PRESIDENT John Magufuli yesterday received his Chad and Zambian counterparts who arrived in the country for working and state visits, respectively.
Chad’s Idriss Déby who also chairs the
African Union (AU) arrived for a two-day working visit while Zambia’s
Edgar Lungu is in Dar es Salaam for the three-day state visit.
President Déby was received at Julius
Nyerere International Airport (JNIA)’s Terminal One by his host
President Magufuli who chairs the East African Community (EAC) as well.
Present at the airport to receive the
visiting leader were Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Prime Minister
Kassim Majaliwa, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African
Cooperation Augustine Mahiga and other senior government officials.
During the visit, President Déby is
scheduled to hold official talks with President Magufuli on issues
pertained to the East African region and Africa as a whole. President
Déby’s AU Chairmanship that spans 2016/2017 comes amid the continent’s
serious challenges, including terrorism and underdevelopment.
The visiting leader was accompanied by
his wife, Mama Hinda Déby Itno and Chadian Minister for Foreign Affairs
and African Intergration, Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat, as well as other high
ranking officials.
The plane carrying President Déby
touched down at the JNIA at exactly 14:59 and after the reception by
President Magufuli, the guest was introduced to leaders at the airport
before proceeding to watch a traditional dance.
There was no usual fanfare reserved for
visiting Heads of State such as the 21-gun salute and inspecting a guard
of honour since his was just a working visit.
“Such fanfare is accorded to visiting
Heads of State on state-visit but President Déby’s is on working visit,”
a protocol officer explained to this paper. After a shortconversation
with President Magufuli, the visiting leader left the airport at 15:19.
Also present at the airport to receive
the leader were Chief Secretary, Eng John Kijazi, Chief of Defence Force
(CDF), General Davis Mwamunyange, the Commissioner General of Prisons
Department John Kijazi and Director General of the Tanzania Intelligence
and Security Services (TISS) Dr Modestus Kipilimba. There were as well a
number of diplomats accredited to Tanzania from other countries in the
African continent.
Zambia’s Lungu arrived in the evening to
a warm welcome by President Magufuli, Vice President Samia Suluhu
Hassan and other senior government officials. This is the first visit to
the country since Mr Lungu was elected into office in September last
year 9J-One, a plane carrying the Zambian Head of State touched at the
JNIA at 5:15 PM.
The visitor later received a 21-gun
salute before inspecting a guard of honour. He was also greeted by
members of the diplomatic coup and troupes of dancers who stole the show
at the country’s main airport.
Mr Lungu is this morning scheduled to
visit the Tanzania- Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) and the Tanzania
Zambia Oil Pipeline (Tazama), according to Dr Mahiga. President Lungu is
accompanied by 20 delegates.
His visit at TAZARA is critical as the
firm struggles to regain its lost glory. The railway line’s cargo
capacity dropped to 87,000 tons in 2014/15 owing to dilapidated
infrastructure and poor management.
According to Ambassador Mahiga, TAZARA
has since been playing critical role to economic growth of other
countries, including Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Later, he will be received by Dr
Magufuli at State House where the two leaders would sign several
agreements towards strengthened bilateral diplomatic ties as well as
trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.
The visit by the Zambian leader comes a
few days after a meeting of the recent session of a Joint Permanent
Commission (JPC), according to Dr Mahiga.
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