Photo: Daily News Dodoma — ALL diplomatic channels should be exhausted in a quest to resolve the simmering border conflict with neighbouring Malawi but if need be, the country's armed forces are ready for any eventuality.
"We know the cost of war because of our experience in Uganda. We want to urge the government, as the Minister for Foreign Affairs said in Parliament, that let's exhaust all diplomatic channels but if need be, we are ready to defend our sovereignty at any cost," said Committee Chairman, Edward Lowassa.
Mr Lowassa said this after a briefing of the Committee made by senior Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF) officers at Bunge offices here that the army is well prepared for any military confrontation, if diplomacy fails.
The 'Daily News' witnessed a team of infantry, air-force and navy senior officers coming out of the briefing room, some of whom were clad in military fatigues, while others were carrying wall maps apparently showing the disputed waters on Lake Malawi.
"We are satisfied with progress being made by the government on the diplomatic front but also military preparations must be made to make sure that all options are available when it comes to making the final decision," a calm looking Lowassa said while warning on the consequences of war.
In another development, Malawi vowed yesterday to press on with oil and gas exploration on Lake Nyasa, dismissing a demand by Tanzania, which claims half of the lake, to halt prospecting. "We categorically put it to them (Tanzania) that as far as we are concerned, the entire lake belongs to Malawi," Patrick Kabambe, principal secretary in the ministry of foreign affairs, said in a statement.
"So our view is that there is no reason to stop the project," he added. Tanzania has claimed that 50 per cent of the lake which forms its border with Malawi is part of its territory.
Tanzanian Foreign Minister Benard Membe urged on Monday that "exploration activities in the northeast part of the lake should be shelved to pave way for the ongoing discussions to resolve the crisis."
Malawi, a former British colony, and Tanzania, once ruled by Germany, are due to hold talks on the disputed border in the northern Malawian town of Mzuzu on August 20.
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Hillarious! I knew some politicians will jump on this to show that they care for Tanzania and the Tanzanians!
Bloody fools! War is not just 'an action' For the dirt, poor and godfrosaken Tanzania to speak about war is....just laugheable. Who you will beg to finance your war?
if it comes to war! sababu tunayo, nguvu tunayo na uwezo tunao why not!
i believe Tanzania's step towards stopping itS oil exploration activities in the northern part of the lake for diplomatic talks with malawi was the right thing a democratic and respectable government would do with a neighbour and statement issued by government concerning diplomatic talks and war if these talks stall was righteous....i personally consider malawi minister of foreign affairs a wrong leader for failure to withdraw its oil exploration activities on the lake in favour of diplomatic talks if these malawians fail to respect our peaceful call lets take on our disciplinary actions on these so called useless african leaders like we previously did with amin. MUNGU IBARIKI TANZANIA MUNGU IBARIKI AFRICA!!!!
To be honest we Tanzanians know the lake belongs to malawi. we only need their Oil. come on malawi we wil destroy u as we did with Idi amin