China, Tanzania commemorate deceased Chinese experts assisting Tanzania

Published: April 04,2024

Tanzanian Minister of Transport Makame Mbarawa speaks during a ceremony to honor the Chinese people who died during the construction of the TAZARA railway at the Chinese experts’ cemetery in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 2, 2024 (Xinhua/Herman Emmanuel)

Staff of the Chinese embassy in Tanzania, representatives of Chinese companies and communities, and Tanzanian government officials on Tuesday honored the Chinese people who died during the construction of the TAZARA railway in the 1970s.

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian and Tanzanian Minister of Transport Makame Mbarawa attended the ceremony, laying wreaths on the graves at the Gongo la Mboto cemetery on the outskirts of the port city of Dar es Salaam.

More than 100 Chinese engineers, technicians and workers died on duty during the construction of the TAZARA railway, an indelible monument serving as a testament to the friendship between China and Tanzania, as well as between China and Africa.

“They are heroes who have forged a monument of China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendship. Chinese and African people will always remember their names, as they will remember the TAZARA railway,” said Chen.

Chen said the TAZARA spirit was about mutual respect and equality, tenacity and perseverance, and internationalism, adding that it embodied the essence of China-Africa relations and the common aspiration of the Chinese and African people.

“We are very grateful for Chinese experts who sacrificed their precious lives during the construction; the people of Tanzania will never forget their contribution to the economic development of this region,” Mbarawa said.

Mbarawa reiterated that TAZARA was the monument of the long-standing friendship between China and Tanzania.

“It is high time for this generation to ensure this desire and friendship last forever,” said the minister. 

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian (L, Front), Tanzanian Minister of Transport Makame Mbarawa (R, Front), and other participants line up to lay flowers at the Chinese experts’ cemetery in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 2, 2024. Staff of the Chinese embassy in Tanzania, representatives of Chinese companies and communities, and Tanzanian government officials on Tuesday honored the Chinese people who died during the construction of the TAZARA railway in the 1970s. (Xinhua/Herman Emmanuel)

Xinhua