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by David Hartley, MAIC
History
Like many countries in southwestern Africa, Namibia has had a troubled
military and political history. Germany occupied the nation until 1914, at
which point the League of Nations entrusted South Africa with
administration and control. This instigated a long period of hostility
between Namibia and South Africa. Upon the dissolution of the League of
Nations, the newly formed United Nations requested South Africa’s
withdrawal from Namibia. In 1966, the United Nations officially withdrew
South Africa’s Mandate, but hostilities merely intensified. South Africa
did not relinquish control until 1990, after repeated UN requests and
years of fighting. In the years since, Namibia has provided assistance and
hospitality for the Angolan government forces in their war against Angolan
rebels. This involvement has brought both turmoil and controversy to
Namibia.
Landmine/UXO Overview
While the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) concluded that
Namibia’s landmine situation is neither urgent nor devastating, the
problem is growing. The densely populated northern regions of Namibia,
which are near Angola, are contaminated with landmines and UXO. Both
Angolan rebel forces (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola,
or UNITA) and Angolan governmental forces (Angolan
Armed Forces, or FAA) have
been accused of using AP mines. The number of mines in Namibia, although
an extremely speculative figure, is expected to be relatively small and
controllable.
Casualties
Statistics of casualties in Namibia are very unreliable. Even official
sources publish contradictory figures. It is clear, however, that the
presence of Angolan armed forces in Namibia has markedly increased APM and
UXO casualties. Unsurprisingly, UXO and abandoned munitions represent a
greater threat than the presence of APM. Although the HIV/AIDS epidemic is
Namibia’s greatest concern, some sources report as many as 1000 APM/UXO
casualties stemming from the country’s involvement in the Angolan civil
war.
Demining
The majority of Namibia’s demining efforts have been supervised and
funded by the United States. Implementing a "train-the-trainer" program,
the United States has developed more than 100 Namibia Defense Force (NDF)
military deminers, 20 police deminers and 20 medical personnel. Through
these efforts, more than one million square meters of land have been
cleared for civilian use. Unfortunately, APM/UXO casualties have occurred
on previously cleared land. On January 11, 2001, a nine-year-old boy was
killed by a mine or UXO in the Kaokoland district of Namibia. The land had
supposedly been cleared of landmines.
Reality Check
In 1999, Namibia gave the FAA permission to use its territory as a
military tactical center. These forces attacked UNITA rebels in
southeastern Angola from Namibia. In addition, Angolan government troops
used Namibian territory to store and transfer weapons and ammunition.
Allegedly, these military supplies include AP and AT mines. Despite the
presence of mines and UXO in Namibia, the problem is finite and well-known. With proper treatment, Namibia could declare itself free of
landmines in the near future.
Contact Information
National Campaign to Ban Landmines
Phil Ya Nangoloh
P.O. Box 23592
Windhoek, Namibia
Fax: (264-61) 234286
E-mail: nshr@iafrica.com.na
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