Tanzania and Russia Sign Religious Affairs Cooperation Agreement

What changed

Tanzania’s Chief Mufti, Sheikh Dr Abubakar Zubeir Bin Ally, and Russia’s Mufti, Sheikh Rawi Ainuddin, signed a religious-affairs cooperation agreement in Dar es Salaam on 28 October 2026. The framework links Tanzania’s National Muslim Council (BAKWATA) with Russia’s Religious Affairs Department, with stated aims including cooperation on religious matters, peace, love and community unity.

Why it matters

This gives religious cooperation between the two institutions a formal structure, rather than leaving it as an informal exchange between leaders. BAKWATA officials accompanied the Tanzanian Mufti, including its foreign-affairs director, Sheikh Sharif Twahir Musawa, and Qur’an and Da’awa director, Sheikh Othman Kaporo.

The agreement’s practical reach is still unclear: no timetable, funding, activities or legal status were reported. For now, its clearest consequence is institutional: BAKWATA and Russia’s Religious Affairs Department have created a shared framework through which future religious initiatives can be organised.