Tanzania / UN Secretary-General Travels
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, February 27, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Daily press briefing by the office of the spokesperson for the UN secretary-general
The Secretary-General arrived in the capital of Tanzania today and went straight to a meeting with the President, President Kikwete.
At that meeting, the two discussed the global economic and financial crisis; the upcoming elections in Tanzania; the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which is expected to complete its work next year; and regional issues, including Burundi, Zimbabwe, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On Burundi specifically, the Secretary-General expressed concern over delays in the disarmament of the Forces nationales de libération (FNL).
The Secretary-General and President Kikwete also spoke about climate change and its impact on food security in Tanzania, as well as the public health situation in Tanzania and the Government’s efforts to stamp out HIV/AIDS.
In a separate meeting chaired by President Kikwete, the Secretary-General met with former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, who briefed him on the Nairobi talks concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which Mkapa co-chairs with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. They discussed the reintegration of fighters from the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) into the Congolese Armed Forces, the prospects for United Nations assistance in supporting military integration, and the question of temporary amnesty.
Also today in the Tanzanian capital, the Secretary-General delivered a lecture to the local diplomatic corps, the academic community and representatives of the media. He said that we must not let Africa’s successes be undermined by global crises. And he called on African leaders to move forward on education, efforts to battle climate change and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He also emphasized the need for violence to stop throughout the continent — including in Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia. We expect transcripts of the lecture later today.
SOURCE : United Nations – Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General
