Relationship dossier
Tanzania
Zambia
Relationship assessment
Shared railway and petroleum infrastructure underpin sustained Tanzania–Zambia cooperation
Tanzania toward Zambia
+50Tanzania participates with Zambia in the joint ownership and operation of the TAZARA railway, providing a rail link between Zambia and the Tanzanian coast. Tanzania also participates in the TAZAMA petroleum pipeline arrangement, which carries fuel from Tanzania to Zambia.
Zambia toward Tanzania
+50Zambia participates with Tanzania in the joint ownership and operation of the TAZARA railway, linking Zambia to the Tanzanian coast. Zambia also participates in the TAZAMA petroleum pipeline arrangement, which carries fuel from Tanzania to Zambia.
Overall relationship
+50Joint transport and energy infrastructure gives the relationship a durable, practical cooperative foundation. The TAZARA railway and TAZAMA petroleum pipeline serve cross-border access and supply needs, while the extent of wider bilateral cooperation and the present effectiveness of these arrangements remain unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Tanzania and Zambia have a sustained cooperative relationship centered on shared transport and energy infrastructure. The two governments jointly own and operate the TAZARA railway, linking Zambia to Tanzania’s coast, and jointly participate in the TAZAMA petroleum pipeline, which carries fuel from Tanzania to Zambia. These durable arrangements support practical cooperation, though the scope and effectiveness of their implementation are not fully clear.
Key developments
Tanzania and Zambia established the jointly owned TAZARA railway, linking Zambia to the Tanzanian coast.
Tanzania and Zambia established the joint TAZAMA petroleum pipeline, transporting fuel from Tanzania to Zambia.
Major uncertainties
- The current operational condition and effectiveness of the TAZARA railway and TAZAMA pipeline are unclear.
- The scope of other bilateral government cooperation is unclear.