HAVANNA: President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s state visit to Cuba has been postponed following an alert issued by Havana authorities about the impending arrival of Hurricane Rafael.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, issued on Thursday, noted that the Cuban government released a weather advisory warning that Hurricane Rafael is expected to make landfall between November 6 and 7, 2024.

In response, the Cuban government has suspended all incoming and outgoing flights within the country as a safety measure, leading to the postponement of President Samia’s visit.

During her visit, President Samia was scheduled to attend the International Kiswahili Conference today.

She and the Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel had also planned to jointly launch a Spanish-Kiswahili dictionary and introduce a new book of common Spanish and Kiswahili expressions, developed through collaboration between the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Havana.

These initiatives aim to promote Tanzanian culture and the Kiswahili language in Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

Despite the postponement, President Samia has directed that all scheduled activities proceed under the oversight of Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Kombo, in coordination with the Minister of Culture, Arts, and Sports, Dr Damas Ndumbaro.

The Ministry also stated that the visit will be rescheduled to a later date, pending an agreement between the two governments on a suitable time.

The visit was also expected to further strengthen Tanzania’s ties with Cuba, particularly in healthcare, education, and cultural exchange.