International Diplomatic Review Journal

Twenty years of EAC: Leveraging Tanzania’s manufactured exports through EAC Trade Arrangements

Janeth Malleo — 2025-03-07

The empirical literature on Regional Trade Arrangements (RTAs) posits that regionalism improves intra-bloc trade, economic growth, and people’s welfare, particularly through enhancing exports of manufactured goods. Using panel data from various sources, this study examines the flow of Tanzania’s manufactured exports to a sample of 15 trading partners (including EAC member states) by estimating the gravity model, using a multiplicative form of the Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) estimator. The results show that the RTAs for the EAC lead to a decrease of 271.5% of Tanzania’s manufactured exports, on average, whereas controlling for trade costs suggests that the EAC-RTAs decrease the flow of Tanzania’s manufactured exports by 110%. Thus, for Tanzania to benefit from EAC-RTAs, there is need to strengthen its manufacturing sector. The key policy issue is to improve the export competitiveness of Tanzania’s manufactured goods, through cross-cutting sectoral interventions to support value-addition to agricultural products by initiating large and small-scale industrialization.

Imperialism and the relevance of constructivist approach to the analysis of international relations

Chediel Nyirenda — 2025-03-07

In international relations analysis, rationalism has remained the dominant approach for a long time. In recent years, however, new approaches have challenged the hegemony of rationalist empiricism in the analysis of international relations. One of these alternative approaches is the constructivist approach. Constructivism argues for the importance of ideational units of analysis such as history, knowledge, and identity in the making of individual and state interests which lead to actions and policy. This paper applies discourse analysis in reviewing two major texts on how the history of capitalist imperialism shaped the relations between the North and the South. The paper shows the weakness of rationalist approaches to international relations research. Rationalism presents states as atomistic actors pursuing their military and economic power interests in a historically given space without regard for the ideational and historical factors deciding the nature of this space. The paper concludes that the relevance of the constructivist approach to international relations research, which is sometimes vehemently criticized, is seen in its ability to identify and apply important historical units of analysis that are normally overlooked and even deliberately discarded in rationalist international relations analysis.

Global governance, energy policies and security of supply of liquefied petroleum gas in Tanzania

Juma Mabasa Kanuwa — 2025-03-07

Energy security is important for human development and welfare. Governance regimes at both global and country levels are crucial for the realization of energy security. This study highlights the role of global governance for security of supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Tanzania. Specifically, the study examines the effect of global governance on the development of the liquefied petroleum gas sector in Tanzania and proposes strategies for improving the development of liquefied petroleum gas energy security in Tanzania. The study adopted the qualitative research design and underpinned by action research approach. Key informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect primary qualitative data, while review of documents was done to provide secondary data and triangulate findings. A sample of 30 respondents was purposively selected among policy makers as well as other private and public sector actors. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings establish that the low level of LPG supply security in the country is contributed to by both national energy policies and global energy governance. It was further found that global governance affects the LPG energy security in Tanzania due to the selective nature of global energy governance institutions. The study recommends that in order to improve the LPG energy security in Tanzania, clear and implementable policies as well as encouragement of public private partnership should be given priority. The study further recommends that Tanzania should strengthen essential elements such as technology, expertise and infrastructures to attract more investors in LPG.

The relevance of ‘Nyumba Kumi’ grassroots security structure in addressing the rise of extremist violence in Tanzania

David Jeremia Luheja — 2025-03-07

The re-introduction of multiparty politics in Tanzania in 1992 significantly weakened the functioning of security structures at the grassroot level. The weakening of Nyumba Kumi security structure, which had for a long time been part of the governance structure under single party rule, created a security gap in the provision of effective grassroots security early warning system in Tanzania. This paper examines the subsisting relevance of Nyumba Kumi grassroots security structure in addressing the rise of extremist violence in Tanzania. Data were generated from field work conducted in Tanga region in Tanzania. Using case study design, qualitative approach was employed to conduct key informant interviews (KIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) from a population sample of 59 community members obtained through purposive sampling and snowballing techniques. The views and responses were gathered and analyzed through thematic analysis technique. The findings show that Nyumba kumi still remains a viable and reliable grassroots security structure with effective early warning security system in addressing the rise of extremist violence in Tanzania. The paper recommends the review of security policies to allow re-nationalization of Nyumba Kumi security structures into local government administrative structures.

Police - Civilians relationship and crime rate reduction in Tanga urban

Godwin Gonde Amani — 2025-03-07

This article examines the nature of the relationship between the police and civilians in Tanga urban and relates this relationship to the reduction of crimes in the area. The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which the current relationship is regarded by security stakeholders to be positive/good and contributing to crime reduction. This study combines two theories namely; the non-enforcement theory and the theory of change to explain the nature of the relationship. Data was primarily collected from police officers and civilians in Tanga. The findings of the study suggest that, the present relationship does not have enough contribution towards crime rate reduction since the relationship that exists between the two is mostly suspicious. The study concludes and recommends a far stronger cooperation through collective efforts, education, sharing of intelligence information and the designing of new mechanisms that would bring together both the police and civilians in fighting against crimes.

EAC Protocol on Foreign Policy Coordination: Why has the implementation fallen short of expectations?

Jacob Lisakafu — 2025-03-07

The study assesses the performance of the EAC Protocol on Foreign Policy Coordination by identifying challenges in implementing the agreed direction and strategy for the attaining a common regional foreign policy. This assessment was motivated by the progress and effort made by the East African Community (EAC) in implementing and operationalizing the policy coordination protocol. Although the implementation is still ongoing and progress is noted with mixed results, this article addresses the following questions: Why has the implementation of the policy fallen short of expectations? What challenges are faced by the EAC in the implementation of the protocol? Rational choice and constructivist theories were used to evaluate EAC foreign policy practices with partner states. Qualitative thematic analysis of various literature revealed that progress is being made in implementing the policy, but at a slow pace due to frequent disagreements among partner states in areas such as security and trade, thus delaying the establishment of common foreign policy as provided in the EAC Treaty. The paper suggests that member states must set aside their individual interests to achieve effective EAC foreign policy coordination under the said protocol through actionable political will.

Ambassador’s note: Fostering multilateralism for a shared future

Radhia Naima Mtengeki Msuya — 2025-03-07

No abstract.