.
UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Author:
Maja Špolad - 21030674
Mentor:
Associate Professor Zlatko Šabič, PhD
THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA
(Foreign policy profile)
Source: CIA The world factbook
Subject: International organizations
Ljubljana, November 2007
Contents
1. Understanding Tanzanian foreign policy
2. Historical background
3. Objectives of Tanzanian foreign policy
3. 1. General guidelines and origins of Tanzania's foreign policy
3. 2. Constitutional provisions for the conduct of foreign policy
3. 3. Pan-Africanism
3. 4. Economic diplomacy and solving poverty problem
3.5. Development assistance
3.6. Respect for environment
3.7. Respect for human rights
3. 8. International relations
4. Foreign policy of Tanzania regarding bilateral and regional relationships
4.1. East African Community (EAC)
4.2. Southern African Development Community (SADC)
4.3. The African Union (AU)
5. Tanzania’s involvement in multilateral organisations
5.1. Tanzania and the United nations (UN)
5. 2. Nuclear Disarmament and Security
5. 3. The Commonwealth of Nations
6. Sources
1. Understanding Tanzanian foreign policy
Tanzania enjoys good relations with its neighbours in the region and in recent years has been an active participant in efforts to promote the peaceful resolution of disputes. Tanzania's influence has been greatest in the regional arena, and the country adopted an active role in the Organization for African Unity (OAU) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). From the time of Tanzania's own independence, the government has openly supported liberation movements throughout southern Africa. Tanzania maintains close ties with Uganda, Mozambique and Zambia. The East African Community's collapse in 1977 resulted in a complete breakdown in relations between Tanzania and Kenya. However, under the leadership of Mkapa and his colleagues, president Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and president Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya, a close relationship between the three countries was reestablished with the signing of an East African Cooperation treaty in Arusha, Tanzania, on 31 November 1999.[1]
Another major foreign policy concern for the Mkapa government is the hundreds of thousands of refugees from Rwanda, Burundi, and Congo who fled to Tanzania to escape the widespread violence unleashed by the Rwandan genocide in the Great Lakes region. In addition to facilitating regional peace talks, the Tanzanian government has attempted to mobilize international humanitarian support and to repatriate refugees.[2]
After the controversial 2000 election in Zanzibar, several western donors, especially those from the European Union, suspended foreign assistance to the island, pending the outcome of the government/opposition dialogue. However, the United States and Japan continued to provide aid to Zanzibar. In early 2002, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) pledged support to help develop the island's small businesses.[3]
Tanzania did not support the United States/United Kingdom war against Iraq in 2003, preferring that the United Nations provide a peaceful means of disarming Iraq. President Mkapa feared that Tanzania's failure to support the United States might lead to a loss of assistance, especially crucial in 2003 as the UN World Food Programme warned of grave food shortages facing the nation; however, the United States pledged to continue to provide humanitarian and developmental assistance to Tanzania.[4]
2. Historical background
To understand the path Tanzania’s foreign policy has taken after the country’s independence, it is necessary to understand some facts from the country’s dated as well as more recent past.
The United Republic of Tanzania was formed out of the union of two sovereign states namely Tanganyika, which is the mainland part and Zanzibar, the islands off its east coast. Tanganyika was first a German colony, then a League of Nations mandated territory under British administration and later a UN trust territory, remaining under British control. In 1954, Julius Nyerere founded the Tanganyikan African National Union (TANU), which became the focus of African nationalism. Constitutional changes increased the voice of the African population. Elections were held in 1958-59 and 1960 which resulted in overwhelming victory for TANU. Tanganyika achieved independence in 1961 and became a republic in December 1962 with Nyerere as the first president. Zanzibar became independent from Britain (who had governed in cooperation with the Sultan) in December 1963. In January 1964, a revolution overthrew the government allowing members of the majority black population their first chance to hold political power. The Constitution was annulled. The Sultan (whose family had governed Zanzibar since the eighteenth century) was expelled and many of Zanzibar's Arab population fled the country. Zanzibar, which has its own president and a separate Parliament, which is responsible for all issues except for eight “Union competences” which include foreign and defence policy, was proclaimed a People's Republic. The new country was formally named the United Republic of Tanzania in October 1964 (Natek in Natek 2006: 485-486).
