Via APA, Lilongwe (Malawi)
Malawi Minister of Foreign Affairs Ephraim Mganda Chiume said Monday that his country is determined to peacefully resolve the lake dispute currently raging with neighbouring Tanzania.
Chiume told the 9th Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Civil Society Organisations (CSO's) forum in Lilongwe that if resolved and finalised Malawi does not want the matter to resurface in order to avoid further tension, insecurity and instability in the region.
"We want this matter to be resolved diplomatically but with all the speed that it requires in order to avoid tension between the two very peaceful sister countries" he said.
Chiume disclosed that the two countries had met on the matter on several occasions but had reached a
deadlock before further agreeing on a roadmap on how to use further diplomacy to address the issue without resorting to inflammatory rhetoric.
One of the tenets of the roadmap, he said, was to refer the matter to the Africa Forum of Former Heads of State and Government, especially those among its members who hailed from Southern Africa because they would understand the historical, cultural and economic background of the crisis.
The minister said former presidents will make their consideration and decision on September 30 and should the leaders of the two countries be satisfied, the matter would be resolved conclusively.
He said that if they are dissatisfied with the recommendations, they will be at liberty to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice.
According to Chiume, the dispute between the two countries is nothing new, having resurfaced several times in the past especially whenever a change of administration takes place in both countries.
The controversy began during the colonial period when both countries were under British rule.
Malawi claims the lake in its entirety and calls it Lake Malawi while Tanzania says half of it in north belongs to it and refers to its waters as Lake Tanganyika.
Source: FT/as/APA 2013-08-12 15 - at: APANews.net
Malawi Minister of Foreign Affairs Ephraim Mganda Chiume said Monday that his country is determined to peacefully resolve the lake dispute currently raging with neighbouring Tanzania.
Chiume told the 9th Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Civil Society Organisations (CSO's) forum in Lilongwe that if resolved and finalised Malawi does not want the matter to resurface in order to avoid further tension, insecurity and instability in the region.
"We want this matter to be resolved diplomatically but with all the speed that it requires in order to avoid tension between the two very peaceful sister countries" he said.
Chiume disclosed that the two countries had met on the matter on several occasions but had reached a
deadlock before further agreeing on a roadmap on how to use further diplomacy to address the issue without resorting to inflammatory rhetoric.
One of the tenets of the roadmap, he said, was to refer the matter to the Africa Forum of Former Heads of State and Government, especially those among its members who hailed from Southern Africa because they would understand the historical, cultural and economic background of the crisis.
The minister said former presidents will make their consideration and decision on September 30 and should the leaders of the two countries be satisfied, the matter would be resolved conclusively.
He said that if they are dissatisfied with the recommendations, they will be at liberty to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice.
According to Chiume, the dispute between the two countries is nothing new, having resurfaced several times in the past especially whenever a change of administration takes place in both countries.
The controversy began during the colonial period when both countries were under British rule.
Malawi claims the lake in its entirety and calls it Lake Malawi while Tanzania says half of it in north belongs to it and refers to its waters as Lake Tanganyika.
Source: FT/as/APA 2013-08-12 15 - at: APANews.net
