TANZANIA, MALAWI TURN TO FORMER AFRICAN HEADS TO FIND SOLUTION TO THE LAKE NYASA BORDER DISPUTE

Hon. Bernard K. Membe (MP), Tanzania's Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, (seated - center), signs a Joint Letter Application on behalf of President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.  Witnessing the occasion is Judge Frederick Werema (left), Attorney General, H.E. Shamim Nyanduga (right), Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Republic of Mozambique and Mr. Abdallah Mtibora (standing), Legal Service Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Joint Letter was submitted on behalf of the United Republic of Tanzania's President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and the Republic of Malawi's President Joyce Banda to the Chairperson of the Forum, retired President Joaquim Chissano, who is also the former President of the Republic of Mozambique.  The joint effort is to seek mediation in the latter to resolve the historical Lake Nyasa border dispute. 

Hon. Ephraim Chiume, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Malawi (2nd left), signs the joint Letter of Application, while the Malawi Attorney General Anthony Kamanga (2nd right) witnessing the occasion, together with two Legal Service Officers from the Malawi Government.

Tanzania Foreign Minister Bernard K. Membe (left) speaking to the Chairperson of the Forum, retired President Joaquim Chissano, who is also the former President of the Republic of Mozambique.

Hon. Bernard K. Membe (MP) (3rd left) relaying Tanzania position in respect to the Lake Nyasa Border dispute before the retired President Chissano (right).  Listening on are Ambassador Nyanduga (left and Attorney General Werema (2nd left).

Hon. Bernard K. Membe (MP), Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation officially submits a Joint Letter Application to the Chairperson of the Forum, retired President Joaquim Chissano, who is also the former President of the Republic of Mozambique.  The Joint Letter Application is submitted on behalf of H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania as the joint spirit effort to find solution to the Lake Nyasa border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi. 

Hon. Ephraim Chiume, Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Republic of Malawi officially submits a Joint Letter Application to the Chairperson of the Forum, retired President Joaquim Chissano, who is also the former President of the Republic of Mozambique.  The Joint Letter Application is submitted on behalf of H.E. Joyce Banda, President of the Republic of Malawi as a joint spirit effort to find solution to the Lake Nyasa border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi.

Chairperson of the Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government, retired President Joaquim Chissano, reviewed Joint Letter of Application submitted by both Tanzania and Malawi in the spirit effort to find solution to the Lake Nyasa border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi. 

Retired President Joaquim Chissano (center) in group photo with Hon. Bernard K. Membe (MP), Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation on behalf of President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania and Hon. Ephraim Chiume (right), Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Malawi on behalf of President Joyce Banda of Malawi. 

Retired Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano, who is also a Chairperson of the Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government addresses members of the press. Listening on are Hon. Bernard K. Membe (MP) (left), Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation in Tanzania and Hon. Ephraim Chiume (right), Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Malawi.

Hon. Membe (2nd left), presents Joint Letter of Application to retired President Joaquim Chissano, Chairperson of the Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government, before members of the press (not in the photo).  Others in the photo are Judge Frederick Werema (left), Attorney General of Tanzania, Hon. Chiume (2nd right), Minister for Foreign Affairs in Malawi and Mr. Anthony Kamanga(right), Attorney General of Malawi.  

Hon. Chiume (right), presents Joint Letter of Application to retired President Joaquim Chissano, Chairperson of the Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government, before members of the press (not in the photo).  Left is Hon. Bernard K. Membe, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation in the United Republic of Tanzania.

 

Story and Photos by TAGIE DAISY MWAKAWAGO,

Maputo, Mozambique

Tanzania and Malawi today  officially presented their Joint Letter of Application before the Forum of Former African Heads of State and Government in the spirit effort to find solution to the Lake Nyasa border dispute.

The Joint Letter was submitted on behalf of the United Republic of Tanzania's President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and the Republic of Malawi's President Joyce Banda to the Chairperson of the Forum, retired President Joaquim Chissano, who is also the former President of the Republic of Mozambique.

Leading the Tanzania delegation, Hon. Bernard K. Membe (MP), Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation said that the Forum is expected to review and evaluate any and all proposed argument papers from both countries and issue a suitable recommendation.

On his part, President Chissano said that he was humbled by the solidarity spirit showed by both countries in finding a lasting solution to the long history border dispute.

The two countries have been in ongoing negotiations for two years over the Lake Nyasa border dispute without any formidable solution.

"We have now decided to appeal to the African Forum of Former Heads of State and Government to mediate the matter and find amicable solution. We are jointly requesting that the mediation team should be conformed of former democratically elected Leaders originating from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)," said Hon. Membe.  

Hon. Chiume of Malawi also asserted that both countries have expressly requested that the Forum’s former Leaders that derived from Tanzania and Malawi should therefore be excluded in mediating this border dispute due to their immediate conflict of interest.  Said former Leaders are President Ali Hassan Mwinyi (Tanzania), former President Benjamin W. Mkapa (Tanzania) and former President Bakili Muluzi (Malawi).

For Tanzania, Judge Frederick Werema, Attorney General, H.E. Shamim Nyanduga, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania and members of press from Tanzania were all present during the occasion.  For Malawi, the delegation was led by Hon. Ephraim Chiume, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Anthony Kamanga, Attorney General and other legal service officers from the Malawi Government.

The Forum is expected to work on the matter for a period of four months or more starting January 2013, in an effort to find amicable solution to the Lake Nyasa border dispute.