UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has commended Tanzania for its immense contribution to hosting refugees from the Great Lakes region.

President Kikwete and UN Secretary General Koffi Annan

During talks with President Kikwete at the seventh ordinary meeting of the African Union in the Gambia in August, Dr Annan said Tanzania should be considered ‘a donor country’. He said it was unfair for the UN to recognise countries that give material and moral support to refugees as the donors and forget the host countries. President Kikwete said that, although Tanzania had been hosting a number of refugees, its contribution had not been recognised by the UN as was the case with countries that give material support. “Hosting refugees is very risky because a country’s security is put in jeopardy and the adverse impact on the environment is likely to last long” he said.