Dar turning elsewhere as EAC heat becomes hotter Dodoma. In a move that is bound to escalate tension within the eastern African bloc, Tanzania, which has lately been cold-shouldered by EAC partners Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, is seeking stronger economic and trade relations with Burundi and the Democratic republic of Congo (DRC). The minister for East African Co-operation, Mr Samuel Sitta, said here yesterday that Tanzania had not been sitting idle in the light of clear signals that the three East African Community partners had been side-lining it and Burundi. Mr Sitta said engagement with the DRC was feasible because the country had great economic potential. That’s why, he explained, the government was keen on the railway line project that would connect Uvinza in Kigoma Region to Msongati in the DRC. “Our problem now is that a road linking us to Goma in DRC traverses Rwanda. The Uvinza-Msongati link will solve it, ” he said. The minister added that, Tanzania-Burundi closeness would be cost-effective for the latter’s business community members, through reliance on the nearer Dar es Salaam port, against the farther Mombasa option by 900 kilometres. He noted that a Bujumbura businessman who opts for Mombasa port travels 900km more compared to the one who uses Dar port. For some months now, the Kenya-Uganda-Rwanda triumvirate has been driving the integration agenda to the exclusion of Tanzania and Burundi, with whom they are supposed to operate the five-member EAC grouping. The triumvirate, branded a coalition of the willing, has gone to the extent of discussing a protocol for speeding up the formation of a political federation. However, Mr Sitta appeared to be cautious when reacting to questions from Members of Parliament, stressing that time was not yet ripe for Tanzania to take bold steps as a reaction to the goings-on in the rest of the bloc. “It pains us if our partners are acting behind our back. But on this issue my advice is that we heed the advice of former President Ali Hassan Mwinyi; that, the best way of dealing with a liar is to give him space,” he said. Mr Sitta noted that as a precaution, the government was now very cautious on its engagements in EAC activities. He explained that since the ‘coalition’ had sometimes been inviting Tanzania to their events, the government had been careful on where it sent its representatives. “For instance, there is a meeting going on now in Nairobi and the higher authority in the country has directed the minister for Foreign Affairs not to attend. Tomorrow there is another meeting in Burundi whose agendas are similar to what the three countries are advocating and I have directed the deputy minister (who is in Bujumbura for another engagement) not to attend,” he said. The minister noted further that even in meetings where technocrats and executives from Tanzania are allowed to attend, they have express directives to only listen to what is debated, contribute but not to commit the country to anything. Mr Sitta stressed that it was too early for Tanzania to take concrete steps even to condemn what the three partners are doing until more information is gathered. He said so far the government has tasked the chairman of the EAC Council of Ministers (Uganda) to seek clarification as to what the three countries are doing and brief Tanzania and the rest of the members. “We are expecting to meet in two weeks’ time in Arusha to receive a report from the chairman of the Council of Ministers. From there we will have more ground to determine the next course of action,” he said. Some Members of Parliament yesterday pressured the government to either withdraw from the EAC and talk with other neighbouring countries to establish another regional grouping or halt Tanzania’s engagement in the regional activities. Ms Anne Kilango Malecela (Same East – CCM) said it would be better if Tanzania stopped making further commitments as far as the EAC integration process is concerned. “Let us deal with what we have agreed on so far. Under this condition, I would like to advise the government not to enter into any new agreements aimed at strengthening regional integration,” she said. Ms Rukia Ahmed (Special Seats – CUF) was brunt, asking the government to draft and table in Parliament a motion seeking withdrawal from the EAC. “The minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Mr Bernard Membe, was quoted as saying that what the country was waiting for was only a divorce from its EAC partners. Why should we sit and wait for a divorce, why don’t we go ahead and divorce them instead?” she asked. In his reaction, Mr Sitta noted that it is not true that Tanzania will be sacked from the regional body. And if other partners think of dropping Tanzania, they will be committing a serious blunder as Tanzania holds 52 per cent of East Africa land mass. Commenting on the issue, Mr John Komba (Mbinga West – CCM) queried why Rwanda and Burundi were allowed to join the group. He advised the government to immediately withdraw from the EAC as it did from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa). But Mr Sitta said since regional integration was the viable way of sustaining one’s economy, it would be a mistake if Tanzania contemplated withdrawal from EAC at this point. Mr Hamad Rashid Mohammed (Wawi –m CUF) also asked the government to start looking for new partners especially after Kenya had indicated that it was strengthening its economic ties with Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 22:17:14 +0000
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