No let-up from Washington for Magufuli

摘要

President John Magufuli's administration has yet to officially respond to criticisms made in early June by the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam. Foreign Minister Palamagamba Kabudi is still pondering his next steps after US Chargé d'Affaires Inmi Patterson put out two statements on 2 and 11 June saying "the Tanzanian government has not disclosed figures on the cases of Covid-19 or the resulting deaths since 29 April". When similar alerts were published on 13 and 25 May, Patterson, who is serving as acting ambassador in the absence of the very low-profile Donald Wright, was summoned to the foreign ministry to be lectured by colonel Wilbert Ibuge, Kabudi's private secretary, who told her that all data about the pandemic is available to the ambassadors.