By Prosper Makene, Dar es Salaam
All flags in Tanzania are flying at half mast including those at embassies and foreign missions as the East African nation has declared five days of mourning Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
The State House statement said that President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared five days of national mourning following the death of Britain’s Queen.
The statement has further said that the national mourning starts today September 10 to September 14.
The Head of State has also called all Tanzanians to join British citizens during this tough time as they mourn the death of their longest-serving leader.
Queen Elizabeth visited Tanzania on 19–22 July 1979 where she was welcomed by Mwalimu JK Nyerere who was a president by then.
Queen became Head of the Commonwealth upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952 and remained Head of the Commonwealth until her death on 8 September 2022. During that time, she toured the Commonwealth of Nations widely.
She visited all member states except for Cameroon, and the three most recently joined member states, Rwanda, Togo and Gabon. Her first foreign tour was before her accession when she accompanied her parents to the countries of Southern Africa in 1947.
However, Her Majesty died at 96 and will be remembered as the longest-serving British monarch, sitting on the throne for 70 years.
In the wake of her death, her eldest son Charles will become king at the age of 73, making him the oldest monarch in British history at the time of his coronation.
