Tanzania na Malawi ziko ukingoni mwa mvutano wa Kidiplomasia kufuatia uamuzi wa Tanzania kuboresha Bandari ya Mbamba Bay, iliyoko kwenye mwambao wa Ziwa Nyasa.
Malawi imeilaumu Tanzania kwa kuanzisha mradi wa kuboresha na kupanua Bandari ya Mbamba Bay kwenye Ziwa Nyasa bila kuomba ridhaa, huku mzozo wa mpaka wa ziwa kati ya nchi hizo mbili ukiwa bado haujatatuliwa.
Bandari ya Mbamba Bay itakuwa kichocheo muhimu cha soko la Kusini, kuongeza mizigo na ufanisi katika bandari ya Mtwara. Mradi wa Maendeleo wa Mtwara ni mradi mkubwa wa maendeleo ya miundombinu unaohusisha Kusini mwa Tanzania, Kaskazini mwa Msumbiji, Mashariki mwa Malawi na Mashariki mwa Zambia. Mradi huu unalenga kutoa huduma ya barabara, reli na njia ya maji kutoka mikoa jirani hadi Bandari ya Mtwara.
Mizigo kutoka Bandari ya Mtwara itasafirishwa kwa barabara hadi Bandari ya Mbamba Bay, ambayo ina umbali mfupi zaidi na gharama ya chini zaidi ya kuhamisha mizigo kwenda Malawi. Mchakato wa kumpata mkandarasi unaendelea, na malipo ya fidia kwa watu waliohamishwa ili kupisha mradi vimefanyika. Mradi wa Mbamba Bay ni muhimu kwa ukuaji wa uchumi Kusini mwa Tanzania.
Malawi imeiomba rasmi Tanzania kusitisha mradi huo, hatua ambayo huenda ikazidisha mvutano kati ya nchi hizo jirani. Katika barua kwa mamlaka ya Tanzania, Serikali ya Malawi inasisitiza kwamba kuendelea na mradi katika eneo la Malawi bila kibali ni kinyume cha sheria
Malawi inasisitiza kuwa mradi huo unapaswa kusitisha hadi mashauriano sahihi yafanyike na ridhaa ipatikane kutoka kwa Serikali ya Malawi.
"Serikali ya Malawi ingependa kueleza kwamba kuanzisha mradi kama huo katika eneo la Malawi bila kibali cha nchi hiyo ni kinyume cha sheria, na kuomba mradi huo usitishwe hadi mashauriano hayo muhimu na baada ya kupata kibali kutoka kwa serikali ya Malawi," amesema barua.
Zaidi ya hayo, Malawi inaitaka Tanzania kujiepusha na vitendo vinavyoweza kuvuruga mchakato wa utatuzi wa migogoro na kuhatarisha haki za kihistoria na kisheria za Malawi kwa Ziwa zima.
Mamlaka ya Bandari Tanzania (TPA) tayari imetia wino mkataba wa ujenzi wa bandari hiyo wenye thamani ya dola milioni 31.8 na kampuni ya Xiamen Ongoing Construction Group ya China kwa ajili ya ujenzi wa bandari hiyo, na makadirio ya muda wa kukamilika kwa bandari hiyo ni ya miezi 24.
Suala la mpaka ambalo halijatatuliwa kati ya mataifa hayo mawili limedumu kwa zaidi ya muongo mmoja, huku juhudi za upatanishi zikishindwa kuleta matokeo madhubuti. Malawi inakubali kwamba mpaka huo unapaswa kufuata ufuo wa Ziwa Nyasa, kama ilivyoainishwa katika Kifungu cha 1(2) cha Mkataba wa Anglo-German wa 1890.
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Tanzania and Malawi are on the brink of a diplomatic standoff following Dodoma’s decision to upgrade Mbamba Bay Port, situated on the shores of Lake Malawi.
Lilongwe accuses Tanzania of initiating the project without consultation, given the contested nature of the port between the two nations.
Malawi has faulted Tanzania for embarking on a project to upgrade and expand Mbamba Bay Port on Lake Malawi without seeking consent, as the lake boundary dispute between the two countries remains unresolved.
The port of Mbamba Bay will be an important driver of the Southern market, increasing cargo and efficiency at Mtwara’s port. The Mtwara Development Project is a major infrastructure development project involving southern Tanzania, northern Mozambique, eastern Malawi and Eastern Zambia. This project aims to provide road, rail and waterway access from the surrounding region to the Port of Mtwara.
Cargo from Mtwara Port will be transported by road to Mbamba Bay Port, which has the shortest distance and the lowest cost for transferring cargo to Malawi. The procurement process to find a contractor is ongoing, and compensation payments to people who were relocated to pave the way for the project have been made.
The Mbamba Bay project was crucial for economic growth in southern Tanzania.
Malawi has formally requested Tanzania to suspend the project, a move likely to escalate tensions between the neighbouring countries.
In a letter to Tanzanian authorities, the Government of Malawi asserts that proceeding with the project on Malawian territory without consent is irregular and illegal.
Malawi insists that the project should cease until proper consultations are conducted and consent is obtained from the Malawian government.
“The Government of Malawi would like to express that embarking on such a project on Malawi’s territory without the country’s consent is irregular and illegal, and request that the project be halted until such necessary consultations and upon being given consent from the government of Malawi,” reads a letter.
Furthermore, Malawi urges Tanzania to refrain from actions that could disrupt the dispute settlement process and jeopardise Malawi’s historical and legal rights to the entirety of Lake Malawi.
The Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) has already inked a $31.8 million construction deal with China’s Xiamen Ongoing Construction Group for the port, with a projected completion timeline of 24 months.
The unresolved boundary issue between the two nations has persisted for over a decade, and mediation efforts have failed to yield conclusive results.
Malawi contends that the boundary should follow the shoreline of Lake Malawi, as stipulated in Article 1(2) of the 1890 Anglo-German Treaty.
Source:
Tanzania and Malawi are on the brink of a diplomatic standoff - Robert Lansing Institute