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THE PERILS OF PIECEMEAL APPROACH TO A CONFLICT.
April 3, 2015
THE PERILS OF PIECEMEAL APPROACH TO A CONFLICT.

It is common knowledge that conflicts exists world over, but powerful countries including the United Nations (UN) only comes to rescue people if they benefit from that conflict or after many people have been killed as war has escalated in a particular country. This trend bears to be watched as examples appear all over. The Caprivi Strip case is a case that desires a lasting solution where the two parties (Namibian SWAPO government and the United Democratic Party leadership) need to be forced to a political table to resolve the political impasse.

From 1963 when Caprivians under their political party, the Caprivi African National Union (CANU) registered or sent their first letter regarding Caprivi Strip independence to the then League of Nations to date, United Nation (UN) is believed to be well informed about the history, geography, and the political need for the Caprivi Strip territory to become free and independent from Namibia. In the same manner, Organization of African Unity (OAU) now African Union (AU) including Southern African Development Community (SADC) are all in the know about the Caprivi Strip case and developments to that conflict.

In 1998 a number of people from the Caprivi Strip including Mr. Mishake Muyongo and Chief Boniface Bebi Mamili fled their motherland into exile in Botswana from which leaders were resettled to a third country. It must be understood that Caprivians never left their motherland seeking greener pastures (as economic refugees) no; they are political refugees whose lives were and still are being threatened. They fled because of fear of being persecuted by the Namibian government.

For those who need information, SWAPO and CANU merged for purposes of fighting common enemy, the apartheid regime of South Africa. But when Mr. Muyongo challenged that agreement, he was considered a traitor. Under the command of Mr. Nujoma, many Caprivians mysteriously disappeared from the face of the earth without trace and some died as a result of car bombs. It is from that hatred that its feelers were extended in an independent Namibia.

Once a killer kills, he is destined to kill again. The real and undisputed reason why SWAPO wants all Caprivians to return back home is: first to have all the eggs in one basket; when everybody is back home, there will be no country or person to rescue them from SWAPO’s acts on them. Second, Namibia is currently imprisoning Caprivians and no country or the United Nation has come to their rescue, they still face uncertainties as courts in Namibia acts at SWAPO’s whim.

While Namibia is seeking for the return of all Caprivians in Dukwi regugee camp, information has surfaced that after sending assassins in Botswana, whose fate could be known by government of Botswana, they have sent about thirty assassins abroad to go and kill the United Democratic Party (UDP) leadership. Those assassins went through Finland. Let it be known to those assassins that, this time we prepared and waiting for you. It will be unfortunate for one to die because of his love for Namibian Dollar and not for his motherland.

It should therefore be understood that, piecemeal approach to conflicts has perils as it leads to lives being lost; ambitions being curtailed; and people’s lives changed for better or worse. If Namibia want peace in the Caprivi Strip; why not talking to both their neighbor and our neighbor, government of Botswana to arrange and mediate in the case between Caprivians and Namibia? This goes to show that a black man’s oppression and colonialism is worse than that of the apartheid regime.

The peril of piecemeal approach to conflicts is that, a problem is never solved and shall resurface in a distant future. Namibia has done enough harm to the Caprivi Strip territory and its people; there is no way they should be forced to exist as brothers and sisters. But they can co-exist as distant neighbors. Stories of grabbing land from its rightful owners leave much to be desired. Land in the Caprivi Strip was not treated as it was done in South West Africa; Chiefs as custodians of land depended on advises of the people.

The opposite is true because under neo colonialism and oppression by the Namibian government people have no say on their land as SWAPO confiscated land without people’s consent. The case in point is that of the land between Liselo and Sangwali; government has ordered people living in those areas to count 15 miles from where they live and the remaining land is said to belong to government as they are planning to resettle Ovambos in those areas.

Although subsistence in nature Caprivians are farmers whose lives depend on rearing cattle; where in the name of the lord are they going to take their cattle when such bulldozer policy is effected? Again in the name of development; instead of asking the locals the type of development they need in their area, government is imposing things on the people. The case in point is that of allowing a Chinese company to erect tobacco farm at the west side of Liselo. It is unfortunate because those people have no area to cultivate their crops but that one. In the eastern part there is cattle quarantine, and now in the west a tobacco farm which has no value or purpose to them, but hazardous in terms of health. Is that what SWAPO call development?

In a nutshell, the UNHCR instead of forcing people to return back to their slaughter has in their mandate the objective to secure safe and dignified asylum for all persons of concern in accordance with recognized international standards. It is in the UNHCR’s objectives to seek appropriate and durable solutions for refugees and asylum seekers. Do your job by asking Caprivians both at home and in exile what they fear from Namibia and what they want and report accordingly to your bosses in Geneva.

UDP, Bulela sicaba sa utwa!!

Chrispin Mutoiwa
UDP Secretary for information
206 946 2435


Source: United Democratic Party (U.D.P.)


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