Malawi, Tanzania sets deadline for lake dispute talks
Malawi and its northern neighbour Tanzania have set a deadline for talks on the disputed Lake Malawi after a four year stalemate.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister Francis Kasaila said the two countries have agreed this year end as a deadline for the talks.
This follows the meeting of President Peter Mutharika and his Tanzanian counterpart John Magofuli recently had in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mediation to resolve the dispute has been stalled since 2012, but will be revived under the supervision of former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano.
“After the meeting of the presidents in Addis Ababa, we were told to write the high level mediation team which we did. Our mission in Mozambique has been following up with Mr Chissano and we are now assured that the matter would be concluded by the end of the year,” he said.
He said a series of meetings are planned in order to resolve the matter.
Malawi disputes Tanzania’s claim to half the lake–Africa’s third largest. The neighbours have clashed over their border since independence and reports that the lake had vast oil and gas reserves has reignited the ongoing dispute over the boundaries on Lake Malawi.
The government of Malawi awarded oil exploration licences to international firms such as Hamra Oil of United Arab Emirates to search for oil in the lake, which Tanzania calls Lake Nyasa.
Tanzania has in the past demanded that Malawi should halt exploration activities to allow for a diplomatic solution.
Mutharika said recently the issue of Lake Malawi was not negotiable, saying the lake belongs to Malawi.
The 54-year-old dispute stems from colonial-era border lines drawn around the 29,600 square kilometres (11,400 square miles) of Lake Malawi.
The case is still pending in International Court of Justice.
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I am in agreement with Zebron Henry Banda that there should be another partition of Africa. Some countries are not contented with the territories they were given. The partition in fact left tribes outside their original empires. For instance, tribes in the then Maravi Empire were apportioned to Portuguese Eats Africa, Tanganyika and Northern Rhodesia. Indeed, the African Union should call for a new partition of Africa. Great Britain and Germany should be involved so that they review the entire Heligoland Treaty. So too Belgium because they got hold of Burundi and Rwanda in the colonial era. I am sure… Read more »
Those who claim the Lake only belongs to Malawians are intoxicated with colonialism. Why should Tanzanias living on the other side of the lake also claim the heritage? This matter is about common waters and there is a law on how to deal with it. Do not listen to rhetoric from mad politicians who rely on notes from some junior officer in the Treaties office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
If Malawi and Tanzania set a deadline to end the lake wrangle, is there need to engage mediators who have so far shown incompetence to resolve the matter? Chisano and team must pay us back our money they pocketed for their sole of mediation – they have not produced results after waiting for five years now. I will rule Gambia for a billion years.
yes, start polishing the guns !!
Msowoya and Tapulika whatever you call yourself ,I hope u re out of senses you came all the way fro TZ and stay in northern part of Malawi ,and changed your name to be Msowoya u are fuck !,on Lake malawi there is no negotiation , kamuzu then never claimed part of Zambia, and why malawi was granted the full ownership of Lake malawi ,go back to history and ask your grand fathers what quickly read into this agreement, m be ya was part of Malawi then and Lake malawi protruded to part of Tanzania then agreement was made that… Read more »
Gentlemen, lets be realistic, Lake Malawi or Nyasa as known to our neighbours (Tanzanians), belongs to Malawi (HALF) and HALF to Tanzania. The ongoing dispute and shoutings like beds in a nest be left to IDIOTS. The wise concentrate on how to make use and benefit from the lake waters for their developments..
Are you one of those idiots who see BEDS in nests? Hahahahahahahah
lake malawi belongs to Malawians not tanzanians. even Tanzanian’s former President Julius Nyerere said that no single drop of water from lake Nyasa belongs to Tanzanians so why Tanzanians are behaving like cowards??
The dispute over lake Nyasa did not start after independence.What started after independence was the issue of Land Borders between Malawi,Tanzania,Zambia and Mozambique and this was hatched by Banda’s neo-colonialist regime.The provocateur,the former Malawi brutal and corrupt tyrant Hastings Banda claimed parts of Tanzania in the South such as Iringa,Songea,Mbamba-Bay,Mbeya and Tukuyu while in Zambia he claimed all parts of North-East and in Mozambique,he claimed Tete Province that he said used to be his grand-father’s domain.Since all three countries warned him to try and see the ramifications thereafter,he waged his tail between his legs like a dog and,the issue ended… Read more »
What did you eat this morning?
ITHINK WE ARE NOT TALKING THE ASME HERE ARE IN MALAWI OR NOT? THIS IS MADNESS FROM YOU SIR OR MADAM ITS BETTER TO KEEP YOUR PIT CLOSED.
Malawi and Tanzania have been in long term cordial relationship,dating back to pre-colonial era. Many Tanzanians have married Malawians and visa versa,in short we are like brothers and sisters. In fact in Tanzania there’s a tribe called the Nyakusya,whose Paramount chief lives on the Malawian side together with the Malawian Nyakusya’s. So if there’s a funeral on either side Malawians and Tanzanians mourn together,so do they share joy when there’s a wedding or any kind of celebration. This has been the norm for years and generations,until something happened, COLONIALISM!!! Now things have changed, no more trusting each other between Malawians… Read more »
pple can be listening to bile spewed by arrogant and damn crazy taifas.they should tell the AU that there should be a new partition of Africa.All existing borders be frozen forthwith.that’s the best solution.and they should stop harrassing malawians or theirs will follow suit.imbeciles can hardly comprehend this issue’s complicity.