Border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi may go to the ICJ

A briefing on the border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi regarding the demarcation of Lake Malawi, which may be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) following the breakdown of diplomatic negotiations.

• President Joyce Banda announced that the border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi concerning Lake Malawi might be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The conflict was reignited in 2012 following reports of potential oil deposits and Malawi's decision to grant an exploration licence to the British company Surestream.
• The two nations hold conflicting legal views on the border: Malawi relies on an 1890 treaty between Britain and Germany, while Tanzania argues that international law of the sea dictates the lake should be split in half. This is part of a broader issue where only approximately 25% of African borders are demarcated.
• Diplomatic negotiations failed last month after Tanzania presented a map claiming Lake Malawi as its territory. Tensions have risen with reports of Tanzania threatening to attack Malawian boats and intimidating Malawian fishermen.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi may go to the ICJ. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/border-dispute-between-tanzania-and-malawi-may-go-to-the-icj

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi may go to the ICJ. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/border-dispute-between-tanzania-and-malawi-may-go-to-the-icj.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi may go to the ICJ |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/border-dispute-between-tanzania-and-malawi-may-go-to-the-icj |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndborder, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Border dispute between Tanzania and Malawi may go to the ICJ}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/border-dispute-between-tanzania-and-malawi-may-go-to-the-icj}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }