By Lake Zone Watch writer
President Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday congratulated her Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, on being re-elected to extend his 24-year rule by another five years.
The Rwandan leader scored 99.15 per cent of the votes cast from the country’s July 15 presidential election.
A State House statement issued yesterday while President Samia was winding up her official tour of Rukwa region, said Tanzania will continue to consolidate relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Both Tanzania and Rwanda are members of the East African Community, a regional block that also includes Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda.
In her congratulatory message, President Samia laid emphasis on the pursuit of East African unity and prosperity.
Historically, East Africa is a single unit as people of all countries have been moving from one state to another in search of business opportunities and trade.
Meawhile, in a similar congratulatory message to President Kagame, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni also said the election of the Rwandan leader was a testament of the trust and confidence that Rwandans have in his leadership.
“Uganda recognises Rwanda as a strategic ally with a shared vision of peace and prosperity,” President Museveni’s message said, adding that the two countries would work closely to strengthen East African co-operation.