I love the country of Tanzania! It will always be important to me, since I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and went on safari there. I saw exotic animals, including the big five! Climbing to the roof of Africa, crossing the Serengeti and traveling north to the Mara river was a fantastic adventure. As a team member of Parkers Climb, we raised thousands of dollars to raise awareness and fund research for Parkinsons disease. I’m proud to know the Tanzanian people seek mediation to resolve problems.
Tanzania asks for mediation over Lake Malawi dispute
By Fumbuka Ng’wanakilala
DAR ES SALAAM | Sat Oct 6, 2012 3:32pm EDT
DAR ES SALAAM Oct 6 (Reuters) – Tanzania called on Saturday for an international mediator to resolve a long-standing border dispute with Malawi, conceding the latest talks over territorial rights to Lake Malawi and its potential reserves of oil and gas have failed.
The call comes after Malawi accused its neighbour of intimidating its citizens, halting talks with Tanzania over the ownership of the lake.
“It is clear now, that we cannot resolve the issue between us,” Tanzania’s foreign affairs minister, Bernard Membe, told a news conference. “We will go ahead and propose a mediator, even if Malawi does not return to the negotiations.”
Lake Malawi, known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania, is Africa’s third largest lake and it is thought to sit over highly coveted oil and gas reserves.
Gas finds off Tanzania and Mozambique have led to predictions the region could become the third largest exporter of natural gas on the planet.
Malawi claims sovereignty over the entirety of the lake while Tanzania says it is entitled to 50 percent of it.
Tanzania wants an international mediator to be appointed from among former African presidents from the 15-nation trade bloc Southern African Development Community (SADC). Both Tanzania and Malawi are members of SADC.
Malawian officials have made it clear they will not continue with talks until Tanzania stops intimidating Malawi fishermen, an accusation denied by Dar Es Saalam.
Malawi said Tanzania had deployed military vessels on the lake, which Membe denied.
Malawi also wants Tanzania to withdraw a map that shows the border line passing in the middle of the disputed lake.
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