SubSaharan Africa 461
Outcome (and Settlement): Released (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Beginning in 1967, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda jointly operated sev-
eral ventures, including an airline called East African Airways. However, their joint
ventures suffered a number of problems. First, joint authority lay with the three presi-
dents, but Tanzanian President Nyerere had refused to meet with Ugandan President
Amin since Amin’s rise to power in 1971.
Second, the railway failed to meet its debt obligations because Tanzania sent its
contributions late. Third, in 1975, Amin threatened to withhold Uganda’s contribu-
tions unless the three presidents met, all while Tanzania and Uganda had a border
confrontation. In December, Kenya blamed Tanzania for the failures of the joint
ventures and said that it would not hold its own development back for the other two;
Uganda also established its own airline. Thus, most East Africa Airways planes were
grounded in Kenya.
On February 3, Kenya announced its intention to withdraw from East African Air-
ways to begin its own airline, Kenya Airways. Tanzania responded the next day by
closing the border with Kenya and seized cars, buses, light aircraft, and other vehicles
that were registered in Kenya, and it arrested the Kenyan bus drivers. Kenya released
a public statement protesting the move on February 6. Two days later Tanzania Presi-
dent Nyerere said that Tanzania closed the border in retaliation for Kenya’s actions.
Kenya, he said, threatened the East African Community, broke the East African Air-
ways Corporation, nationalized the harbors, seized four jointly owned ships on Lake
Victoria, and grounded the East African Airways fleet. On February 10, Tanzania
required resident Kenyans to carry passbooks. It released the bus drivers the next day
but prohibited tourists from entering by road from Kenya. Kenya allowed tourists to
enter from Tanzania, and on February 12, it announced that 3,000 Tanzanians had
applied for Kenyan citizenship. Tanzania and Kenya began discussions to reopen their
border on March 10, but the border remained closed until 1983.
Coding changes: End Date changed from February 14, 1977.
501 Kenya/520 Somalia
MID#1426
Dispute Number: 1426
Date(s): December 26, 1963 to December 29, 1963
Participants: 200 United Kingdom, 501 Kenya/520 Somalia
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (Negotiated)
Fatalities: Missing
Narrative: In 1963, Somali tribes in the Northern Frontier District informed Britain
that they wished to join the Somali state. The tribes boycotted Kenya’s May 1963
parliamentary elections and raided Kenyan military and police posts 33 times before
November 13. However, Kenya refused to cede the territory. Kenyan forces went on
alert in late December, and British troops aided Kenyan border patrols.
Coding changes: Added to the dispute: 200 United Kingdom. Start Date changed
from December 29, 1963. End Date changed from March 30, 1964.