TANZANIA: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan’s state visit to Cuba, which was scheduled for November 6 to 8, this year has been postponed following the recent impact of Hurricane Rafael that hit the island nation.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, said that the decision was made in response to an alert issued by Havana authorities about the impending arrival of Hurricane Rafael from November 6 to 7, 2024.
“The ministry informs the Tanzanian public that President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s state visit, planned to take place in Havanna, Cuba, from November 6 to 8, has been officially postponed due to adverse weather conditions and the arrival of Hurricane Rafael affecting the Cuban islands, including capital city of Havanna,” said Mr Kombo. He said that the situation had led the Cuban government to take precautionary measures, including suspending all incoming and outgoing flights to and from Cuba leading to the postponement of President Samia’s visit.
The minister added that despite the postponement, President Samia has directed that all activities planned during her visit, including the international Kiswahili language festival, continue under the coordination of Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, in collaboration with Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports Dr Damas Ndumbaro.
Moreover, Mr Kombo noted that the hurricane has already subsided and activities in Cuba are gradually returning to normalcy thus, another visit by Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan to Cuba will be rescheduled once the two nations agree on a suitable time. During her visit, President Samia was scheduled to attend the International Kiswahili Conference.
She and the Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel had also planned to jointly launch a Spanish-Kiswahili dictionary and introduce a new book of common Spanish and Kiswahili expressions, developed through collaboration between the University of Dar es Salaam and the university of Havana.
