable since its independence. There have been various ethnic clashes between the two major ethnic groups and the violence forced many Burundians to take refuge in neighbouring countries, mainly in Tanzania. The Burundian civil war that lasted from 1993 to 2005 brought many refugees flooding into Tanzania and various accusations stained the relationship between the Tanzanian and the current Burundian government. And it was ended by mediation between the rivaling parties and the then Tanzanian foreign minister Jakaya Kikwete.
Tanzania is Burundi’s second largest import partner after China and has a very imbalanced trade balance with Tanzania. In 2013 Burundi exported goods worth $1.69 million to Tanzania, and Tanzania exported $45.2 million worth.
Fruits of the visits
This was President Ndayishimiye’s first State visit to Tanzania during President Hassan’s administration, and the second within this year. President Samia revealed that they agreed on various aspects of the relationship and cooperation between the two governments, including looking at areas that still have serious security concerns and agreeing on how to work together in dealing with the situation.
Burundi’s President also laid the foundation stone of a $180 million fertilizer factory with the capacity to produce 500,000 tons of fertilizer which will give jobs to about 3000 Tanzanians.
Ndayishimiye’s visit reciprocated Samia’s Hassan’s visit to Burundi in July, which ushered in a new chapter of cooperation between the two neighborly nations.
SADC’s criteria
SADC is an economic block comprising 16 member states, including the recently admitted Comoros, with only East African Community member state Tanzania in the Southern African block.
In 2003, after the SADC Summit in Dar es Salaam, member states approved new criteria for admission of new member state that included the observance of the principles of democracy, human rights, good governance and the rule of law in accordance with the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights.
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