Our Correspondent | Africa Guardian
Tanzania has called on African nations to collaborate in finding long-lasting solutions to the continent’s challenges. The country also urged Japanese businesses and investors to deepen their engagement in Africa, contributing to human development and promoting regional and global peace and stability.
This call was made by the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr. Cosato Chumi, during the second session of the Ministerial-level Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) held in Japan from August 24-25, 2024. The session focused on the theme of “Peace and Stability: Ensuring Human Dignity and Human Security.”
Tanzania expressed its appreciation for Japan’s leadership in international efforts and encouraged other global partners to follow Japan’s example. Mr. Chumi highlighted Tanzania’s commitment to the equal participation of women and men, as well as girls and boys, in promoting peace and security.
In this regard, Tanzania is nearing the completion of its National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security, a key initiative aligned with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 of the year 2000. The plan underscores Tanzania’s recognition of the crucial role that gender equality plays in maintaining peace and security.
Mr. Chumi also emphasized Tanzania’s longstanding commitment to peacebuilding and diplomacy, noting the country’s success in uniting 126 tribes under a single national language, Kiswahili, thereby eliminating the roots of tribal conflicts. Tanzania has also maintained a tradition of providing refuge to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons from neighboring countries and beyond. Currently, the nation hosts approximately 237,997 refugees and asylum seekers, the majority of whom are women and children.
The Deputy Minister highlighted Aspiration 4 of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a peaceful and secure Africa. This aspiration seeks to strengthen good governance, accountability, transparency, and the strategies for financing security needs. Tanzania has taken significant steps in this direction, contributing 1,537 peacekeepers, including 124 women, to various United Nations and African Union peacekeeping missions. This makes Tanzania the 11th largest peacekeeping contributor globally and the 5th largest in Africa.
In his address, Mr. Chumi expressed gratitude to Japan for its steadfast support in these global efforts and urged other international partners to do the same. He reiterated the importance of inclusive participation in peace and security efforts, underscoring Tanzania’s commitment to finalizing and implementing its National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.
The 9th TICAD in 2024 was officially opened by Japan’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yoko Kamikawa. The conference was attended by ministers, TICAD partners, and representatives from co-organizing institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, the African Union Commission, as well as international and regional organizations, and private sector representatives from Japan and across the African continent.
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