Kiranga
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The case is more complex than this text suggests.Article 15 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982 outlines how to determine the boundaries of a state's territorial sea when it shares a coast with another state.
Explanation
Article 15 of the UNCLOS is about the delimitation of territorial seas between states with adjacent or opposite coasts.
The delimitation of territorial seas is generally considered to be uncontroversial.
However, the interpretation and application of Article 15 can be challenging.
The UNCLOS is a legally binding rule of conduct that can result in state responsibility if breached.
Related concepts
The high seas are all parts of the ocean that are not part of a state's territorial sea, internal waters, archipelagic waters, or exclusive economic zone.
The high seas are open to all states, and they have freedoms like freedom of navigation, overflight, and laying submarine cables.
First things first UNCLOS was designed to be applicable to the seas, not internal waters. Internal waters usually have treaties, such as the Anglo-German Treaty which cover the border between Tanzania and Malawi. Tanzania inherited this treaty per the principles of the Nyerere Doctrine of State Succession and did not raise timely objections to the treaty, making it valid as a Tanzania Malawi treaty.
This is why Tanzania prefers arbitration over adjudication.
In fact, Nyerere and Kawawa both acknowledged that the legitimate border is on the eastern shore.
Where treaties exist, treaties take precedence over the principle of median line. This is why the border on Lake Victoria is not on the median line.
For a fuller exploration of this subject and its complexity, see below.