East Africa Regional Office

All of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation’s projects and independent activities with a focus on Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda are coordinated from our regional office in Dar es Salaam

Political actors across the East African Community (EAC) currently face a range of challenges. Attempting to maintain their power, governments have resorted to increasingly repressive measures, curbing basic political rights including freedom of speech and assembly.

Actors from civil society organizations, political parties, as well as scholars make use of what liberties remain to engage in discussions, consolidate their collective efforts or extend their networks. In such an environment, supporters of alternative discourses and left-wing visions find themselves subjected to severe restrictions.

Current challenges include the need to strategically align economic and developmental policies, particularly with regard to natural resources. Aggressive extractivism, conflicts over land, and the impacts of climate change make it necessary to develop alternatives to current practices. Much-needed social transformation will have to place a clear focus on land issues.

Despite the positive forecasts drawn up by international financial institutions, economic developments often fail to have a social impact, as policies privilege foreign investors over small- and medium-sized businesses, effectively entrenching and exacerbating existing inequalities.

Following the initially positive momentum in previous years, regional integration is now proving difficult, facing setbacks caused by unilateral initiatives and the emergence of regional coalitions. This drift has been triggered in part by the states’ dissonant positions on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) propagated by the EU.

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation collaborates primarily with organizations and actors advocating participative democracy, especially by representing the interests of marginalized groups, and promoting regional integration, trade, and regional development. Building networks that bring together the East Africa’s political decision makers, the media, as well as research and education institutions is crucial. By facilitating a dialogue on issues such as trade and mining, we seek to foster interaction between political, administrative, civil society, academic, and economic actors.

Activities

The activities of the foundation and its partners in the region emphasise three broad sets of issues: 

  • Utilizing Natural Resources for the Benefit the Local Population
    In this context, political discussions focus on the concept of food sovereignty and its direct link to the defence of land rights. The exploitation of mineral, oil, and gas resources must be based on transparent decision-making processes and respect the interests of affected communities. Together, the aim is to develop alternatives to the model of aggressive extraction in order to couple the provision of public services with sustainable resource management. 
  • Aligning Trade with Human Need
    Regional integration and international trade relations have to be aligned with the needs of the general population. Future activities will therefore concentrate on creating opportunities for civil society actors to participate in negotiation processes focused on regional integration and the Economic Partnership Agreements between EAC states and the European Commission, and on highlighting the impact of the private sector on the region’s social and economic development. Here, our aim is to foster knowledge, establish transparency, ensure participation, assess possible impacts, and offer up alternatives. 
  • Defending and Expanding Democratic Rights
    Guaranteed basic rights are a prerequisite for safeguarding the political autonomy of the media, the public, and politics. In this context, activities focus on reflecting history, shaping current political developments, and holding political elites and decision makers accountable for their actions.

Dar es Salaam Regional Office


Director: Katrin Voß

Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung
47, Ndovu Road
Mikocheni B, P.O. Box 105527
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

eastafrica@rosalux.de
www.rosalux.or.tz