Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan made the most of her recent trip to the United States, signaling a desire for an improved relationship and deeper bilateral economic ties. Given U.S. interests in a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic East Africa, and the worrying trends in the region, her charm offensive should be met with enthusiasm in Washington. The U.S.-Tanzania relationship had been strained for years, first by frustrations with corruption that siphoned off a significant portion of the sizeable foreign assistance investment Washington had made in the country, and then by concern over the autocratic governance style of Hassan’s predecessor, John Magufuli. But since assuming office after the death of Magufuli in March 2021, Hassan has moved cautiously and deliberately to shore up her own position and to change the country’s direction.

An already tense security environment in the Horn of Africa is growing even more perilous.