Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan postponed her planned official trip to Cuba this week as a safety precaution following early reports that the Caribbean island nation was about to be hit by Hurricane Rafael.
President Samia was due to arrive in Havana on Wednesday for a three-day State visit aimed at boosting bilateral ties between the two countries, which the Foreign ministry said would now be rescheduled for a new date to be announced later.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, who has been in Havana for more than a week leading an advance delegation to prepare for the trip, confirmed late Thursday that Samia's visit had been shelved "due to adverse weather conditions that could have prevented the President's plane from landing."
“All the airports, including the main Jose Mart Airport in Havana, were closed following preliminary reports of deteriorating weather as the storm named Rafael hit the Cuban islands and the city of Havana," Mr Kombo said in a video statement from the Cuban capital.
"The Jose Mart airport has been closed for more than 48 hours, but I would like to inform the public that the hurricane has passed and normal activities have started to resume," he added.
According to a written statement from Tanzania Foreign ministry, the Cuban authorities decided to take precautionary measures, including the cancelling all air travel to and from the country, after receiving early reports that Hurricane Rafael would impact the country from November 6 to 7.
President Samia was due to arrive in Havana on November 6 and depart on November 8.
According to the official itinerary, she was to meet with her host, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez, in Havana on Thursday (November 7) to discuss strategies for new economic and diplomatic partnerships between the two nations in areas such as health, education, arts, sports, tourism, and the blue economy.
Kiswahili symposium
She was also due to be the chief guest at the opening of an international Kiswahili symposium in Havana on Friday (November 8) before flying back to Tanzania later in the day.
The symposium, the first of its kind, was organised by Tanzania's envoy to Cuba, Humphrey Polepole, as part of an initiative to promote the use of the Kiswahili throughout the Caribbean and South American region.
It is expected to attract some 400 participants and will include the launch of a new Spanish-to-Swahili dictionary and a booklet of common sayings in both languages, prepared jointly by the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Havana.
Commenting on the symposium, Minister Kombo said the President had instructed that it should go ahead despite her absence, under the leadership of himself and the Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports, Damas Ndumbaro, who is also already in Havana as part of the advance team.
Other cabinet ministers in the delegation are the health ministers of Tanzania and Zanzibar, Jenista Mhagama and Nassor Mazrui respectively, whose shared docket would have been a key part of the presidential discussions on forging new alliances.
