Tanzania, Zambia experts meet to develop boarder work plan
SONGWE: A joint committee meeting of experts from Tanzania and Zambia is taking place in Songwe Region with eyes on a work plan developed to strengthening international boarder between the two Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries.
The five-day meet scheduled to be concluded in the town of Tunduma, Songwe Region today (Friday) was officiated by Songwe, Mr Daniel Chongolo.
The regional boss Mr Chongolo told experts from both countries that Tanzania was fully prepared to implement the boarder strengthening plan for the betterments of both nations.
Explaining the benefits of the initiative, RC Chongolo noted that strengthening of the international boarder between Tanzania and Zambia aims to establish better boarder management between the two countries as well as promoting peace, harmony, security, and the well-being of their people.
The Director of Surveying and Mapping from the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Human Settlements Development, who is leading the Tanzanian delegation, Mr Hamdouny Mansoor, said the meeting is part of the African Union’s plan to strengthen international boarders across African countries by the year 2027.
The Tanzania-Zambia border stretches approximately 345 kilometers, of which 100 km is land, 189km is the Kalambo River, and 56 km is Lake Tanganyika.
The exercise of strengthening international borders is part of the African Union agreement that, by 2027, all borders between African nations should be reinforced.
According to GIZ, most of Africa’s borders were drawn in colonial times and maintained after the independence of African states of which most of them are legally not clearly defined and not adequately demarcated with border pillars resulting in territorial grey areas that give rise to lawless spaces and conflicts over natural resources.
The African Union (AU) is aware of the issue and sees insufficiently defined borders as a threat to peace, security and state legitimacy and an obstacle to regional integration.
The AU Border Programme aims to promote clearly defined, internationally recognised and locally accepted state borders and viable cross-border cooperation with optimism that these measures may prevent conflict and increase security, stability and development in border regions.
