Following concerns that exploration works on Lake Malawi may  aggravate the lake dispute between Tanzania and Malawi.

The concern follows after noting that among the six blocks that Lake Malawi is demarcated into for petroleum exploits, block 2 lies within the disputed waters. However, the Head of Oil and Gas Division in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Mining, Cassius Chiwambo, outlined that the exploration will not aggravate the dispute.

The partition of the lake’s surface area between Malawi and Tanzania is under dispute, as Tanzania claims that the international border runs through the middle of the lake. On the other hand, Malawi claims the whole of the surface of this lake that is not in Mozambique, including the waters that are next to the shoreline of Tanzania. Both sides cite the Heligoland Treaty of 1890 between Great Britain and Germany concerning the border.