Contemporary Border Disputes Between Malawi and Tanzania Spark Issues – Malawi Nyasa Instances
Tensions between Malawi and Tanzania over territorial claims have deepened following the discharge of a brand new examine highlighting widespread confusion amongst border communities about land possession.
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 relating to their respective international locations.
Conducted by the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences and Tanzania’s Ardhi University, the examine examined a 9.6-kilometer stretch alongside the 475-kilometer border. It discovered that some parcels straddle the worldwide boundary, whereas others are inaccurately believed to fall within the mistaken nation.
“The findings depict the level of unawareness of the actual boundary by local communities, complicating land reform projects,” the report warns.
Malawians dominate possession within the space, accounting for 78.3% of landowners, however cultural exchanges and intermarriages with Tanzanians additional blur the traces of landholding and registration.
The examine recommends harmonizing authorized frameworks and land registration processes by bilateral agreements to deal with inconsistencies and stop additional disputes.
This confusion exacerbates current tensions over Lake Malawi, the place each nations lay declare. Earlier this yr, Tanzania constructed Mbamba Bay Port on contested waters and launched faculty maps depicting a revised border alongside the lake’s higher half.
Parliamentary Committee on International Relations chairperson Patrick Bandawe referred to as for pressing negotiations to resolve the disputes peacefully.
However, worldwide relations analyst Sherif Kaisi urged Malawi to take a agency stance. “We must insist the territory belongs to us and protect our borders resolutely,” he stated.
Efforts to safe feedback from Malawi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been unsuccessful.
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