Tanzania’s Samia criticizes foreign diplomats, urges adherence to Vienna Convention

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has called on foreign diplomats in Tanzania to respect the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), emphasizing that Tanzania is governed by its Constitution, not external directives.

Her comments, made on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, during the 60th anniversary celebration of the Tanzania Police Force, appeared to respond to recent statements from diplomats representing the US, EU, UK, and Canada.

These diplomats had issued statements following the abduction and murder of opposition politician Mohamed Ali Kibao, urging the Tanzanian government to take certain actions.

President Hassan expressed surprise at the international attention given to Kibao’s death, while other tragic deaths in Tanzania, such as those involving children and albinos, often go unaddressed.

“It is surprising that this death has sparked condemnation, with some even labeling our government as killers. This is not right…we must condemn all such incidents,” she stated.

President Hassan suggested that the diplomats may have acted in their personal capacities and not on behalf of their governments. She added that if necessary, she would address the issue directly with the heads of state from the countries in question.

“We are not here to be directed on what to do within our own country. We have a constitution, laws, customs, and traditions that guide us,” she said, adding that Tanzania has never instructed its ambassadors to issue public statements regarding incidents in other countries.

President Hassan affirmed her deep concern for the loss of Tanzanian lives, stressing that Tanzanians themselves feel the pain most acutely. She confirmed that an investigation into Kibao's death was underway, just as would be conducted globally.

The president’s remarks reflect ongoing tensions between Tanzania and foreign diplomats over internal matters, with her urging adherence to international protocols.

Tanzania’s diplomats don’t condemn others

President Samia Suluhu Hassan pointed to an unnamed nation where a political leader has survived two assassination attempts, noting that the government of that country handled the investigations internally without outside interference.

She said that was exactly the approach that Tanzania was following in handling its internal investigations into the recent killing of opposition politician Mohamed Ali Kibao.

“When such incidents occur, we do not send out diplomats to issue statements. We rely on diplomatic conventions; others should not act as if they are experts on what we should do,” she said.

Though President Hassan did not explicitly name the country where these incidents occurred, her comments appeared to reference the US. She reiterated that Tanzania adheres to diplomatic protocols and expects other nations to do the same, cautioning against foreign interference in domestic matters.

Trump survives assassination attempt twice

On Sunday, September 15, 2024, the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump escaped a second assassination attempt in which two people exchanged gunfire outside his Florida golf club, the New York Post said, citing law enforcement sources.

Trump's campaign had earlier said he was safe following gunshots in his vicinity but gave no details.

"Sources said that Trump was never in danger," the newspaper said. The incident took place outside the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, it added.

That was the second attempt on Trump’s life, following a July 13 incident in Pennsylvania when he survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally near Butler.

Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear by Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who fired eight rounds from an AR-15–style rifle from the roof of a nearby building.

Crooks also killed one audience member and critically injured two others. He was subsequently shot and killed by the United States Secret Service's Counter Sniper Team.

Diplomats’ statements that irked Samia

On September 9, 2024, the US Embassy issued a statement, calling for an independent, transparent, and prompt investigation into ongoing abductions and the murder of Ali Mohamed Kibao.

“Murder and disappearances, as well as last month’s detentions, beatings, and other efforts to disenfranchise citizens ahead of elections, should have no place in a democracy. These brutal acts undermine rights guaranteed by the Tanzanian Constitution. We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Mr Kibao and the country for the loss of his life and civic leadership,” the US Embassy said in its statement.

That was to be followed by the EU, UK, Norway, Switzerland and Canada.

In their joint statement, the diplomats condemned the abduction and killing of Chadema cadre Mohammed Ali Kibao.

“The Delegation of the European Union, in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Tanzania, the High Commission of Canada, the Embassy of Norway, the Embassy of Switzerland, and the British High Commission, is deeply concerned about the recent reports of violence, disappearances, and deaths of political and human rights activists.

We call for a thorough investigation into these events and extend our condolences to the families of the victims,” the statement read.

The statement continued: “We urge the Tanzanian government to uphold the promises made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s '4R' plan [reconciliation, resilience, reforms, and rebuilding], ensuring protection for the opposition and safeguarding the fundamental rights of the people, including freedom of expression.”

The envoys welcomed President Suluhu Hassan’s call for an immediate investigation to identify those responsible and ensure accountability.