MW, MZ Convene to Resolve Border Disputes
The meeting has been organized to find resolutions to various issues, focusing on challenges faced by Malawian citizens residing in Mangochi-Makanjira
MANGOCHI, Malawi - A two-day joint technical meeting between Malawi and Mozambique took place at Nkopola Lodge, aimed at resolving longstanding issues concerning Malawian citizens facing obstacles in Mozambique, writes Maureen Kawerama.
Representatives from both Malawi and Mozambique have gathered for a crucial joint technical meeting to address pressing concerns regarding the Malawi-Mozambique border reaffirmation.
The meeting has been organized to find resolutions to various issues, focusing on challenges faced by Malawian citizens residing in Mangochi-Makanjira who are being prevented from accessing their gardens in the Mozambican territory due to boarder reaffirmation agreement.
"We are committed to finding solutions," said Ambassador BH Sande, Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Malawi.
In 2018, a significant agreement emerged from a similar meeting, stating that settlements and livelihoods of Malawian citizens in Mozambique would remain undisturbed until the completion of the border reaffirmation exercise initiated in 2011.
However, recent reports reveal that Mozambique police are preventing Malawians from accessing their lands, violating the terms of the agreement.
The meeting will also discuss safety concerns faced by Malawians while traveling on Mozambican roads, where incidents of physical assaults have been reported and they will also tackle the matter of stranded pegion peas exports from Malawi to India, currently held up in Beila, Mozambique.
According to Mr. Armando Chavana, director of the National Institute for Sea and Land Boundaries and leader of the Mozambican delegation, efforts would be made to sensitize Mozambican police to act peacefully towards their Malawian counterparts.
As discussions unfold, the hope is that this joint effort will not only strengthen diplomatic ties between the two nations but also provide concrete solutions to the challenges faced by the affected communities on both sides of the border.