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Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tanzania's Foreign Policy Launch Strengthens Afro-Latin Solidarity and South-South Cooperation
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, May 26, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tanzania's new Foreign Policy framework, which was recently launched in Dar es Salaam calls for deeper Afro-Latin American solidarity and cultural diplomacy. It highlights the historical ties and shared development priorities between Tanzania, Brazil, and Cuba. The policy was launched on 19 May during an event officiated by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan. The launch was also attended by Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, members of the Diplomatic Corps, senior government leaders and representatives from the private sector. Since independence, Tanzania's diplomacy has upheld anti-colonial values and cultural pride. The new policy revisits these roots while advancing people-centered development, multilingual engagement, and innovation partnerships with Latin America. With strong foundations in education, health, and liberation history, Tanzania invites renewed collaboration with Latin American partners The policy also supports Kiswahili promotion, South-South innovation, climate justice, and people-centered development — offering new pathways for engagement under platforms like the G77, UNCTAD, and the African Union-CELAC dialogue. Speaking during the launching ceremony, President Samia told the delegates that the drafting of the policy included views of Tanzanians from all walks of life. "The drafting of the policy was participatory since we wanted everyone to participate in the process; it was high time we revised the policy to cope with the global shifts in various spheres," she remarked. She mentioned some of the global shifts as the ongoing scramble for strategic minerals as the world seeks to move towards renewable energy from fossil fuel as well as disruptions of trade value chains caused by conflicts in some countries. According to President Samia, the renewed policy sets a clear course on how Tanzania engages with the world-grounded in national interest, principle and responsive to evolving global context. "This policy speaks on who we are as a nation, firm in our values, proactive in our diplomacy and committed to constructive partnerships that advance peace, security and shared prosperity," she affirmed. The guidelines plan special training for officials and envoys to achieve goals of economic diplomacy, where a key feature is granting special status to the Tanzania non-citizen Diaspora, formalizing their role in national development. The President urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation to make use of retired diplomats to conduct special trainings for officials in the ministry and other government offices on implementation of the policy. For his part, President Mwinyi said the updated policy will unlock potentials in many areas socially, economically and politically. "Tanzania continues to position itself in greater heights globally and the revised policy aligns with the needs of the evolving world," he stated. On the other hand, Dr Mwinyi urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to woo more countries to open consulates in Zanzibar with the aim of opening up the isles to the world. He went on and called on Tanzanians to protect the interests of their country through implementation of the new policy. "We should use the policy to protect the interest of our country, the new guidelines will benefit both parts of the union Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar," he noted. Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said the revised policy seeks to foster deeper economic cooperation with development partners; support non-alignment and South-South cooperation. The Minister explained that the revised Foreign Policy focuses on 10 thematic areas, namely economic diplomacy; the promotion of peace, security, and political stability; the ratification and domestication of international treaties and protocols. The new policy also seeks to embrace effective participation in bilateral, regional and international bodies; the use of Kiswahili as an instrument of diplomacy and mobilizing international resources for national development, he stated. Other areas of focus are diaspora participation, maximizing opportunities arising from the blue economy and dispensing human rights and good governance in accordance with the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977 and its social and cultural values. As part of efforts to promote Kiswahili, the governments of Tanzania and Cuba hosted the First International Kiswahili Conference in Havana, from November 7 to 10, last year. President Samia's advocacy for Kiswahili has marked a historic milestone in Tanzania's cultural diplomacy. Through strategic engagements at the United Nations and UNESCO, she successfully campaigned for the recognition of July 7th as World Swahili Language Day. This achievement, secured through a UNESCO Resolution in November 2021, was followed by further efforts that led to the UN General Assembly's 2024 decision to officially recognize Kiswahili Day starting in 2025. President Samia's vision extends beyond symbolic recognition; she has established Kiswahili language centers in international universities and promoted its study worldwide, cementing Tanzania's role as a cultural leader in global forums. