TANZANIA RWANDA RELATIONS: FROSTY
Tanzania objects to Rwanda Air India flight via Dar es Salam
BY PROF. DR. WOLFGANG H. THOME, ETN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT | APR 06, 2014
Tanzania is doing it again. Frosty relations between want to be
partners like Rwanda. When, according to a regular aviation source in
Dar es Salaam, Air Tanzania suddenly raised objections about plans by
RwandAir, which sought 5th freedom traffic rights for future flights
from Kigali, via Dar es Salaam, to Mumbai in India, pundits were swift
to read the tea leaves in their attempts to make sense of it all.
RwandAir is already holding 5th freedom traffic rights for their
regular flights from Kigali, via Mombasa to Dubai, a situation backed
up through the respective aviation protocol of the East African
Community and NOT objected to by any of the Kenyan airlines.
In Tanzania though, often seen as a reluctant partner in the EAC by
others and expressly not part of the so called 'Coalition of the
Willing' which has seen Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya seeking not only
closer ties but aligning major infrastructure projects and cooperating
closely on security and the vision of a single customs territory which
is seen as a major stimulant for an increase in trade and economic
prosperity, the mood is not so accommodating.
The two countries were over the past year undergoing a cooling of
relations over ill-considered remarks by Tanzania's President Kikwete,
who was either blue-eyed or more likely badly misinformed, had
suggested that Rwanda sit down with the killer militias based in
Eastern Congo and negotiate a peace agreement. This was by this
correspondent at the time likened to an attempt during the 1930's and
1940's to have the European Jews try and negotiate a treaty with the
Nazi regime, totally out of question and totally misreading the
realities on the ground, where the FDLR remains sworn to a cause to
destroy the new Rwanda and resume the genocide.
The sudden objection and refusal to accept the RwandAir request for
5th freedom rights is now seen by many as Tanzania using yet another
platform to hit back at Rwanda, suggesting continued cool relations
between two EAC member states.
Understandably were no comments received from Rwanda while the
Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority has now reportedly stepped into the
fray suggesting the two parties sit down and discuss the way forward.
This however seems a tough proposition considering the fact that Air
Tanzania had reportedly made outrageous financial demands on RwandAir
to drop their objections, again suggesting that they had political
backing to do so 'from above'. With the ongoing financial support by
the Tanzanian government it cannot be ruled out that the airline has
become a willing tool in the present stage play between the two
countries, if for nothing else to please their financial masters and
get the funds needed to lease at least two more aircraft in coming
months.
'You know better, nothing can be ruled out and for sure our autocracy
here in Tanzania provides the right playing field to make such things
happen. These guys at ATCL are literally broke and might do anything
to please their paymasters and keep the money flowing. I wonder if
this is going back to the bad old days when national airlines were
just an appendix of governmental policies and directions' added
another aviation source from Dar. Continued needle prick policies or
what, is the question here. Watch this space.
http://www.google.ca/gwt/x?gl=CA&hl=en-CA&u=http://www.eturbonews.com/44415/tanzania-objects-rwanda-air-india-flight-dar-es-salam%3Futm_source%3Dfeedburner%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DFeed%253A%2BEturbonews-TravelAndTourismIndustryNews%2B(eTurboNews%2B-%2Bfor%2Bthe%2Bglobal%2Btravel%2Bprofessional)&q=tanzania+rwanda+india
--
SIBOMANA Jean Bosco
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