Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s president has dismissed two senior members of government. The dismissed ministers include the foreign and information minister in a mini-cabinet reshuffling move, according to reports from her office.
The changes is a strategy for Hassan to regain trust from foreign powers over a program of economic and political reforms, including reducing restrictions on the media and opposition parties which some critics had seen as faltering.
On Sunday, the Presidency revealed that Hassan terminated the appointments of the minister of foreign affairs and East Africa cooperation and the minister of information, communication and information technology, January Makamba, and Nape Nnauye.
These dismissed officials are influential figures in the ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
At press time, no reason was given for their removal.
Nnauye’s dismissal is coming a week after his comments saying that the elections results would depend on who counts votes and announces the results surfaced online.
He later apologised, claiming it was a joke, but activists and some social media users said the statement sabotaged Hassan’s push to improve democracy.
Hassan’s government has been in power since 2021 and have won praise for rolling back her predecessor’s crackdowns on the opposition and civil rights groups.
However, the several arrests made last year of a lawyer and an opposition politician have raised questions over her government’s human rights record.
Why It Matters
This move illustrates President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s commitment to addressing human rights concerns in Tanzania.
Her administration has reduced some of the oppressive measures implemented by her predecessor, — some of which targeted opposition groups and civil rights activists—. However, despite these positive changes, there have been reports of arrests involving a lawyer and an opposition politician — all human right cases— within the last year, raising questions about the current government’s human rights record.
