08 June 2026
EU Member States Ambassadors met with Hon. Amb. M.T. Kombo, Tanzania's Minister of Foreign Affairs
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Today, EU Member States Ambassadors met with Hon. Amb. M.T. Kombo, Tanzania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, for a high-level political dialogue.
Leo, Mabalozi wa Nchi Wanachama wa EU wamekutana na Mhe. Amb. MT Kombo, Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Tanzania, kwa mazungumzo wawakilishi wa nchi za ulaya pia Umoja wa Ulaya EU na maofisa wa juu wa serikali ya Tanzania ya hali ya kisiasa .
TOKA MAKTABA :
MAY 2026
Tanzania has denied entry to a European Parliament delegation investigating alleged election violence and human rights abuses linked to the country’s 2025 general elections.
Tanzania's president Samia Hassan
- Tanzania has denied entry to a EU Parliament delegation investigating alleged election violence and human rights abuses during the 2025 general elections.
- The government blocked the delegation after repeated postponements and delays, citing a need to finish its own internal inquiry into election-related violence.
- Despite the completion of Tanzania's national investigation in April 2026, authorities have not confirmed dates for the rescheduled European visit.
- Besides probing rights abuses and election irregularities, the EU mission aimed to audit EU-funded projects and meet with civil groups and legal bodies including the African Court.
TOKA MAKTABA :
Human rights MEPs mission to Tanzania cancelled after authorities decline visit
Press Releases
07-05-2026 - 16:49
The Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, Mounir Satouri, has issued the following statement.
Photo : DROI Chair Mounir Satouri © European Union (2024) - European Parliament
"We strongly regret the Tanzanian authorities’ continued request to postpone the official visit by the European Parliament’s body responsible for global human rights – an approach that, in practice, amounts to a refusal.
This obstruction has serious consequences for the European Parliament’s ability to carry out its mandate. Being denied access prevents us from following up on our recent resolutions on Tanzania, conducting proper parliamentary scrutiny of EU-funded human rights projects, and engaging directly with key partners in the country – including the African Union’s major human rights institution, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The European Parliament remains firmly committed to strengthening relations with African Union partners, including Tanzania. However, such partnerships – particularly those involving EU financial support – must be firmly grounded in international law and aligned with shared human rights commitments under the OACPS–EU Partnership Agreement. In this context, we regret the lack of willingness by the Tanzanian authorities to engage in good-faith dialogue, especially against the backdrop of a deteriorating human rights situation and crackdowns on the democratic opposition.
We reiterate our readiness to engage constructively with the Tanzanian authorities and underline the importance of maintaining close cooperation with international and regional organisations based in the country, as well as with civil society groups and human rights defenders. They can count on our continued and unwavering support.
Despite the current obstacles, our parliamentary body will pursue all available avenues to monitor developments closely in human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Tanzania and assess their impact on the further development of relations with the EU."
Background
The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament of 20 November 2025 authorised a mission of the subcommittee on human rights to Tanzania.
The visit would have focused on issues relating to human rights, democracy and the rule of law, in accordance with the subcommittee’s mandate. MEPs intended to follow up on European Parliament resolutions relating to Tanzania adopted in November 2025, engage with the government, parliament, civil society actors and international stakeholders on human rights issues, visit the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights in Arusha, and monitor EU-funded projects in the field of human rights.
This mission was initially planned for February. However, the Tanzanian authorities requested a postponement to a later date to allow time for the national commission of inquiry investigating the violence surrounding the elections on 29 October 2025 to complete its work. The subcommittee on human rights agreed to reschedule the mission for the end of May. The commission of inquiry meanwhile presented its findings on 24 April. Without providing any specific justification, the Tanzanian authorities have now refused the visit of the subcommittee in May in its entirety, including the part of the visit relating to international and regional organisations and civil society.
For further information please contact:
Office of Mounir Satouri, chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights: 0032 228 45 521 -
mounir.satouri@europarl.europa.eu