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.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
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… Read more »
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