Malawi
has told Tanzania that the border crisis between the two countries should be
referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after talks between the
two countries hit a deadlock in Lilongwe on Saturday.
Tanzania
had insisted that oil exploration on the disputed Lake Malawi should stop, but
Malawi indicated it was not possible to so immediately because that would
breach its contract with the company doing the work.
The
countries have agreed to meet again from September 10 to 14 in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania.
Officials
from Tanzania and Malawi held closed door talks in Lilongwe on Saturday to map
the way forward on the Lake Malawi border dispute after week long talks held
earlier in Mzuzu where technical experts discussed the issue.
The
long standing dispute has resurfaced this year after Malawi started oil
exploration on the lake.
Tanzania
claims it owns half of the water body, and has called on Malawi to halt the
exploration, but Lilongwe has stood its ground saying it owns the whole lake.
A
press conference held after talks clearly indicated there was a stalemate.
Tanzania
foreign affairs minister Bernard Membe told reporters in the Malawi capital
that there could be other ways of resolving the dispute other than referring it
to the ICJ.
But
Malawi foreign affairs minister Ephraim Chiume said referring the matter to the
ICJ was the only solution.
He,
however, indicated that Malawi would still engage in talks with Tanzania in the
meantime.
Mr
Chiume said there was need for arbitration because the dispute has brought
uneasiness among the people living along the border in the both countries.
Malawi
foreign affairs secretary Patrick Kabambe said cabinet will decide the way
forward on the request by Tanzania to halt the oil exploration.
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