As we go to press and with the crisis in the Gulf at its height, a Senior Tanzanian diplomat, asked by the Bulletin what Tanzania’s position was, said that, as far as he knew, Tanzania had not issued an official statement on the crisis. But such a statement would hardly be necessary as Tanzania was well known to be totally and unequivocally opposed to aggression by one state against another.

At the CCM Party Conference President Mwinyi is reported to have made a passing remark on the subject – “…. due to a modest increase in our foreign currency earnings in the 1989-90 fiscal year we have been able to pay our debts to the international monetary institutions …. for example, we were able to pay OPEC and the Kuwait Fund, thus making those institutions start lending to us afresh (Applause). It is a pity that Kuwait no longer exists” – Editor.