Dare claim Lake Malawi as Army General Supuni assures protection against foreign aggression: ‘MDF on alert’
Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Commander General Griffin Supuni Phiri has assured President Peter Mutharika and the country of the soldiers’ protection against foreign or internal aggression.
General Supuni Phiri was speaking at Kamuzu Barracks in Lilongwe on Tuesday when President Peter Mutharika, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and vice president Saulos Chilima, attended MDF inter-denominational prayers.
“Your Excellency, your soldiers are ready to defend the people of this country from foreign and internal enemies.
“Malawians, and you, sir, should sleep peacefully, knowing that all your men are alert as a professional army,” he stated.
Phiri said: “We are ready whether it is day time or night time to fight anyone who wants to bring confusion in this country, whether he is a mercenary from outside or within.”
He said MDF success is based on discipline and patriotism among all the soldiers.
The statement by Supuni may be interprested as a stern warning to neighbouring Tanzania over the disputed border over Lake Malawi but Malawi government has maintained the possibility of war is off the table and maintains that the entire lake belongs to Malawi.
President Mutharika is on record arguing that the issue of the Lake Malawi, Africa’s third largest fresh-water body, is non-negotiable.
The dispute has been on and off since Tanzania and Malawi became independent from Britain in 1961 and 1964 respectively. Malawi’s founding president Hastings Kamuzu Banda reportedly warned his Tanzanian counterpart Mwalimu Julius Nyerere to clear off the lake or risk armed conflict.
But the issue resurfaced when the administration of the current President’s brother, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, contracted Surestream, a British company, to explore for the possibility of oil deposits on the northern reaches of the lake.
Tanzania warned that it will shoot down any exploration plane flying over what it claims to be its part of the lake.
But Malawi backs its claim over the entire lake on what is called the Heligoland Treaty of 1 July 1890, an arrangement between Great Britain and Germany that defined the two colonial powers’ respective spheres of influence in eastern Africa and gave Germany control over German East Africa (then comprising today’s MainlandTanzania, Burundi and Rwanda) and Britain over Malawi, including the entire lake.
Currently, a committee of former Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) leaders, led by former Mozambican president Joachim Chissano, are mediating into the dispute.
Meanwhile, Phiri also said the soldiers are determined to deal with anyone who tries to destroy the environment in any way.
The Army Commander, however, asked the Malawi leader that the MDF should have its military hospital at Kamuzu Barracks, saying resources should be injected in the facilities.
He said land is already available for the hospital to be constructed.
“We spend a lot of money for referrals but once we have the hospital here, a lot of Malawians, including civilians will benefit,” said Supuni Phiri.
President Mutharika said he is proud of Malawi army soldiers, saying they have earned their reputation locally and internationally.
“I want to commend MDF officers for their hard work and professionalism which is reflected in the good reports Malawi has from all countries they have gone to for peace keeping.
“I also want to commend them for the work they are doing here in helping during floods, protecting our environment and the ecosystem,” he said.
He assured that the military hospital will be a reality in the next two years.
President Mutharika and vice president Chilima also planted trees at the barracks.
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Comeon Malawians get educated.Firstly,I would like to admonish you that Lake Nyasa/Lake Malawi belongs to all of us Tanzanians,Malawians and africans alike and therefore,there is no need to tantalize our brothers and sisisters of Tanzania.Your economy has gone wrong not because the Tanzanians share the Lake which the Lord God created for us all.Malawians have lost sense of humanity and etiquetty which will lead to your disentigration and shame.Your President has led you to a perfidious economic tulmult which you will not get out of it, hence this naked distraction of Lake Nyasa claim so that Malawians forget about their economic hardship and join the President in the so-called nationalistic struggle.He has failed to build the economy of the country and now he wants Malawians to pay attention on his egenda of Lake Nyasa that will never ever uplift their economic ability to live like human beings in their own country.Mind you,the oil economy has not solved the devastating poverty of the overwhelming majority of Africans instead,it has created a clique of billionaires warlords,oligarchs,corporations,smugglers and the theft of Africa’s gargantuan wealth which has caused unimaginable humanitarian cataclysm.Malawians how can you forget the greatest failures of Muchenga Coal Mine and Kayelekera Uranium Mine which have put Malawi into shame of the century.Right now,we have in Africa a number of oil producing countries such as Gambia,Nigeria,Angola,Niger to mention a few,and the overwhelming people of these countries are living under the most atrocious and shameful conditions second to none.To sum up,Iam coerced to quote the observations of TOM BURGIS,British prolific Journalist who in his book,entitled,: THE LOOTING MACHINE.He wrote”The book offers vivid portraits of the individuals who have adapted the wholesale looting of Africa’s mineral resources for the benefit of oligarchic and state interests around the world.French,Chinese,Americans,Russians,Israelis,Brazilians–and not to mention small but rapacious African elites–are all involved in pillaging Africa’s natural resources to line their pockets with unbelievable sums and offer states strategic advantages in the distribution of critical commodities.Fellow Malawians,your President has failed to take you to the land of plenty and if he dares start a physical war or conflict with mighty Tanzania,he will loose both the lake and the country because Tanzanian Armed Forces are both war-hardened and very patriotic,try,you will be handily defeated and we Northerners,will join our brothers of Tanzania.Your President must know what are the priorities of our country like dire shortage of food,lack of medicines in the government hospitals,stopping rising crimes,unprecedented unemployment,rotten economy,nepotism so on and so forth.CRY COLD HEART OF AFRICA!!!!!!!!
