President John Magufuli has on Thursday morning welcomed Burundi President Pierre Nkurunzinza for one day working visit in Tanzania.
The two presidents met at a border town of Ngara at Lamela stadium and where Nkurunzinza received a 21 gun salute and inspected a guard of honour mounted by Tanzania Peoples Defence (TPDF) soldiers.
The two later held bilateral talks before addressing the public.
Dr Magufuli is in the border town of Ngara as part of his six-day upcountry working tour which kicked off on Wednesday in Biharamulo district where he inaugurated the 154 kilometre Kagoma-Biharamulo-Lusahunga road connecting the border regions of Kigoma, Geita and Kagera with neighbouring Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.
Nkurunziza crossed the Kobero- abanga border and was received by Dr. Husssein Ali Mwinyi, Tanzania’s Minister for Defense.
In his address Nkurunziza said that over the years Burundi and Tanzania have proven that they really committed within the East African Community (EAC) frame work.
“Ever since Burundi joined EAC in July 2007, ties with Tanzania have grown stronger,” he stated.
Adding that whatever affects the interests of either country, affects the interests of the other.
A Tanzania Minister for Home affairs told Nkurunziza that thousands of Burundi refugees went back home but UNHCR doesn’t want it to be known.
President Magufuli criticized harshly the fact that some individuals within UNHCR are urging refugees not to return to their homeland Burundi.
Nkurunziza is accompanied by five of his Ministers.
