Julius K. Nyerere and Tanzania’s Foreign Policy Vis-À-Vis Uganda: The Moshi Conference And Tanzania’s Foreign Policy-Proceedings, Outcomes, And Implications For Uganda–Tanzania Relations

Abstract

This article examines Tanzania’s foreign policy toward Uganda under the leadership of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, with particular reference to the 1979 Moshi Conference. Convened during the Uganda–Tanzania War (1978–1979), the conference represented a decisive African-led diplomatic intervention aimed at establishing a post-Amin political order in Uganda. By analyzing the conference’s proceedings, resolutions, and immediate outcomes, the study evaluates its broader implications for Uganda–Tanzania relations and regional diplomacy in East Africa. Drawing on historical and diplomatic analysis, the article argues that the Moshi Conference embodied Nyerere’s distinctive fusion of moral leadership and political pragmatism. While the conference succeeded in facilitating political transition and enhancing Tanzania’s regional standing, it also generated long-term diplomatic tensions rooted in sovereignty, political autonomy, and post-conflict governance challenges.

Keywords: Julius K. Nyerere; Tanzania foreign policy; Moshi Conference; Uganda–Tanzania relations; East Africa; diplomacy

DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/85-04

Publication date: March 31^st 2026