Namibian President Calls for Closer Economic Ties With Tanzania

Namibia's president called for closer bilateral cooperation with Tanzania to advance economic independence for the two countries and the Southern African Development Community region. The remarks came during a visit to the Kongwa Liberation Sites in Dodoma, where the president laid wreaths at graves of Namibian fighters.

She noted that Tanzania had hosted Namibian liberation fighters and said the two nations should continue working together on economic goals. "Tanzanians, let us continue to work together. We must liberate our countries and our continent economically," she said.

The president recalled living in Tanzania for six years during the liberation period and described former Tanzanian leader Julius Nyerere as a mentor. She said her decision to deliver her first State of the Nation Address in Tanzania reflected those longstanding connections.

She directed Namibia's ambassador to Tanzania and the defense ministry to help reunite families of fighters buried at the site with relatives in Namibia. A Tanzanian minister noted that the liberation struggle created lasting social and family ties between the two countries.

Another official said Kiswahili, used during Africa's independence movements, would be promoted at an event in Paris later this year. The president also inspected land allocated for a new Namibian embassy in Dodoma.