THE LAKE NYASA BORDER DISPUTE BETWEEN TANZANIA AND MALAWI: A NEED FOR LEGAL SOLUTION

Authors

  • Anthony Mzurikwao Tanzania Institute of Accountancy
  • Kephas Ugula Tanzania Institute of Accountancy

Abstract

Lake Nyasa has been a focal point of a long standing border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi, which remains unresolved to date. The dispute has impaired diplomatic relations, deterred investment, stalled exploration and inflamed localized tensions. This article navigates the historical, legal and economic facets of the
dispute. It shows how the two international law doctrines: uti possidetis juris and median line/equidistance, are used by the disputants to solidify their claims. To clear this legal quagmire, and being supported by the theory of legal interpretivism, the article argues for the need of a legal solution. A legal solution through adjudication or
arbitration is a matter of necessity to unlock the lake’s abundant economic potential, propel regional intertrade,
upholding peaceful coexistence between Tanzania and Malawi, and ultimately attain sustainable economic
development.

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Author Biographies

Anthony Mzurikwao, Tanzania Institute of Accountancy

Anthony B. Mzurikwao (PhD) is a lecturer at the Tanzania Institute of Accountancy (TIA). He is also an Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania. Contact: anthony.mzurikwao@tia.ac.tz

Kephas Ugula, Tanzania Institute of Accountancy

Kephas P. Ugula is an Assistant Lecturer at the Tanzania Institute of Accountancy (TIA). He is also an Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania. Contact: kephas.ugula@tia.ac.tz

Eastern Africa Law Review

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Published

2026-05-01

Issue

Vol. 51 No. 2 (2024): Eastern Africa Law Review

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Anthony Mzurikwao, Kephas Ugula

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This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, adaptation, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.