DAR ES SALAAM, June 3 -- TANZANIANS attention will be focused firmly on Russia this week as President Samia Suluhu Hassan begins a historic three-day state visit to the Eastern economic powerhouse today.

Rather than a routine diplomatic engagement, this mission marks a deliberate step to deepen ties with the booming economies of the global East and South, tapping into fresh avenues of capital, trade, and technology.

Encompassing a high-level bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin and participation in the prestigious St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the visit highlights a broader continental shift where Africa is actively broadening its traditional economic alliances to secure new, highly strategic growth fron...