Lake Malawi talks progress and results due Saturday

Malawians will have to wait until Saturday for briefing on the progress and results of talks seeking to resolve border issues that have emerged between Malawi and neighbouring Tanzania over Lake Malawi.

Deputy Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eunice Chipangula confirmed that there would be no briefing on what has transpired as the only briefing on the issue will be one by ministers from the two countries on Saturday.

According to a schedule of the talks, Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Membe and his Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development Anna Tibaijuka, would be part of the ministerial meeting in Lilongwe on Friday along with their Permanent Secretaries John Haule and Patrick Rutabanzibwa, respectively.

Experts from the two countries had been meeting in Mzuzu from Monday and were scheduled to conclude talks on the issue Wednesday before presentation of their consensus to their line ministers later.

However, the two sides were still locked in discussions by Wednesday evening, forfeiting an afternoon break for tea instead opting to have a working tea break pointing to a possible lack of consensus.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ephraim Mganda Chiume was not available to provide updates on the talks as he wasn’t picking calls.

However, he warned when he opened the talks on Monday against what he termed careless talk saying it was easy to break them down at a time multitudes in the two countries itched for a lasting solution on the issue.

As we went to press last evening the two parties were still locked up in a meeting.