BRUSSELS, Belgium
The European Parliament has passed a resolution against the European Commission's plan to channel financial aid to Tanzania through the NDICI-Global Europe fund, a move said to be motivated by political events that have occurred in the country since October 29 this year.
The move is the result of votes cast by the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and European Parliament Committee on development to block the implementation of the plan, with 53 votes in favor, 2 against, and one abstention vote .
The European Commission planned to send more than 150 million euros (over 400 billion shillings) to Tanzania in 2026, for development projects where the implementation of the aid did not take into account the real situation of human rights and the rule of law in Tanzania.
The Committee Chair David McAllister earlier urged EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Development Commissioner Jozef Síkela to freeze the cash flow.
On his X page, McAllister disclosed that European Parliament Committee on foreign affairs and European Parliament Committee on development have adopted an objection to the European Commission implementing act under the NDICI–Global Europe Regulation, which would channel substantial EU funds to Tanzania next year.
He said the vote was carried 53 in favour, 2 against and 1 abstention.
"This is a clear political signal that the EU cannot proceed on the basis of documents that ignore repression, fraudulent elections and the government’s authoritarian rule." He said.
The October 29 election was marred by three days of confrontation between protesters and security forces over the exclusion of Hassan’s main challengers.
Hundreds of people are reported to have died in protests after the East African nation's presidential and parliamentary polls, with key candidates either jailed or barred from participating.
A coalition of African civil society organisations has accused Tanzanian President Samia Hassan of presiding over what it calls a “state-engineered massacre,” alleging that more than 3,000 people have been killed by security officers and thousands remain missing following violent crackdowns on protesters and dissenters across the country.
In a strongly worded statement issued under the banner of the Jumuiya Ni Yetu movement and the Pan-African Solidarity Collective, the groups demanded that President Hassan “step down immediately” and face prosecution for crimes against humanity.
Speaking as she swore in government ministers, President Hassan this week said what happened had tarnished the country’s image and reduced its chances of access to international funding and loans.
She urged officials to focus on raising funds from domestic sources.
Tanzania remains fiscally dependent on external financing, with aid still accounting for some 23 per cent of government revenue in 2023, although this is declining.
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