President Jakaya Kikwete speaks at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday during the 50th anniversary of the Union
Dar es Salaam. President Jakaya Kikwete
yesterday implored fellow African leaders to learn from Tanzania, the
only country in Africa to have successfully maintained a Union for half a
century.
Addressing the nation during the 50th anniversary
of the Union at Uhuru Stadium, Mr Kikwete told African leaders that the
Tanzanian experience was evidence that it was possible for East African
countries and the rest of the continent to unite.
Tanzania, he added, had proved that the dreams of earlier presidents to unite the entire continent were possible.
He made the short remarks when introducing foreign
leaders who attended the fete to mark the Union between Tanganyika and
Zanzibar some 50 years ago. “We could not achieve political federation
during the reign of Jomo Kenyatta and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere but I am
very confident that this time round Uhuru Kenyatta and I and other
leaders in the region will achieve that dream,” he added.
Political federation would generally go through
several stages including a customs union, common market protocol and
monetary union. The East African Community (EAC), which was
“re-established” in 1999, has so far managed to seal a common market
treaty. Monetary union was originally planned by 2009 but has not come
to pass. Political federation was expected by 2010. Four years after the
scheduled deadline, the five countries are still struggling to put the
monetary union in place.
But President Kikwete remains optimistic, now more than ever before, that the time for a federation has come.
“If we have succeeded in keeping the union of our
two countries intact for 50 years, it is testimony that political
federation is achievable,” Mr Kikwete said amid cheers.
The celebrations, marked with pomp and style, were
attended by seven heads of states of African countries, former
presidents, vice presidents, prime ministers and diplomats.
According to Mr Kikwete, the union has steered
remarkable achievements in the economy, defence and security along with
social and political gains.
The head of state further took time to clear
doubts that Tanzania was locked in a diplomatic row with Rwanda when
introducing Rwandan Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, who
represented President Paul Kagame at the celebrations.
All other heads of states from East African countries were present.
On a light note, Mr Kikwete said Mr Habumuremyi’s
presence was evidence that Tanzania had no problems whatsoever with
Rwanda. He received a round of applause from the crowd for those
remarks.
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
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