Word: swapo
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...fine points of establishing a constitution and scheduling free elections. That requires maintaining the confidence of both the South African government, which still administers Namibia in defiance of United Nations resolutions, and of Sam Nujoma, leader of the Marxist-oriented South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), which has U.N. support. The second track has been to persuade Angola to rid itself of some 20,000 Cuban troops. In exchange, Angola would be assured a cease-fire in the hit-and-run war that South Africa has been waging for 15 years against SWAPO guerrillas, who have, in turn...
...Indian Ocean to Namibia on the Atlantic. The South African government recently made its most positive move toward Namibian independence so far by agreeing to Western-backed constitutional principles and a complicated set of procedures for elections, which would make up the first phase of a settlement. SWAPO, however, has balked at the complicated electoral rules, designed to protect the rights of Namibia's 100,000 whites (out of a total population of 1 million...
...These matters present problems for South Africa, which is concerned about the makeup and visibility of a proposed 7,500-member U.N. peace-keeping group that would supervise a cease-fire (see following interview). The South Africans are deeply distrustful of the U.N. since the General Assembly has declared SWAPO the authentic representative of the Namibian people. Given the South Africans' reluctance to relinquish the territory, a final settlement still seems elusive, but it may be a bit closer than ever before...
...security of the region. It will be difficult, make no mistake. The issues are more visible, more emotional from the point of view of all the parties involved. This government is not prepared to go for an internationally acceptable solution if it holds no prospect for peace. Anti-SWAPO parties in the territory argue that U.N. supervisors are SWAPO people, so SWAPO cannot lose an election. Either they win and it's finished, or they lose and the U.N. refuses to issue a certificate that it was a free and fair election. So both ways they win, no matter...
...willingness to tolerate South Africa's provocative policies will only lead to delay, thus strengthening Soviet influence in the region. Last January South Africa withdrew its approval of a U.N.-sponsored plan for a cease-fire and for supervised free elections in Namibia, largely for fear that SWAPO would emerge victorious. Last week Secretary of State Alexander Haig revealed that Pretoria is again ready to go along with the U.N. plan, provided certain unspecified "confidence-building" measures are guaranteed beforehand...