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Tanzania Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation. Download Image (1): Image Caption (1): H.E. Amb. Mindi Kasiga, Director of Communication at the Government Communications Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African cooperation speaking at the Tanzania Foreign Policy 2024 Launch event in Dar es Salaam recently Download Image (2): Image Caption (2): H.E. Amb. Samwel William Shelukindo, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation addresses attendees at the launch of the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) event in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (3): Image Caption (3): H.E. Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council speaks during celebrations to mark the official launch of the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (4): Image Caption (4): Young Tanzanian singers entertain the audience during celebrations to launch the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) recently in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (5): Image Caption (5): H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete former President of the United Republic of Tanzania (centre) with H.E. Amb. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation at an event to mark the launch of Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (6): Image Caption (6): H.E. Amb. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo speaking at the launch of the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (7): Image Caption (7): H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania addressing attendees at an event to officially launch the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania recently View source version on Contacts marie@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Tanzania's Foreign Policy Launch Strengthens Afro-Latin Solidarity and South-South Cooperation
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tanzania's new Foreign Policy framework, which was recently launched in Dar es Salaam calls for deeper Afro-Latin American solidarity and cultural diplomacy. It highlights the historical ties and shared development priorities between Tanzania, Brazil, and Cuba. The policy was launched on 19 May during an event officiated by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan. The launch was also attended by Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, members of the Diplomatic Corps, senior government leaders and representatives from the private sector. Since independence, Tanzania's diplomacy has upheld anti-colonial values and cultural pride. The new policy revisits these roots while advancing people-centered development, multilingual engagement, and innovation partnerships with Latin America. With strong foundations in education, health, and liberation history, Tanzania invites renewed collaboration with Latin American partners The policy also supports Kiswahili promotion, South-South innovation, climate justice, and people-centered development — offering new pathways for engagement under platforms like the G77, UNCTAD, and the African Union-CELAC dialogue. Speaking during the launching ceremony, President Samia told the delegates that the drafting of the policy included views of Tanzanians from all walks of life. 'The drafting of the policy was participatory since we wanted everyone to participate in the process; it was high time we revised the policy to cope with the global shifts in various spheres,' she remarked. She mentioned some of the global shifts as the ongoing scramble for strategic minerals as the world seeks to move towards renewable energy from fossil fuel as well as disruptions of trade value chains caused by conflicts in some countries. According to President Samia, the renewed policy sets a clear course on how Tanzania engages with the world-grounded in national interest, principle and responsive to evolving global context. 'This policy speaks on who we are as a nation, firm in our values, proactive in our diplomacy and committed to constructive partnerships that advance peace, security and shared prosperity,' she affirmed. The guidelines plan special training for officials and envoys to achieve goals of economic diplomacy, where a key feature is granting special status to the Tanzania non-citizen Diaspora, formalizing their role in national development. The President urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation to make use of retired diplomats to conduct special trainings for officials in the ministry and other government offices on implementation of the policy. For his part, President Mwinyi said the updated policy will unlock potentials in many areas socially, economically and politically. 'Tanzania continues to position itself in greater heights globally and the revised policy aligns with the needs of the evolving world,' he stated. On the other hand, Dr Mwinyi urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to woo more countries to open consulates in Zanzibar with the aim of opening up the isles to the world. He went on and called on Tanzanians to protect the interests of their country through implementation of the new policy. 'We should use the policy to protect the interest of our country, the new guidelines will benefit both parts of the union Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar,' he noted. Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said the revised policy seeks to foster deeper economic cooperation with development partners; support non-alignment and South-South cooperation. The Minister explained that the revised Foreign Policy focuses on 10 thematic areas, namely economic diplomacy; the promotion of peace, security, and political stability; the ratification and domestication of international treaties and protocols. The new policy also seeks to embrace effective participation in bilateral, regional and international bodies; the use of Kiswahili as an instrument of diplomacy and mobilizing international resources for national development, he stated. Other areas of focus are diaspora participation, maximizing opportunities arising from the blue economy and dispensing human rights and good governance in accordance with the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania of 1977 and its social and cultural values. As part of efforts to promote Kiswahili, the governments of Tanzania and Cuba hosted the First International Kiswahili Conference in Havana, from November 7 to 10, last year. President Samia's advocacy for Kiswahili has marked a historic milestone in Tanzania's cultural diplomacy. Through strategic engagements at the United Nations and UNESCO, she successfully campaigned for the recognition of July 7th as World Swahili Language Day. This achievement, secured through a UNESCO Resolution in November 2021, was followed by further efforts that led to the UN General Assembly's 2024 decision to officially recognize Kiswahili Day starting in 2025. President Samia's vision extends beyond symbolic recognition; she has established Kiswahili language centers in international universities and promoted its study worldwide, cementing Tanzania's role as a cultural leader in global forums. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Tanzania Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation. Download Image (1): Image Caption (1): H.E. Amb. Mindi Kasiga, Director of Communication at the Government Communications Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African cooperation speaking at the Tanzania Foreign Policy 2024 Launch event in Dar es Salaam recently Download Image (2): Image Caption (2): H.E. Amb. Samwel William Shelukindo, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation addresses attendees at the launch of the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) event in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (3): Image Caption (3): H.E. Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council speaks during celebrations to mark the official launch of the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (4): Image Caption (4): Young Tanzanian singers entertain the audience during celebrations to launch the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) recently in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (5): Image Caption (5): H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete former President of the United Republic of Tanzania (centre) with H.E. Amb. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation at an event to mark the launch of Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (6): Image Caption (6): H.E. Amb. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo speaking at the launch of the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Download Image (7): Image Caption (7): H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania addressing attendees at an event to officially launch the Tanzania Foreign Policy (2024) held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania recently
Memri
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas At Fatah Revolutionary Council Session: We Will Not Stop The Payments To The Prisoners And The Martyrs' Families
Palestinian Authority (PA) President and Fatah head Mahmoud Abbas remains committed to his position that the "pay-to-slay" payments – namely payments to prisoners convicted of terror against Israelis and to the families of Palestinians slain in the course of terror activity – must continue. In a February 20, 2025 speech at the 12th session of Fatah's Revolutionary Council, he underscored that the PA would continue these payments, saying: "I told you once, and I stand by my word, that if we have only a single penny left, it will go to the prisoners and the martyrs. I will not allow [anyone] – and neither will you – to remove any commitment, interest, or penny that is given to them." The closing statement of the Revolutionary Council session, issued on February 22, affirmed the council's commitment to "redouble the efforts to support and assist the prisoners in the occupation jails," describing them as "heroes of [the struggle for] freedom who are first in line for protection and sponsorship." These statements from Abbas and the Revolutionary Council contradict reports that Abbas has decided to stop these payments due to the U.S. pressures and sanctions that have been imposed on the PA because of them. Abbas did recently issue an executive order making a technical change to the payment procedure, tying it to socio-economic factors instead of the severity of the crime, so as to present the payments as welfare rather than encouragement of terrorism. The executive order sparked intense criticism from both Abbas' opponents and his associates, and his statements to the Revolutionary Council were presumably meant to appease these critics. It should also be noted that the PA apparently attempted to conceal these statements, since the version of the speech that was aired on Palestinian television and posted on Abbas' Facebook account did not include them. Abbas at the Revolutionary Council session (Image: February 20, 2025) Over the years, MEMRI has closely monitored the issue of the PA's payments to prisoners, released prisoners and the families of martyrs. They were detailed at length in a testimony by Yigal Carmon, MEMRI president and co-founder, before the U.S. Congress on July 6, 2016 , as well as in many MEMRI reports on this issue (see the Appendix). The following is a translation of Abbas' remarks at the Revolutionary Council session reiterating his commitment to the payments; a review of the payments provided over the years by the PA to prisoners and to martyrs' families, and details about Abbas' recent executive order on this issue and the responses to it. Abbas: If We Have Only A Single Penny Left, It Will Go To The Prisoners And The Martyrs In his February 20, 2025 speech to the Fatah Revolutionary Council, Abbas said: "I would like to reiterate that we are