The head of the European Union (EU) delegation in Dar es Salaam, Roeland van de Geer, has been asked by the government to leave Tanzanian soil as of 3 November, according to local media reports.
The delegation’s number two, Charles Andrew-Stuart, will stand in for him while the powers that be in Brussels decide what stance to adopt in the face of this unprecedented situation. Officially, the ambassador has been ‘called back for consultation’ to Brussels.
Roeland van de Geer is known for speaking his mind and, according to our sources, he is understood to have been too overtly critical of the policies of John Magufuli’s government regarding civil liberties.
Back in late February, the EU encouraged member states and embassies in several countries to issue a press release denouncing ‘the recent developments which threaten democratic values and the rights of Tanzanians’ in the country after a female student was shot dead by a police officer, the opposition MP Tundu Lissu (CHADEMA) was attacked and several journalists disappeared.