In 2014, when then-President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and his deputy William Ruto went to The Hague for their International Criminal Court (ICC) trial, as many as 100 politicians on one occasion escorted them in a show of support.
Dozens more Kenyans came from all over the world and descended on The Hague to stage sometimes rowdy shows of solidarity.
When Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Mali Empire, reputed to be the wealthiest man ever (richer than Elon Musk today), embarked on his famous pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca in 1324, he broke all sorts of records.
Historical accounts note him travelling with at least 60,000 men, including soldiers, servants, about 12,000 slaves (carrying gold and gifts), and other members of his court.
To this day, when one becomes the first member of a rural Muslim community to make the Hajj, his or her whole village and mosque will escort them to the airport.
The first member of a family to travel abroad to study for a Master’s degree or certificate in nursing can still expect her whole family and part of the clan to show up to see them off – and in the generosity of their souls, bring along tea, maize flour, dried meat, and even live chickens for them to carry with them.
Anthropologists and cultural scholars have wrestled with why we do this.
Some say travelling to far places tends to carry greater novelty in poorer and generally “economically backward” societies.
I find the more persuasive argument to be that in the past, most people who travelled far away rarely returned.
In those days, they went to war or were migrating, and they hardly returned because they were killed (and there was no means to preserve bodies and fly them back), or they settled in new places, as happened with the Luo migration along the Nile.
Even presently, if one left Wadi Halfa at the Egypt-Sudan border at the age of 12, and ended up in Kisumu at the age of 35 having walked for 23 years, they are not trekking back. They will find a nice local girl to marry and settle down.
These were worldwide cultures, as witnessed during World War II in Europe and North America when families went to see their sons, brothers, and husbands get on trains and go off to fight Adolf Hitler’s German army.
Some African societies went further and buried citizens with their dead kings.
There are accounts from as late as the 1800s of Zulu kings being buried with their servants or wives.
This was seen as a way to ensure that the king would have company in the afterlife.
Some Yoruba communities in Nigeria practised “abobaku” (one who must die with the king), where subjects were expected to follow the king into the afterlife.
In the ancient Benin Kingdom, it was customary for some servants or wives to be buried with the Oba (king) to serve him in the afterlife.
In Ghana, there were traditions where, upon the death of an Ashanti king, some of his attendants or wives were buried with him.
Among the Kuba people of the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo, the tradition was for kings to be buried with various items and sometimes with human sacrifices to accompany them into life beyond.
Happily, these practices are no longer observed today, but they remain in spirit, much like the body part called the “coccyx,” which was once a tail in our evolutionary ancestors and serves no function today.
In African politics, escorting or receiving the big man serves a new strategic purpose.
If you are the one whose hand the president shakes last when he is catching a flight out, and the one he sees first upon his return, it could do wonders for your political career.
When he appoints his cabinet, he might remember you. If you are a cabinet minister and he is doing a reshuffle, he is likely to spare you.
If Raila Odinga gets the AU Commission gig, whose children or relatives is he likely to give a job if something opens up in Addis Ababa?
The ones of the guys who showed up to cheerlead for him when he was biting his nails as the vote was being counted, of course.
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
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