Tanzania risks severing its diplomatic relations with the United States due to repeated human rights violations.
According to the U.S. Department of State, which issued a statement on Thursday, December 4, the Donald Trump administration is reviewing its bilateral relationship with the East African country.
The department specifically highlighted what it termed "ongoing repression" and "disturbing violence against civilians", warning that these issues could eventually result in Tanzania being blacklisted by the Trump administration.
"The United States values its longstanding partnership with the people of Tanzania, which has brought prosperity to our populations and security to the region. Recent actions by the government, however, raise concerns about the direction of our bilateral relationship," the statement read.
In a subtle warning, the U.S further warned that the future of the two countries' relationship was heavily dependent on how President Samia Suluhu's government handled its political challenges going forward.
The statement went on, "The future of our bilateral relationship with the Government of Tanzania will be based on its actions."
According to State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the United States would no longer sit back and watch some governments, like Tanzania, continue to violate basic human rights.
"Actions in the days leading up to Tanzania's October 29 elections required reconsideration of our ties. These actions have put American citizens, tourists and U.S citizens in Tanzania at risk, and threatened to undermine the mutual prosperity and security that have defined our partnership for decades," the U.S. State Department went on.
More than one month after Tanzania's Presidential elections, the country has continued to come under scrutiny from international observers, who have been thoroughly critical of the manner in which President Suluhu clinched her seat.
One of the latest points of criticism directed at Suluhu came on Thursday, after it emerged that two renowned activists from Tanzania had their social media accounts either restricted or banned after they criticised the current regime.
On Tuesday, December 2, Suluhu defended the deployment of security officers following the chaos that erupted in the country after the elections, insisting that it was aimed at stopping an attempted coup.
Suluhu lamented at what she described as a double standard by the international community, questioning why they could not direct similar criticism at the neighbouring country for using excessive force against its protesters.
A petition has since been filed by human rights groups to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, seeking formal investigations into killings which happened in the wake of the October 29 polls.
