Tanzania courts EU to reset ties after $156m funding freeze
Tanzania’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, during a meeting with Jozef Sikela, the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships in Brussels, on January 29, 2026.
Tanzania is lobbying the European Union to lift a $156 million aid freeze imposed last year over concerns about human rights violations and democratic backsliding following the October 29, 2025, elections.
This week, Dodoma dispatched its top diplomat, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, to Brussels for talks with senior EU officials. His meetings included EU Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, European Parliament Vice-President Younous Omarjee, and EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela.
