Breaking News: Tanzania Summons Dar US Embassy Official over Fake Security Alert

By John Njoroge, NAIROBI

The government of Tanzania has stood firm to protect its sovereignty, just a day after the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam had issued a security alert based on rumor mongers that turned out to be fictitious.

US Senior Dar Embassy Official Ann Marie Warmenhoven –Tilias responded to a summon by the Permanent Secretary, Tanzania Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Faraji Mnyepe.

The alert that was posted on the Embassy website went viral in seconds only to push out social media panic with the government mostly observing silence to verify the news. Later on, an Instagram post from the Regional Commissioner of Dar es Salaam then calmed down the people on confirmation that there were no verified reports of any pending security quagmire.

Today, Thursday 20^th June, 2019, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tanzania summoned the Embassy officials to explain on the dubious statement. Represented by its senior diplomatic official, the Embassy bowed down to concede that her decision to send out the alert was based on a US tradition to warn their citizens abroad.

“The Embassy official conceded that the alert was sent out without credible evidence at hand, intelligence or circumstantial evidence, or had adhered to diplomatic norms and apologized for that,” said the Statement from the Ministry circulated this evening in Dodoma Capital of Tanzania.

“The Tanzanian authorities under President John Magufuli have done all of us pride. It is unacceptable for a foreign mission to send out such a sensitive security alert without consulting the local authorities’ in the receiving state first; worse enough the basis of their alert being just a Broadway rumour,” said Mike Oronge, an expert in strategic studies.

The actions by the Tanzanian authorities present a lesson to the American Embassy in Dar whose recollection of a number of recent decision challenges its competence to handle diplomatic issues since the acting tenure of the current Acting Ambassador, Ms. Imni Petterson whose leadership acumen remain wanting.

Last year, a dozen US Senators led by Mr. Bob Menendez, a senator from New Jersey, on the Democratic Party ticket, pushed for the US government to immediately nominate a full ambassador to Tanzania to lead diplomatic efforts to push for US diplomatic interest in the region EAC region. The post has been vacant for well over two years.

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