Scholar urges urgent diplomatic talks as Dodoma slaps ban on Malawi’s agricultural exports
Tanzania slaps ban on Malawi's exports
An international relations scholar is urging the Malawian government to urgently engage Tanzania in high-level diplomatic talks following a ban imposed by Dodoma on agricultural exports and transit goods from Malawi.
Sheriff Kaisi, a lecturer and expert in diplomacy and international relations, described the development as a diplomatic concer that requires immediate intervention to avoid straining relations between the two neighboring countries.
“The government of Malawi must swiftly engage Tanzania through diplomatic channels to address this matter before it escalates.”
Kaisi’s remarks come in the wake of a viral video in which Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, announced an immediate ban on the export and transit of agricultural products to and through Tanzania from Malawi.
According to Bashe, the decision was made in response to Malawi’s restriction on the importation of certain Tanzanian products, including bananas and flour, despite earlier demands from Tanzania to lift the ban.
Reacting to the development, Malawi’s Minister of Information and Government Spokesperson, Moses Kunkuyu, said the government is yet to receive formal communication from Tanzanian authorities.
“I have seen a video purportedly from a minister from Tanzania, but we haven’t seen any official communication on the matter. We will update the nation later today,” Kunkuyu said, adding that a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is scheduled for today to assess the situation and determine the way forward.
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