BY EMMANUEL ONYANGO
6th April 2013
Tanzania has brushed off claims by Malawi that it is working against the work of former SADC heads of state in their efforts to resolve the border conflict between the two States.
Speaking to reporters yesterday in Dar es Salaam, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Bernard Membe said the Tanzania government had since recalled its officer, Dr John Tesha, whom the Malawian government claims had been leaking information to the Tanzania government.
Membe has also called on the Malawian government to respect the agreement the two governments put forward in their last meeting held in Dar es Salaam on November 17, last year when the two parties had decided to take their matter to former SADC heads of state.
The decision was reached after four meetings to resolve the matter – which decided to forward the matter to the respective former heads of governments of SADC region committee members led by Joachim Chisano.
Ahead of the final outcome, the Malawian government has put many claims as to how they have lost confidence with the arbitration committee members on the grounds that one member Dr. John Tesha has been leaking information to the Tanzania government.
However, Membe has dismissed such claims as baseless and urged the Malawian government to honour the agreement arrived at in November last year.
The November agreement made clear that, in case one State would not be satisfied by the decision passed by the committee members of SADC heads of States, it would be allowed to make an appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for further judgment.
“This is the second time that the Malawian government has raised claims that Tanzania is making secret plans to manipulate members of the Arbitration committee,” he said.
This is not the first time Malawi has made such claims.
The government has said that it has confidence in Chisano’s committee – which draws membership of former Botswana President Festus Mogoe, former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki and Joachim Chisano himself, a former Mozambican President.
There are also seven lawyers experienced in conflict resolution drawn from different African countries -- Judge Raymond Ranjeva, a retired judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Professor George Kanyeihamba; a retired judge of the Ugandan High Court; Judge Baney Afako a legal consultant for Africa Union on issues related with Sudan border conflict, Dr. Gbanga Oduntun a law professor and a member of the crisis commission of the border dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon.
As the Chisano committee works on the issue, the Tanzania government has asked the Malawian government not to tamper with the current negotiations.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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