The President of Tanzania has met with the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Andrew Lentz, in discussions that State House described as focusing on various ongoing investments involving U.S. companies. The U.S. Embassy characterized the discussion as a candid exchange on the state of bilateral relations.
The meeting, held at Chamwino State House on December 8, 2025, comes as the United States has announced a review of its relations with Tanzania following developments after the October 29 protests and the subsequent security crackdown.
A press briefing from State House indicated that key issues discussed included the status of major U.S.-linked strategic projects currently under negotiation. These include the LNG and Tembo Nickel projects, which are reportedly in their final stages pending formal signing, as well as the Mahenge Graphite project, which is still in process.
The meeting follows a statement from the U.S. Department of State noting that the United States is undertaking a comprehensive review of its relationship with the Government of Tanzania, citing: “Ongoing repression of religious freedom and free speech, the presence of persistent obstacles to U.S. investment, and disturbing violence against civilians in the days leading up to and following Tanzania’s October 29 elections.”
The State House briefing quoted President Samia explaining that the key projects discussed are of national importance, while underscoring Tanzania’s sovereignty and non-aligned foreign policy stance.
“As a non-aligned country, Tanzania is open, ready, and committed to working with all partners who respect our sovereignty and share our vision for prosperity,” President Samia is quoted as saying. “These strategic projects are of national importance, and we are determined to finalize them so they can unlock jobs, investment, and sustainable prosperity for our people.”
The U.S. Embassy also shared a post on X regarding the meeting, avoiding any mention of policy specific issues: “Today, CdA Lentz engaged in a candid exchange with President Samia Suluhu Hassan about the present and future state of the U.S.-Tanzania bilateral relationship,” the Embassy posted.
The meeting comes at a time of heightened tension in the country ahead of the anticipated December 9 protest, which the government has banned, declaring it illegal. Many observers are watching closely to see how the government responds if demonstrations proceed, as Tanzania continues to face local and international pressure over the killing of civilians during the October 29 protests.
On social media, some observers have analyzed the meeting as one of the key cornerstones for the Tanzanian government to get itself out of the corner by aligning itself with the U.S interest amid a global U.S policy shift. It is expected that the international response to Tanzania will serve as a litmus test for how far the international community is willing to accept political developments in East Africa, especially given that similar tensions exist in Kenya and Uganda.
One Response
We Tanzanian expected this to happen because President’Samia speech concerning October 29,2025 chaos was purposefully right to the Tanzanians,Africans and the whole world. The speech aimed to show President and Tanzania brevity but at the end we expected the President and Tanzania to sit down with the world partners and resolve the conflicts.Diplomatically and frankly speaking this happened. Thanks a lot for the Tanzanians.🇹🇿 🇹🇿 🇹🇿 🇹🇿 🇹🇿 🇹🇿 🇹🇿 🇹🇿 🇹🇿