3. Objectives of Tanzanian foreign policy
3.1. General guidelines and origins of Tanzania's foreign policy
The main vision of Tanzanian foreign policy and international cooperation is to become an effective promoter of Tanzania’s economic and other interests abroad. The main mission at this point should be, to conduct an effective diplomacy that will generate economic activity and facilitate Tanzania’s rapid transformation and development.[5] Accordingly, the main functions of the Ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation are: overseeing foreign policy, Tanzanian missions abroad, Commonwealth affairs, international treaties, conventions and agreements, Pan African affairs, protocol and credentials, consular services, international and regional co-operation, joint Commissions, exploration of Economic opportunities abroad, development of human resources.[6]
3.2. Pan-Africanism
Some of the key elements of Tanzania’s foreign policy also include the principles of Pan-Africanism, which, in the era of imperialism, gave birth to the concepts of ‘Africa for Africans’ and ‘one Africa, one destiny’. These concepts reject the colonial occupation and division of Africa and demand that free African countries should unite. Commitment to the unity of Africa is therefore one of the key pillars of Tanzania’s foreign policy. [7]
Tanzania was once the symbol of Pan Africanism and African nationalism in East Africa. However, since Nyerere's death in 1999, many of the nation's Pan African values have been abandoned, evidenced in part by the nation's decision to expel Rwandan and Burundian refugees from its borders. The abandonment of these values coincided with the nation's embrace of neo-liberal social and economic policies and its campaign of privatization. The adoption of the policies brought distinct changes to Tanzania, including increased corruption and crime, higher school fees, and larger gaps between the wealthy and the poor. During this era political parties were introduced, media expanded, and the number of NGO's increased.[8]
3.3. Economic diplomacy and solving poverty problem
To reach one of the key goals of its foreign policy, namely the country’s socio-economic welfare and security interests, which arise directly from the state of its national economy, Tanzania has adopted the strategy of economic diplomacy[9] which is based on promoting export-oriented trade policies, trade promotion in manufactured goods, technology transfer, promotion of foreign direct investment and knowledge based economy. For being successful as much as it can be at its development process and also at solving problems like poverty, Tanzania has adopted several other documents[10], relating to its economy diplomacy.
More recent efforts to tackle poverty and the other development problems have been pursued under relatively decentralized, but largely complementary policy initiatives; we can read out of Box 1.
Box 1; source: Poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP)[11]
Tanzania is considered one of the world's most impoverished nations, and the World Bank and the IMF have provided funds to rehabilitate its economic infrastructure. In 2006, the economy grew by 6 percent, but the per capita income still averages only US $340 a year, and more than a third of the population lives in poverty. [12] Though it remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with many of its people living below the World Bank poverty line, it has had some success in wooing donors and investors. Tanzania generally welcomes foreign investment, although investors must overcome many bureaucratic obstacles. There is no limit on foreign ownership or control, but land ownership is restricted.[13]
Tanzania's economy relies heavily on agriculture, which accounts for nearly half of GDP and employs 80% of the workforce. Tourism is growing in importance and ranks as the second highest foreign exchange earner after agriculture. Mineral production (gold, diamonds, tanzanite) has grown significantly in the last decade. Now it represents Tanzania's biggest source of economic growth, provides over 3% of GDP and accounts for half of Tanzania's exports.[14]
3.4. Development assistance
Aids, drugs and disease chronically plague this country, those are probably the main causes for remaining Tanzania one of the world's poorest countries. The government's Poverty Reduction Strategy is now in its fourth year. But HIV/AIDS remains a major cause of premature death. Aid flows are a significant part of the economy with over 40% of Tanzania's total budget funded from external sources. To improve the effectiveness of aid delivery in Tanzania the UK is a partner in the Joint Assistance Strategy, signed by Government and development partners in 2006.[15]
Despite enthusiastic privatisation during the 1990s, and annual GDP growth of between 5 and 7%, the Tanzanian economy remains weak. Mkapa's Government saw through a vigorous programme of economic reform, in line with IMF guidelines. Tough measures have included tight control of public spending, privatisation of parastatals, reform of the Investment Code, the taxation system and land ownership, steps to improve revenue collection, expenditure control and civil service retrenchment.[16]
3.5. Respect for environment
In 2000/01, the government’s environmental concerns continued to focus on six majorproblem areas: land degradation, lack of accessible, good quality water for urban and rural inhabitants, environmental pollution, loss of wildlife habitats and biodiversity, deterioration of aquatic systems and deforestation.[17]
For the most part, the interventions aimed at addressing these problems wereincorporated in the work programmes for the respective line ministries. Additionally, thegovernment continued to support community based efforts to improve the environment throughthe sharing of revenue from forestry, game reserves, and other natural resources. Moreover,the government cooperated closely with the private sector in carrying out tree plantingprogrammes, control of industrial effluents, as well as awareness campaigns.[18]
3.6. Respect for human rights
Tanzania's generally positive human rights record has been tarnished by restrictions on the civil and political rights of opposition supporters on Zanzibar and the excesses of the security forces when managing political protest in the Isles. More generally, poor standards of policing are also cause for concern elsewhere in the country.[19]
3.7. International relations
The country is relatively stable and peaceful compared to neighboring East African nations and is currently home to roughly 275,000 displaced people from the nearby Great Lakes region- Great Lakes Regional conflict[20]. In 2000, Burundi placed landmines along its border to stop refugees from leaving the conflict zone and entering Tanzania. In June 2007, the Tanzanian president Kikwete urged refugees to return to their home countries and told reporters that peace had been returned; he also disclosed plans to close Burundian refugee camps by December 2007.[21]
4. Foreign policy of Tanzania regarding bilateral and regional relationships
Tanzania is geographically the biggest of the East Africa countries (EAC). The EAC is a Community of three Partner States, namely Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.[22] Therefore it borders with rather high number ob neighbour states, by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south. To the east it borders the Indian Ocean.[23]Tanzania is friendly neighbour state, which is actively involved in international affairs both within and beyond the African continent to which it belongs.
