THE GOVERNMENT HAS BRUSHED ASIDE CRITICISMS OVER THE IMPENDING VISIT BY KING MOHAMMED VI OF MOROCCO

The government has brushed aside criticisms over the impending visit by King Mohammed VI of Morocco noting that the tour was not politically motivated.

A statement issued by the Information Unit of the Foreign Affairs ministry said that economic interests, informed by the economic diplomacy drive which Tanzania currently pursues, were the main factors considered in extending the invitation to the Moroccan leader.

The ministry confirmed in the statement that the Moroccan King is scheduled to arrive in the country on Wednesday for a five-day visit. “The aim of the visit is improving relations between Tanzania and Morocco especially in the economic front for the benefit of the two countries and their people,” reads part of the statement by the ministry.

The statement added that King Mohammed VI will also use the opportunity to visit Zanzibar and Ngorogoro Conservation Area to get a taste of Tanzania’s tourist attractions.

According to the ministry, the visit will not change Tanzania’s stand over the ongoing dispute over the Western Sahara territory.

“Tanzania’s stand, which has been insisted throughout including by current leadership, does not differ with that taken by the African Union (AU) which wants the United Nations (UN) to increase the pace of resolving the dispute between the two sides,” reads in part the statement.

The criticism by ACT-Wazalendo which expressed its sadness over Tanzania’s decision to host the Moroccan leader.

Speaking during Mwalimu Julius Nyerere symposium in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, ACT-Wazalendo party Leader Zito Kabwe questioned whether the economic diplomacy policy that the country pursues at the moment lacked principles.

“Are we driven by economic benefits even in areas where our support for the oppressed is compromised?” he asked.

ACT-Wazalendo said earlier that it has been saddened by reports that the King of Morocco will visit Tanzania later this month and sign various bilateral economic and investment agreements with the government on conditions that our country supports the Moroccan-engineered move to expel Western Sahara from the African Union.

The party statement said it wants the government to come out and say whether its stance on the Western Sahara dispute has changed.

But various stakeholders, who spoke to The Citizen on Saturday on various occasions, seemed to support any possible change of stance of Tanzania over the Western Sahara issue on grounds that the current foreign policy puts more emphasis on economic benefits the country can accrue from its bilateral relations.

Speaking to The Citizen on Saturday in an interview over the telephone, the head of Economic Diplomacy Department of the Dar es Salaam-based Centre for Foreign Affairs, Dr Ahmed Mtengwa, said President John Magufuli’s industrialisation drive would have to tip off Tanzania about countries that were doing well in that area regardless of their past histories.

According to tentative timetable issued by the ministry, on October 20, King Mohammed VI will meet and hold talks with his host, President Magufuli at State House.

The Moroccan leader will also visit Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya.