15 December 2017
Moments after swearing new ministers, Mozambican
President Felipe Jacinto Nyusi made an abrupt visit
to Tanzania’s capital Dodoma for one-day state visit. President Nyusi sacked four ministers – foreign minister, energy,
industry and trade and agriculture in a surprise move a day earlier. He was met
and welcomed in Dodoma by his Tanzanian counterpart John Magufuli and a host of
other dignitaries. His visit to Tanzania comes at a time when Mozambique is facing
security challenges in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The Mozambican
government, in late November, 2017 ordered the closure of three mosques in the city of Pemba after attacks
linked to Islamic extremists. The attacks in October, 2017 saw an attack in
police stations in Mocimboa, a town close to the Tanzanian border. The area is
close to Tanzania’s natural gas rich towns of Mtwara and Lindi.
Through an official government press release, Tanzania says that
Mr. Nyusi’s visit was aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.
Acknowledging the abruptness of the visit, Mr. Nyusi, thanked his host for his
welcome and spoke on the main agenda of his visit – which included security (at
the border), economic and transport. Speaking in Kiswahili, President Nyusi subtly stressed on
the security challenge at the border. “…we have spoken about those that want to
destabilize the border, we have been welcomed well and I anticipate President
Magufuli’s visit to Mozambique.”
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| President Nyusi received by President Magufuli in Dodoma [Michuzi Blog] |
President Nyusi becomes the first head of state
to visit the ‘new’ capital Dodoma. Government relocation to the designated
capital Dodoma has been one of President Magufuli’s action plans after he was
elected president in 2015. On his part, President Magufuli spoke on the enduring relationship between the two countries stressing
that his government is committed to deepening trade and economic ties. Thabit
Jacob, a scholar on the political economy of extractive resources believes that
these ties can be enhanced through recent natural gas boom with both countries
planning to build LNG plants in collaboration with international oil companies.
“The threat from Islamic militants, and Tanzanian illegal miners in Niassa as
well as LNG politics could have motivated the visit of President Nyusi,”
observed Thabit Jacob.
What the visit means
Longstanding US diplomatic traditions has seen
many American presidents making their first official foreign travels to either
Canada or Mexico. Tanzania’s longstanding ties with Mozambique has also seen
many Tanzanian presidents making their early official visits to Mozambique.
President Magufuli is yet to make an official visit to Mozambique, two years
into his tenure. However, it can be read as a mark of enduring
Tanzania-Mozambique ties for Nyusi to be the first head of state to visit the
‘new’ designated capital, Dodoma. Dastan Kweka, an East African foreign policy
analyst however thinks that Tanzania has often treated Mozambique as a ‘junior’
partner. “When Nyusi was nominated by his party Frelimo as the presidential flagbearer
in 2014, he was hosted by President Kikwete in Tanga. Nyusi now followed
Magufuli to Dodoma, where he was officiating party and national functions,”
observed Dastan Kweka.
Growing security threats linked to organized militancy
within Tanzania (Kibiti) and in Mozambique (Cabo Delgado) means that
the two countries can jointly take security measures aimed at thwarting these
organized networks. The mode of attacks by these ‘terror’ gangs is similar in
both countries. Both in Kibiti and Pemba (Cabo Delgado) these groups are
attacking and killing police officers. In response to the attacks in northern
Mozambique, President Nyusi sacked the head of intelligence and the army as
well as replacing the governor of the northern province of Cabo Delgado. It is
thought that President Magufuli replaced the former Inspector General of Police
(IGP) Ernest Mangu after series of insecurity incidences in the country
including the attacks in Kibiti.
Having discussed the common security challenges
in the two countries, the discussion from the visit mean that both Tanzania and
Mozambique are committed to dealing with insecurity and especially the threat
from Islamic militant groups.