Tanzania is committed also in other bilateral and multilateral arrangements, like those within World Trade Organization (WTO), and African, Caribbean Pacific (ACP), African Union (AU), and European Union (EU).[24] Successful bilateral investment agreements and cooperation with major partners (i. e. Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Switzerland)[25]were establish already at the start point of development of Tanzania.
4.1. East African Community (EAC)
The main scope of EAC was the establishment of a Customs Union and Common Market. Further stages of integration are the creation of a Monetary Union and ultimately a Political Federation. The EAC aims at strengthening the economic integration of these countries on a selective and pragmatic basis, including facilitation of trade through harmonization of tariffs, payments, transport, movement of people, and harmonization of other areas of common interest i.e. political, social and cultural fields.
4.2. Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Tanzania membership to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) was effected since its establishment in early 1980s. The SADC is a Community of 13 member States which aimed at establishing a free trade area for the liberalization of intra-SADC trade in goods and services, and adoption of relevant trade laws (anti-dumping, subsidies, countervailing duties, and safeguards measures).[26]
Tanzania’s fields of interest within SADC include poverty alleviation, fight against HIV/AIDS, strengthening cross-border mechanisms to solve problems of drug trafficking, small arms smuggling, the illicit sale of diamonds, and the process of developing regional security mechanism, by the means of coordination of policies and activities in the areas of politics, defence and security with the aim of peace and security consolidation in the region.[27]
4.3. The African Union (AU)
As has already been mentioned, Tanzania’s major priority is to build strong ties with all African countries respectively African continent. The AU is the principal continental organisation, which embodies the aspirations of the African people. It provides a platform that enables all the peoples of Africa, including those in the continent’s diaspora, to fully participate in the process of Africa’s socio-economic development and integration.[28]
5. Tanzania’s involvement in multilateral organisations
Tanzania's first president, Julius Nyerere also was one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement, and, during the Cold War era, Tanzania played an important role in regional and international organizations, such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the front-line states, the G-77, and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). One of Africa's best-known elder statesmen, Nyerere was personally active in many of these organizations, and served chairman of the OAU (1984-85) and chairman of six front-line states concerned with eliminating apartheid in Southern Africa.[29]
5.1. Tanzania and the United nations (UN)
Tanzania views UN as the most important forum for mutual cooperation and peaceful settlement of international disputes in the international community. As one of the representatives of the developing world, Tanzania believes that the reform of the existing UN structure in necessary in order to give a chance of equal representation to all nations of the UN. [30]
Primary goal of Tanzania in UN is to represent country’s position and to promote our objectives within the United Nations bodies. In addition UN are also charged with the implementation of Tanzania’s Foreign Policy. Tanzania's Foreign Policy manifests itself in active international engagement.Tanzania's foreign policy is based on the following principles[31]:
- Safeguarding the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the United Republic of Tanzania;
- Defence of freedom, justice, human rights, equality and democracy;
- Promotion of good neighborliness;
- Promotion of African Unity;
- Promotion of deeper economic cooperation with our development partners;
- Support for the practice of the policy of non-alignment and South-South Cooperation;
- Support for the UN in its search for international economic development, peace and security;
- Support for the struggles against colonialism, racism and neo-colonialism;
- Support for the oppressed people in the world;
- Promotion of the respect for the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.
The United Republic of Tanzania is currently a member in the following organizations of the United Nations:United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) 2004-2007, United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR), World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 2001-2005, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2002-2006, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 2002-2006.[32]
5. 2. Nuclear Disarmament and Security
As a peace-loving country, Tanzania subscribes to the objective of nuclear non-proliferation and arms control. As a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) it has actively participated in the international dialogue on disarmament and non-proliferation. According to its pacification policy, Tanzania supports the efforts to eliminate chemical weapons. [33]
5. 3. The Commonwealth of Nations
Tanzania is an active member of the organisation, and thus participates at all levels of Commonwealth activities. The organisation provides valuable technical assistance that has contributed to Tanzania’s capacity building through civil service training, health, agriculture, education and various economic sectors.[34]
6. Sources
Natek, Karel in Natek Marjeta (2006) Države sveta. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga.
African Union (2007) Vision & Mission of the African Union, available on: (1. 11. 2007).
AllAfrica (2007) Tanzania: Down the Road to NeoLiberalism, available on: (5. 11. 2007).