Tanzania Cannot Deny Brotherhood with the People of Europe

Adeladius Makwega – Mbagala

“Look at your fellow CCM members—they have reportedly blocked the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament from visiting Tanzania.”

On May 8, 2026, Mwanakwetu received a message from a relative saying these words, accompanied by an article with similar claims.

This alarmed him, prompting him to investigate further. After searching here and there, he discovered the following:

“The Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament (DROI), which had planned to visit Tanzania, has had its trip canceled after what is claimed to be a refusal by Tanzanian authorities to approve the visit. The delegation intended to assess the state of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law following major unrest linked to the General Election of October 29, 2025, in this Indian Ocean nation. The visit, composed of Members of the European Parliament, aimed to evaluate internal developments in Tanzania and follow up on European Parliament resolutions overseeing human rights projects funded by the Union.”

Mwanakwetu reviewed these reports as if he were taking an exam that would determine his MBA graduation results from Tumaini University Iringa back in 2008, when he was a young and diligent student. 

 

Initially, the visit had been postponed from February to May 2026 to allow time for a commission of inquiry into the events of October 29, 2025, and the days that followed. That commission later submitted its report, which was received with mixed reactions from ordinary citizens.

Mwanakwetu found that Tanzanian authorities allegedly rejected the visit without giving specific reasons.

“In fact, official international missions—such as the planned visit by the European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee and actions by United Nations experts—aim to monitor democracy, the rule of law, and incidents related to various crises.”

The impact of such decisions is generally to increase international pressure and encourage domestic policy reforms, despite recurring political tensions. This rejection reflects a difficult environment for international oversight. Previously, the European Union had taken several positions against Tanzania, including:

“Members of the European Parliament voted to suspend millions of euros in aid until issues of democracy and human rights are addressed, insisting that remaining assistance be directed toward civil society organizations, journalists, and human rights defenders rather than government institutions.”

At the same time, the European Union continued to call for the establishment of an independent African commission to investigate allegations of killings, disappearances, and the detention of opposition politicians, including Tundu Lissu, Chairman of the Party for Democracy and Progress (CHADEMA).

 

This step by Tanzania to resist international oversight resembles actions taken by several other countries that have blocked or rejected human rights missions or investigations, for example:

“Ethiopia (139 million people) blocked international investigators from accessing the Tigray region during the conflict; Venezuela (29 million people) rejected UN experts and suspended the operations of the UN human rights office in Caracas; Zimbabwe (17 million people) has repeatedly blocked election observers and international journalists; Iran (93 million people) has consistently refused UN special rapporteurs; Belarus (9 million people) blocked international missions investigating political repression. Meanwhile, nearly 300 million citizens in these countries suffer the consequences.”

Mwanakwetu’s exploration ended there, and after understanding all this deeply, he decided to write this article.

 

What does Mwanakwetu say today?

He strongly disagrees with the decision to block the European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee from entering Tanzania for its official visit. He argues that this committee represents the people of Europe, from whom Tanzanians have long benefited through various forms of aid.

“I remember when I was studying at Tambaza Secondary School in the 1990s. The upper floors of the classrooms had cracks, and during the rainy season they leaked badly, making studying difficult. The toilets were also in poor condition. The school was closed during one holiday, and when it reopened, we found the roof repaired, the toilets renovated, and water flowing properly. The leaking stopped completely. Upon inquiry, we discovered that the renovations were funded by DANIDA, an aid agency from Denmark, a partner within the European Union.”

Tanzania cannot stand proudly and reject our European brothers/sisters

According to aid and loan statistics, Tanzania has received approximately €3.3 billion from the European Union alone between 2000 and 2026.

Our leaders must understand that Germans and British people are our relatives—our elders interacted with them during colonial times, and even today traces of that relationship remain across the country, including shared heritage.

Even if there is a ban against European Parliament members, whoever made that decision must come forward publicly and explain it so that society can evaluate it—especially since some Tanzanians have familial ties with Europeans.

Whoever blocked them might also tell us whether Tanzania has found new ‘relatives’ to replace Europeans, and whether the country has now rejected its ties with Europe.

“If he/she provides answers that satisfy us, we will agree with him/her. If not, we will tell him/her that his/her decision is unlawful, invalid, and must be revoked immediately.”

Mwanakwetu, are you there? Remember:

“Tanzania Cannot Deny Brotherhood with the People of Europe.”

Have a nice day.

makwadeladius@gmail.com

0717649257