There is no such effort by the army to be executed without orders unless such words are spoken by the president even in public it has a significance but when these words of protection are outspoken by the army, they come from a standard promising speech for the nations security nothing at all would suck relate to any thing in particular.
nonsense!
do not waste time the lake belongs to the users.Dr Banda left nyererr to use their other side of the lake when he withdrew Illala from moving along both sides of the lake.
I wonder with our archaic war vessels if we can withstand the Germany model weapons being tasted in Tanzania. Such threats should not be condoned.
Lets obliterate Tanzania from the face of Africa.
Their misplaced greed is their own peril.
Chalo nchinonono! Chalo nchinonono!
Malwai extends its borders to the port of Mbeya, so if it is true let us claim the piece of land which we offered Tanzania so that they dont bother us anymore. We can fight TZ with ease angoona kukhala ndi zida zochuluka koma sadziwa kumenya nkhondo.
I ask MDF to have unwavering approach towards this boader dispute. never surrender or submit to the will of thieves ,Tanzanians who claim what don’t belong to them. lake Malawi is for Malawians……
Atleast Joyce Banda was able to challenge Kikwete on this lake issue, this Muthalika is useless
Thanks, General, for assuring us of safety.
useless general of a poorly equipped and trained navy. The other side of the lake has been Tanzania’s since time in immemorial. TZ people have ports, fishing villages, resorts, boats that sail the lake without Malawi government intervention.
Time to work up Malawians. Osakakamila fupa lokaninirira mu mpoto
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Yes, it is good to be assured but doesn’t the Malawi Army know that people trust their eyes more than their ears? Kodi inu . . .
. . . What did the Malawi Army do when it was known that Tanzania is claiming that half of the lake is theirs? Nothing!
. . . What has the Malawi Army done when we all heard that Tanzania had deployed 3 cruise ships into the part of the lake they foolishly claim as theirs?
. . . What would a ready army or country do after noticing these savage and aggressive acts by Tanzania, if not go and physically guard the lake (chasing away all fishermen and others)?
. . . Nanga what else is the army waiting for, if these acts (by Tanzania) are not more than enough for it (the Malawi Army) to act by making themselves visible?
. . . Or the Army thinks that the only time to act is when the whole Malawi is invaded and not part thereof?
. . . Now, can you come and lie to us that you are ready to defend this country or part thereof, when you have shown all parameters of a dead body or dormant or non-existent army? Ha! Only fools will believe you!
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. . . Let the Malawi Army establish camps on and around the whole lake.
. . . Let Malawi (the Malawi Army) tell all fishermen on the Tanzanian side who, for years have freely used the lake to forthwith stop, and enforce the same. You can even, “Kill one, to warn a hundred.” – Chinese Proverb.
. . . Then come to us (or whichever fool) and tell us (or that fool), that you are ready to defend this country and we (or the fool) will believe you. Otherwise, Na!
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The notion that this dispute will end by way of nation to nation negotiation is far fetched. Even the use of mediators is to me a move merely aimed at showing the world that the two nations are committed to peace but the end results is that there wont be any movement. The rhetoric from the political and military leaders from the two countries does not provide any space fro meaningful negotiation.
What is funny about the leadership is that when they meet the talk is so rosy but in their individual capacities each talks like a marauding lion. Putting all this together one can clearly see that there are only two possible solutions to this stand-off. The first one, which is more viable, is the use of internationally recognised courts. This is likely going to take long and the outcome is largely dependent on the available evidence that may be tabled by the two parties before the learned law interpreters.
The second one is the military solution. A solution which is bitter with potential great loss of life of men in uniform as well as civilians from both countries. This has a potential to trigger other bilateral challenges. Trade between the two countries would be jeopardise. There would be increased cases of tit-for-tat actions. A good example is the recent arrest of Malawians in Tanzania and the subsequent of arrest of Tanzanians in Malawi.
Finally am glad to hear some assurance from general himself cos these politicians are unpredictable,all these years our nabours(Tanzanians) where were they? the way they are behaving it’s like they’re underrating us today by claiming part of the lake yet there’s enough facts been given for the lake to be fully owned by Malawi, is it because of minerals or what? these people are greedy and envy they don’t want there nabors to progress.