proud of the sacrifices of the martyrs, the prisoners, and the wounded… I told you once, and I stand by my word, that if we have only a single penny left, it will go to the prisoners and the martyrs. I will not allow [anyone] – and neither will you – to remove any commitment, interest, or penny that is given to them. They must receive everything they did in the past, and they are more honorable than all of us." To view a MEMRI TV clip of Abbas' statements at the council, click below: It should be noted that Abbas made similar remarks on July 23, 2018 at a Ramallah ceremony in honor of prisoners, saying: "If we had only a single penny left, we would pay it to families of the martyrs and prisoners." [1] Fatah Revolutionary Council: The Prisoners Incarcerated In Israel Are "Heroes Of Freedom"; We Will Redouble The Efforts To Support And Assist Them In its closing statement, the Revolutionary Council of the Fatah movement, which is headed by Abbas, affirmed the council's commitment to supporting the prisoners and the martyrs' families, describing them as "heroes of freedom" who fought the occupation. The statement said: "The Fatah movement welcomes the prisoners who were recently released, and is preparing to integrate them in the national organizational frameworks. We shall redouble our efforts to support and assist the prisoners in the occupation's jails… Fatah reaffirms its staunch commitment to sponsoring the families of the martyrs, the prisoners and the wounded, for they are heroes of freedom and are first in line for protection and sponsorship – and this has been Fatah's way from its inception. We underscore our nation's right to resist the occupation, as stated in the international laws and rules relevant to confronting the terror or the Israeli occupation." The statement also called for the implementation of the right of return, namely the return of the Palestinian refugees and their descendants to their original homes inside Israel: "In light of the plots to banish [the Palestinians from Gaza], it is paramount to implement the right of return, which is mentioned in UN General Assembly Resolution 194 from 1949. Any return or movement of the population must be to the cities and villages from which our fathers and forefathers were expelled." The statement added that "Fatah stresses the central role of UNRWA and the vital need to continue its services and confront the occupation's attempts to stop [them] and to destroy [UNRWA's] centers. It calls on our Arab nation and on the international community to fulfill their responsibility to protect UNRWA and provide it with the funds it requires." [2] The PA's Payment Procedure: The Size Of The Prisoners' Payments Is Directly Proportional To The Length Of Their Prison Sentence, And Hence To The Severity Of Their Crimes The PA invests significant sums in underwriting the expenses of the imprisoned terrorists and their families. The monthly salary paid to prisoners depends on the length of their prison sentence – which reflects the severity of the crimes they committed – with prisoners sentenced to 30 years or more receiving over ten times as much as prisoners sentenced to under three years. In addition to the basic allowance, prisoners receive a canteen and a clothing allowance, and some prisoners – such as Israeli Arabs or prisoners who carried out attacks in Jerusalem – receive special bonuses. In addition to the monthly salaries, the prisoners and their families, as well as the families of terrorists killed or wounded in action, are entitled to a wide range of benefits, including exemption from various fees for education, professional training and healthcare. Moreover, upon their release, the prisoners are guaranteed a post as PA civil servants, with the years spent in prison calculated as part of their tenure and this ensuring that those who served the longest sentences continue to receive the highest pay. In response to international criticism of its payments for terrorists and their families, the PA has occasionally claimed that the funds and benefits they receive are merely welfare benefits of the sort provided to all Palestinian families in need. However, the figures show that the payments and benefits provided to the terrorists and their families are much more generous than those provided to needy families. Moreover, the monthly payments to terrorists and their families are paid out regardless of the recipient's socioeconomic situation. [3] Abbas Executive Order Makes Procedural Changes To The Prisoner Payments, So As To Present Them As Social Aid Rather Than Encouragement Of Terror Shortly before his statements at the Revolutionary Council in which he reiterated his commitment to continuing the payments, Abbas attempted to make a show of complying with the U.S. pressures over the recent years to stop these payments, which reward terrorists and their families. His goal was to ease the economic crisis caused by the suspension of the American aid to the PA and by Israel's deduction of the prisoner's payments from tax revenues owed to the PA. On February 10, 2025 Abbas issued an executive order to change the PA's criteria for prisoner payments, tying them to socio-economic factors rather than the severity of the crime. In order to distance the PA from these payment, the order also transferred the responsibility for making them to an "independent" body, the Palestinian National Institute for Economic Empowerment. [4] The PA news agency WAFA clarified that the executive order was issued in order to "strengthen the status of the State of Palestine," "safeguard the supreme national interests" and "lift the economic siege" imposed by Israel on the PA by deducting the prisoner payments from the tax revenues. [5] Palestinian media presented the executive order as a "gesture of good will" by Abbas to the Trump administration, but noted that it was aimed