Demand spread for respect of treaties, resolutions over Lake Malawi row.

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Category: News Flash

Published on Monday, 06 August 2012 16:25

Written by Online Journalist

There are wide spread demands for the governments of Malawi and Tanzania to respect the treaties signed by their colonial rulers as a resolution to the ongoing wrangle over the border and ownership of Lake Malawi.

A fresh row over the ownership of the lake has erupted between the two neighbouring countries after the Malawi government issued a license to a British firm Sure Stream in 2011 to prospect for oil and gas on the giant lake which covers one third of the country.

Tanzania reportedly wants 50 percent ownership of the Lake basing on the common international law, which stipulates that where two countries are separated by a body of water the boundary should be on the middle of that body of water a situation which is different between the neighbouring countries.

On the other hand, Malawi claims full ownership of the lake with the eastern shores of the lake as borders; citing the Heligoland Treaty in 1890 signed by Germany and Britain – colonial masters of Tanzania and Malawi respectively, and the OAU resolution of 1963 which states that member states should recognize and accept the borders that were inherited at the time of independence.

The 1963 resolution was also adopted by the African Union resolutions in 2002 and 2007.

The Malawian authorities say the Tanzania’s argument is baseless with the presence of a treaty.

Political Science lecturer at the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College Mustapha Hussein told Capital Radio that “the two nations should learn from some countries in the great lakes region such as Burundi and DR Congo how they referred to previous treaties to resolve such matters.”

Most people, in random interviews in Malawi's major cities by Capital Radio, want Tanzania to respect the colonial treaties,wondering why Tanzania authorities wants part of the Lake at a time when Malawi want prospect oil and gas on the lake.

"The Lake is named Lake Malawi, obvisiously it means it belongs to Malawi

Last week, Tanzania’s Foreign Affairs Minister Benard Membe was quoted by the country’s media warning that further exploration of oil in Lake Malawi will jeopardize the ongoing negotiations and ignite security threat.

But Malawi’s Foreign Affairs minister Ephraim Chiume told reporters on Friday that the government has begun talks with Tanzania to resolve the border dispute over the Lake.

He said “the fact that the two countries are engaged in open and cordial discussions over the issue is a very good signal and therefore there should be no reason for any anxiety.”

Minister of foreign affairs Ephraim Mganda Chiume said although the government is trying to have the matter resolved amicably, the Heligoland treaty also known as the Anglo –Germany agreement gives Malawi the rightful claim to the whole lake.