Army leader travels to Tanzania to expand military collaboration
On Monday, Gen. Manoj Pande, the head of the Indian Army, arrived in Tanzania on a four-day official visit as part of India’s expanding defense ties with African nations.
The visit, which is anticipated to strengthen the long-standing defense relations between the two nations, falls during the second India Tanzania Mini DEFEXPO, which is taking place in Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania. The event will demonstrate the expanding capabilities of India’s domestic defense industry.
Gen. Pande will go to Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and the ancient city of Zanzibar. He will have conversations and talks with a variety of Tanzanian dignitaries and top personnel. The head of the Army is expected to meet with Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of Tanzania, during his visit.
Meetings with the country’s defense minister, Stergomena Lawrence Tax, and the commander of Tanzania’s armed forces, Gen. Jacob John Mkunda, are high on the agenda. In addition, the Army commander will go to Zanzibar and meet with President Hussein Ali Mwinyi. Additionally, communication with Gen. Saidi Hamisi Saidi, commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade, is planned.
Additionally, Gen. Pande will speak at the National Defence College and engage with its professors and commandant, Maj. Gen. Wilbert Augustine Ibuge. The tour will also include a meeting with Brig Gen Stephen Justice Mnkande, commandant of the Command and Staff College, Duluti.
The bilateral defense partnership between Tanzania and India, according to the defense ministry, is strong and healthy. A solid basis was established with the signing of the defense cooperation pact in October 2003. The second meeting of the India-Tanzania Joint Defence collaboration Committee, held in Arusha, Tanzania, on June 28 and 29, this year, served as more evidence of this collaboration.
In professional military programs, there are openings for each other in the Tanzanian and Indian forces. As a result, the staff from the two nations have been able to develop close relationships, discuss ideas, and share best practices. Over the last five years, the Tanzanian army has continuously taken part in UN Peacekeeping training in India. Similar to this, an Indian Army training squad has been stationed at Duluti’s Command and Staff College since 2017.
Regular visits by Tanzanian military delegations to India serve as a sign of the close military cooperation between the two nations.
