Author: HILDA MHAGAMA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government has called on Tanzanian foreign diplomats to make sure they perform their roles in a manner that ensures the country lives up to its name.
The message to the diplomats was advanced on Saturday by Minister for Foreign Affairs and East Africa Cooperation Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi to graduates from the Centre for Foreign Relations (CFR) during their 23rd graduation ceremony held in Dar es Salaam.
The minister said Tanzania has always carried its name high in the diplomatic stage by professionally playing various roles in preventive diplomacy, peace building and conflict resolution.
Reading the speech on behalf of the minister, Director for Security, Politics and Peace Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Steven Mbundi said Tanzania’s contribution to the peace process is evident with the participation of some prominent leaders and diplomats in Africa.
“It is your role to uphold that so that our record can remain as it is in the region as well as internationally. Today does not mark the end of your search for knowledge, keep learning issues such as international issues, peace and diplomacy, because knowledge has a beginning but no end,” he insisted.
He further added that the government will continue to lay a good foundation for economic diplomacy for the country to achieve sustainable economic growth.
The Director challenged graduates to use the acquired knowledge and skills to fight against poverty, insisting that the government will continue laying great emphasis on economic diplomacy as it implements its foreign policy.
Tanzania was one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement, and during the Cold War era, it played an important role in regional and international organisations, such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the Front-line states, the G-77, and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) (now the African Union).
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was personally active in many of these organisations, and served as chairman of the OAU (1984–85) and chairman of six front-line states concerned with eliminating apartheid in Southern Africa. Nyerere was also involved in peace negotiations in Burundi until his death on October 14, 2009
Through acclaimed international diplomats such as Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, the late President Benjamin Mkapa, the late Dr Augustine Mahiga and former President Jakaya Kikwete, Tanzania’s name is highly respected in the world.
Tanzania enjoys good relations with its neighbours in the East African and SADC regions, and has always been an active participant in efforts to promote peaceful resolution of disputes in the Great Lakes region.
Earlier, Acting Director for CFR, Ambassador Abdulrahman Kaniki said a total of 667 students had graduated with Postgraduate diploma, Bachelor degree, Diploma and Certificates compared to last year, which saw 453 students graduating.
“The number of students enrolled has been increasing year by year, with initial approval from the National Council for Technical Education (NACTE). We have also introduced evening classes to accommodate Tanzanians who do not have time to attend morning sessions,” he explained.
Ambassador Kaniki said CFR has continued to strengthen administrative systems, increase training programmes and enrolment in which for 2020/2021, they have received more than 1,130 while in 2019/2020 they had 834 students.
The current foreign affairs policy is based on economic diplomacy where President John Magufuli has been encouraging Tanzanian ambassadors and all foreign missions working in the country to attract more traders to come and invest in the country where they will benefit from vast raw materials, reliable markets and a better investment environment.
The Centre was established in 1978 following an agreement between the governments of the Republic of Mozambique and Tanzania. The Centre enjoys a diplomatic status incorporated in Immunities and Privileges Act N0. 5 (1986).
This incorporation conferred the Centre with the status of a Diplomatic Institution, a status which the Centre continues to enjoy to date.
