Zambia and Tanzania have agreed to strengthen security on the Tazama oil pipeline co-owned by the two countries, Zambia's Defense Minister Ambrose Lufuma has said.
According to the official, the pipeline is threatened by the route it takes through local communities.
"There have been security concerns, as the pipeline passes through communities in both countries. Previously, the pipeline was transporting commingled products, but now it has been upgraded to finished products, hence the need for further security," Lufuma said.
A major damage to the pipeline struck this May. Back then, the pipeline was ruptured by a road contractor, resulting in an oil spill of more than 6,200 barrels.
For his part, Tanzania's Energy Minister January Makamba said the project requires protection as it represents the legacy of the two nations’ founding fathers, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and Tanzania's Julius Nyerere.
"This is why the present-day governments of President Samia Suluhu Hassan [of Tanzania] and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia have demonstrated a commitment to ensure that the facility continues to be safeguarded for the benefit of our two nations and citizens," Makamba said.
The agreement is based on the recommendations of the first intergovernmental meeting on the Tazama pipeline held in December 2022 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Tazama Pipelines Limited was incorporated in 1968 and is owned by the government of Zambia, with 66.7% interest, and the government of Tanzania, with 33.3% interest.
The company was established for the purpose of low cost transportation of crude oil or petroleum products from the port of Dar es Salaam to landlocked Zambia, according to the company's website.