Fresh Border Disputes Between Malawi and Tanzania Spark Concerns
Tensions between Malawi and Tanzania over territorial claims have deepened following the release of a new study highlighting widespread confusion among border communities about land ownership.

The report, titled Adjudication and Demarcation of Land Parcels in Cross-Border Areas – A Case of Malawi-Tanzania Border at Songwe-Nkhanga, reveals that 11.11% of surveyed land parcels are misidentified by landowners regarding their respective countries.
Conducted by the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences and Tanzania’s Ardhi University, the study examined a 9.6-kilometer stretch along the 475-kilometer border. It found that some parcels straddle the international boundary, while others are inaccurately believed to fall in the wrong country.
“The findings depict the level of unawareness of the actual boundary by local communities, complicating land reform projects,” the report warns.
Malawians dominate ownership in the area, accounting for 78.3% of landowners, but cultural exchanges and intermarriages with Tanzanians further blur the lines of landholding and registration.
The study recommends harmonizing legal frameworks and land registration processes through bilateral agreements to address inconsistencies and prevent further disputes.
This confusion exacerbates existing tensions over Lake Malawi, where both nations lay claim. Earlier this year, Tanzania constructed Mbamba Bay Port on contested waters and introduced school maps depicting a revised border along the lake’s upper half.
Parliamentary Committee on International Relations chairperson Patrick Bandawe called for urgent negotiations to resolve the disputes peacefully.
However, international relations analyst Sherif Kaisi urged Malawi to take a firm stance. “We must insist the territory belongs to us and protect our borders resolutely,” he said.
Efforts to secure comments from Malawi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs were unsuccessful.