Danish envoy remarks on MwanaHALISI saga

In Tanzania, following the suspension of MwanaHalisi for the alleged sedious story which raged the government, about an impending plan to oust President Kikwete from office, and a persistent warning by the government on several occasions to change its style of reporting, the Danish ambassador Bjarne Sorensen accredited in the country has said donor countries are closely following up the circumstances that led to the ban of this newspaper. The Danish Ambassador spoke recently in Dar es Salaam during an exclusive interview shortly after addressing a news conference on the upcoming state visit of Danish Queen Margaret II and her husband Prince Henrik. The pair who visited the country in a four day state visit left the country last week. According to Sorensen, MwanaHalisi is among the few newspapers committed to fighting corruption and all graft elements. ”We understand the focus of the paper that it is a voice of voiceless people. Being irked by all sorts of corrupt elements, we, the donor community, are closely following the circumstances that led to the ban to ensure there are no plans to jeopardize the efforts” said Sorensen. He said there are a number of questions donor countries need to have their answers regarding the whole issue. The envoy said the development partners couldn’t remain quiet because if they did, their efforts of fighting the vice would be meaningless. ”We need to know if the decision had followed the right channels, as we know for sure that the country abides to the principles of rule of law governed by instruments such as a well-set judicial system and an ethics commission which could work on the matter in a fair and transparent manner”, said the Danish ambassador. He said that a call from editors, anti-corruption bodies and human rights activists suggested the need for immediate intervention on the matter. The government banned the weekly early last month on claims that it published seditious stories, but many analysts link the ban to a story that the newspaper carried, which alleged that big shots in the ruling party CCM were plotting to unseat President Jakaya Kikwete through the party nomination process. About a week ago, the French Ambassador to Tanzania, Jacques de Labriolle, who is also the current representative of the European Union Chair, expressed concern over the ban. Speaking exclusively, de Labriolle said there was some surprise, because it is the third time there is a problem with the same newspaper since the beginning of this year, while no other papers in the country has so many troubles. The representative of the EU chair said that the ban had certainly caused some surprise and some worry among the European Heads of Mission in Tanzania.