Samia roots for East Africa’s peace as she meets with Eala speaker

Arusha. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has said Tanzania will leave no stone unturned in the quest for peace and security in East Africa.

As she met the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Joseph Ntakirutimana, here on March 3, 2023, President Hassan said socioeconomic development goes hand in hand with peace and security.

“Tanzania is working hard to bring socioeconomic development to East Africans and ensure that there’s peace and security in the region,” she said.

The recently elected Speaker of the regional Assembly had paid a courtesy call to the Head of State at the Arusha state lodge.

President Hassan further pledged her support in ensuring that the 5th Assembly fulfilled its mandate of furthering the EAC integration agenda.

The 5th Assembly was sworn in in December last year for a five-year tenure with Mr Ntakirutimana, the Burundian diplomat, as its Speaker.

The discussion was attended, among others, by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Stergomena Tax. During her stay here last week, President Hassan met the heads of the regional bodies based in Arusha.

In some meetings, she handed over title deeds to the East African Community (EAC) and its affiliate organisations.

While the EAC got an additional 125 acres, a business body affiliated with it, the East African Business Council (EABC), received three hectares.

EAC already has its permanent headquarters in Arusha’s prime zone but has additional land on the outskirts of the city.

The regional organization’s officials say the 125 acres are reserve land to be used for its expansion projects in the future.

EABC, on the other hand, will use the land to construct its permanent headquarters, according to its executive director, John Bosco Kalisa.

The Head of State also used her presence in Arusha to reach out to the opposition leaders and held talks with Chadema national chairman Freeman Mbowe.

Incidentally, her arrival in Arusha for the retreat of Cabinet ministers and senior civil servants coincided with the arrival of a Chadema politician, Godbless Lema, who fled the country in November 2020.

According to Chadema National Chairman Freeman Mbowe, the President will tomorrow officiate the opening of the national conference of the Opposition party’s women wing in Moshi.