The Ethiopian Ministry of Defense has dismissed recent social media claims alleging a helicopter crash in Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara region, describing the claims as “misleading.” In a statement issued on 17 November, 2024, the Ministry explained that the Western Air Command, based in Bahir Dar, conducted scheduled air force training exercises on November 16. According to the Ministry, these drills required a “temporary suspension of regular civilian flights.” The statement added that the suspension led to rumors on social media suggesting that a helicopter had “crashed or been damaged.” However, the Ministry firmly stated that “no helicopter has been damaged or faced any issues during the drills.” The exercises, part of regular air force training, were described as having “successfully concluded,” with the Western Air Command resuming all planned operations. “Normal civilian flight schedules have now resumed,” the Ministry confirmed. The statement was issued in response...

The Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone has arrested two individuals in connection with unauthorized fundraising activities related to the recent Kariakoo building collapse. The suspects, Diva Malinzi (36), a resident of Mikocheni, and Jenifer Bilikwija alias ‘Niffer’ (25), a resident of Salasala who was apprehended in Dodoma and transferred to Dar es Salaam, are accused of unlawfully collecting money under the pretext of disaster relief using personal bank accounts. Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Jumanne Muliro confirmed the arrests on Tuesday, stating that the suspects are under interrogation. Source link

Brasilia — President Samia expressed optimism that, with divine intervention, some victims might still be found alive beyond this period, despite the standard 72-hour timeframe President Samia Suluhu Hassan has announced an additional 24 hours to rescue people trapped in a collapsed building at Kariakoo in Dar es Salaam. In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director of Presidential Communications, Ms Sharifa Nyanga, it was stated that the President gave the directive during a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa regarding the ongoing rescue operation. President Samia expressed optimism that, with divine intervention, some victims might still be found alive beyond this period, despite the standard 72-hour timeframe for rescue operations having elapsed. “I understand that rescue operations are usually limited to 72 hours, but I firmly believe that God can perform miracles and enable us to save more of our people who are still trapped in the rubble,”...

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has directed police to locate the owner of the building that collapsed last Friday (November 15th), resulting in the tragic loss of 16 lives. While 86 individuals were rescued, several others remain unaccounted for. During a tribute ceremony for the victims at the Mnazi Mmoja grounds in Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam, Mr Majaliwa underscored the importance of identifying the owner to uncover the reasons behind this tragedy. “The owner’s presence will aid the police in understanding the circumstances that led to the building’s collapse. Critical questions will be posed, and he will be expected to provide answers,” the Prime Minister stated. Additionally, Mr Majaliwa announced that the government is in the final stages of investigating the cause of the collapse, with a detailed report expected soon. In related news, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered a comprehensive inspection of all buildings in the Kariakoo area. Speaking...

The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) Appellate Division has declined a request from the Tanzanian government to dismiss an appeal filed by four civil society organizations (CSOs) opposing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project. Instead, the court has directed the CSOs to file supplementary records by November 29, 2024, to facilitate the continuation of the appeal. The CSOs Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) and the Center for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT) from Uganda, Natural Justice from Kenya, and the Center for Strategic Litigation from Tanzania filed the appeal in December 2023. The appeal challenges a November 2023 ruling by the EACJ’s First Instance Division that dismissed their original case on grounds of late filing. The case accuses the EACOP project of violating regional and international laws, including human rights and environmental standards. Justice Nestor Kayobera, President of the Appellate Division, presided over the proceedings,...

AS rescue teams continued with efforts to rescue people trapped under the rubbles of a collapsed building in Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam, survivors recounted the harrowing details of the tragedy. The four-storey building collapsed on Saturday morning in the heart of the city, where since then, 13 people were confirmed dead out of the 84 people rescued. In an update on Sunday, according to President Samia Suluhu Hassan out of the 84, some 26 were still in hospital for treatment. One of the survivors, Mr Hassan Mwampamba, a trader in Kariakoo, recalled the moment the building began to shake. He said he was in his office on the building’s underground floor when the tremors started. “There was a huge shaking and instantly I saw my colleagues running toward the exits. But we didn’t make it—everything was collapsing and thereafter we were covered by rubbles,” he said. Finally, all 26 of...

Gaborone — President Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged all eligible voters in the Republic of Botswana to exercise their constitutional rights by turning out to vote peacefully on election day, which is scheduled to take place today. President Samia who is the Chairperson of the SADC organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation also called upon all political actors and their supporters to act responsibly and peacefully during and after the election day. “On behalf of all SADC Member States and indeed my own behalf, I solemnly wish the people of Botswana successful and peacefull elections” she said in a statement. She said the SADC has deployed its Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to the Botswana to observe the country’s pre-election phase, polling day and the post-election processes, to determine the nation’s adherence to the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Election (2021). President Samia said the principles and guidelines...

Dar es Salaam — “They will not silence us, Tanzania belongs to all of us and we will fight for our right to be heard,” said opposition politician John Mnyika, referring to the current government led by Samia Suluhu Hassan, the country’s first female head of government. Tanzania is at a dangerous crossroads on the eve of the 2025 parliamentary elections. The electoral campaign is marked by political unrest. According to local press reports, last year’s political violence raised fears that the country could fall back into authoritarianism. Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took over the presidency after the death of John Magufuli (2015 March 2021) and once presented herself as a reformer, is now facing accusations of using the same repressive methods as her predecessor. With her appointment, the country had begun to raise hopes of a rebirth. Suluhu had, among other things, promised a new era of democratic reforms...

The act of planting trees offers more than shade and fruit. It symbolizes a deeper mission–restoring soil, preserving water, and, for these students, living in Tanzania’s northern Rorya district, delivering a form of climate justice. The reforestation efforts are in step with Tanzania’s broader plans to fortify its agriculture and water systems against the advancing climate crisis. MUSOMA, Tanzania, Oct 30 2024 (IPS) – At Gabimori primary school, located at Nyamagaro ward in Tanzania’s northern Rorya district, a 15-year-old Florence Sadiki kneels among polyethylene bags, carefully examining the seedlings she and her classmates have nurtured from tiny sprouts “We’ve planted many trees to make our school look better and to help fight climate change,” she says. Sadiki is part of an inspiring grassroots movement in the east African country where students, teachers, and community members team up to fight environmental degradation through reforestation. In Rorya district, nestled on the shores...

Tanzania’s geographical location and conflict mediation experience make it well placed to bridge the region’s various peace efforts. Tanzania is a member of both the East and Southern African regional organisations currently trying to resolve the conflict in east Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Although often regarded as affiliating more with the south, Tanzania could use its history of conflict mediation – and its geographical location – to align the two blocs’ priorities on the crisis. After the DRC joined the East African Community (EAC) in 2022, the EAC-led Nairobi Process deployed the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) to east DRC. Tanzania participated in the Nairobi Process and helped finance it, but didn’t contribute troops. At the time, it had already sent soldiers and logistical support to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in Mozambique. When the DRC declined to extend EACRF’s mandate due to its inability...