Page 5 - GLNG Week 18 2021

GLNG COMMENTARY GLNG

Tanzania: A potential partner? deal are already favourable, in some respects.
If this is true, then Nyusi ought to consider the Tanzanian troops have already been stationed
prospect of a bilateral deal with Tanzania, for near the border, which lies just north of the areas
several reasons. where the Islamist group is active. Moreover,
For one thing, Tanzania has already indi- Tanzanian authorities are not averse to involve-
cated that it is willing to send at least some of ment in the matter, and they are keen to clear
its soldiers to Cabo Delgado. Its representative obstacles to the Tanzania LNG project, which
at last week’s SADC was part of the group that will involve Royal Dutch Shell (UK/Nether-
endorsed the proposal to deploy nearly 3,000 lands) and Equinor (Norway).
troops in northern Mozambique.
For another, Tanzania has a direct interest Overcoming old quarrels
in quelling the unrest in Cabo Delgado. ASWJ Reaching an agreement on this front would
fighters have attacked multiple villages near the probably not be easy. Relations between Tan-
Mozambique-Tanzania border over the last few zania and Mozambique have not always been
years, and they even struck a Tanzanian border smooth, and politicians might argue that ini- Tanzanian
post last October. Incidents of this type have led tiatives that benefit Mozambique, Total and
Tanzanian authorities to deploy troops near the the other LNG projects might hurt Tanzania, authorities are
border in a bid to protect the southern part of Equinor and Shell (and vice versa). not averse to
the country. However, Suluhu has already shown her-
Furthermore, Tanzania’s government ought self willing to apply herself to reconciling old involvement in
to understand what is at stake. The adminis- quarrels. Earlier this week, for instance, she
tration of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who travelled to Nairobi and met with Kenyan the matter, and
took office after her predecessor John Magufuli President Uhuru Kenyatta to discuss bilateral
died in March of this year, is eager to revive a trade and co-operation. The meeting, which they are keen to
large-scale LNG project. This scheme, known as lasted for several hours, resulted in the signing clear obstacles to
Tanzania LNG, bears some similarity to Total’s of more than a dozen memoranda of under-
plan, as it calls for major international oil com- standing (MoU), one of which envisions the the Tanzania LNG
panies (IOCs) to develop offshore gas fields and construction of a joint gas pipeline. As such, it
send their production to an onshore facility for served to reduce the some of the tension that project.
LNG production. And if ASWJ starts targeting built up between the two countries during
Tanzanian territory in earnest, it will face risks Magufuli’s time in office.
similar to those that forced Total to stop work on As of press time, it was not clear whether
Mozambique LNG. Mozambique’s government was contemplating
In short, if Nyusi wants bilateral deals, his any sort of arrangement with Tanzania along
administration ought to consider working with these lines. But it ought to consider doing so,
Tanzania against ASWJ. The conditions for a regardless of what SADC does next.™

Week 18 07•May•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P5