primarily at withholding payments from groups opposed to the PA leadership, including members of terror organizations like Hamas. [6] The order sparked intense criticism from Palestinians, [7] including from elements within the PA, and Abbas' statements to the Revolutionary Council stressing his ongoing commitment to the payments was apparently an attempt to allay this criticism. Fatah official Tawfiq Al-Tirawi complained that the order had been issued without an in-depth discussion and without the approval of the movement's institutions. [8] Qadura Fares, head of the Commission for Prisoner Affairs – a major body that coordinates the support for the prisoners on behalf of the PA – held a dramatic press conference on this issue, at which he stated that the executive order had "surprised" him. He added that an issue of such national importance should have been discussed at the PLO National Council, and called on Abbas to cancel the order "immediately." [9] One week later Abbas issued an order forcing Fares to retire. [10] According to PA sources, Fares was actually involved in the discussions of this issue in the last two years, but advocated finding a different way to handle the U.S. pressures that would not detract from the status of the prisoners and martyrs or brand them "socially disadvantaged." [11] His dismissal from his post sparked another wave of criticism, both from the terrorist organizations [12] and from elements in the PA. The former head of the Commission for Prisoner Affairs, Issa Qaraqe, gave an interview to Hamas' mouthpiece Al-Risalah in which he supported Fares' position and stressed that aiding the prisoners is "a national and moral duty" that must not be relinquished under any circumstances, out of respect for the many sacrifices made in the course of the history of the Palestinian struggle. [13] Appendix: MEMRI Reports On The PA Payments To Prisoners And Martyrs' Families Special Dispatch No. 9436, Palestinian Authority Introduces New System For Payment Of Allowances To Terrorists And Their Families; Recipients Will Now Withdraw Funds From Postal Bank Via ATMs In Post Offices , July 8, 2021 Special Dispatch 9380, Palestinian President 'Abbas Grants $42,000 To Family Of Terrorist Who Killed Two Israeli Civilians , June 7, 2021 Inquiry & Analysis Series 1544, Shift In Palestinian Authority's Policy Towards Israel Following Biden Electoral Win, Arab Peace Agreements With Israel , December 22, 2020 Special Dispatch 8042, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: Palestinian Authority Facing Financial Crisis, But We Refuse To Accept Money From Israel If Salary Of Martyrs' Families Is Deducted , May 1, 2019 Special Dispatch 7980 Palestinian Authority, Fatah Continue Official Support And Encouragement Of Armed Struggle Against Israel , April 2, 2019 Special Dispatch 7736, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: We Will Continue To Pay The Families Of Martyrs, Prisoners, And The Wounded; There Are Six Million Palestinian Refugees , October 30, 2018 Special Dispatch 7583, Palestinian Authority (PA) President 'Abbas: 'If We Had Only A Single Penny Left, We Would Pay It To Families Of The Martyrs And Prisoners' , July 24, 2018 Special Dispatch 7100, 'Abbas Ahead Of UNGA Speech: I Will Continue Payments To Families Of Prisoners And Martyrs , September 20, 2017 Special Dispatch 7070, Palestinian Media Stresses: President Mahmoud 'Abbas Refuses To Halt Payments To Prisoners, Families Of Martyrs , August 28, 2017 Inquiry and Analysis No. 1327, 2017 Palestinian Authority Budget Shows: Salaries, Benefits For Prisoners, Released Prisoners Several Times Higher Than Welfare For Needy , August 22, 2017 Special Dispatch No. 7001, 'Abbas, PA Officials, Reaffirm Commitment To Continue Paying Allowances To Prisoners And Martyrs' Families , July 10, 2017 Inquiry & Analysis Series 1321, Palestinian Authority, PLO Officials: Allowances To Prisoners Will Continue; 'This Issue Is Not Subject To U.S.-Israeli Extortion' , June 16, 2017 MEMRI President Yigal Carmon's Testimony To House Committee On Foreign Affairs, July 6, 2016: Palestinian Authority Support For Imprisoned, Released, And Wounded Terrorists And Families Of 'Martyrs' , July 6, 2016 [2] February 22, 2025. [4] This body was established by an executive order issued by Abbas in 2019, and its stated aim is to strengthen disadvantaged sectors in Palestinian society. Another executive order, from 2021, appointed this body's board of trustees, headed by the Palestinian Social Development Minister. Most of the other trustees are likewise PA employees. January 27, 2019, May 26, 2021. [5] February 10, 2025. [6] February 11, 2025; February 13, 2025. [7] Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), for example, issued statements accusing the PA of relinquishing a "national" cause and "succumbing" to Israeli and American pressures ( February 10, 2025). [8] February 13, 2025. [9] February 11, 2025. [10] February 18, 2025. [11] This according to a report on a Lebanese website: February 19, 2025. [12] Hamas, for example, expressed solidarity with Fares and condemned the PA for silencing him ( February 18, 2025). [13] February 18, 2025.
Memri
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Fatah Spokesman in Europe Dr. Jamal Nazzal: Hamas Has Brought a New Nakba Upon the Palestinians with Its Reckless Actions Since October 7
Fatah spokesman in Europe and Revolutionary Council member Dr. Jamal Nazzal discussed a recent Fatah communiqué denouncing Hamas in a January 11, 2025 appearance on Palestine TV. He stated that the word "Hamas" carried much more prestige prior to October 7. Nazzal noted that with its political, military, and financial leadership now focused outside Palestine, Hamas is no longer relevant. He added that Hamas has brought a "new Nakba" upon the Palestinians due to its "reckless' actions since October 7.
