Govt for peaceful MW-MOZ boundary re-affirmation
Government has appealed for a peaceful boundary re-affirmation exercise between Malawi and Mozambique, saying Malawians and Mozambicans are one people.
Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Anna Kachikho made the appeal on Thursday in Mangochi during the opening of a three-day meeting of senior government officials from the two countries aimed at reviewing the boundary re-demarcation exercise and setting terms of reference.
She said: “We are brothers and sisters only separated by an imaginary line called an international boundary created by colonial administrators in the 1890s in air-conditioned offices in London and Lisbon.”
In his remarks, Mozambique National Institute for Sea and Boundaries president Manuel Ferrao said it was important to find lasting peaceful solutions.
“What is important is that all incidents are reported to relevant authorities for solutions within the framework of the joint cooperation between the two countries,” he said.
The re-affirmation exercise started in 2008 and has seen seven Malawian villages in Makanjira lying on the Mozambican side.
Last December, Mozambican Police shot a Malawian at Mkwapiti Village allegedly for trespassing. Malawians along the border have since said they are living in fear.
The meeting is a follow-up of another one held in Maputo, Mozambique on April 2 this year which recommended that the two sides meet for a review of terms of reference. n
