Word: swapo
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...widely hailed as a victory for patient U.S. diplomacy. After years of hostility, both South Africa and the militant South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) agreed to let the United Nations oversee the transition to independence of Namibia (South West Africa). But as events unfolded in the Venezuela-sized, mineral-rich territory last week, it became clear that much more patience and diplomacy will be needed, before South Africa relinquishes control over the land It has ruled since 1919 under an international mandate, that the U.N. revoked in 1966. As a U.S. official warned last week: "Things could...
...effort is most likely to founder over the future of Walvis Bay, Namibia's principal port (see box). Pretoria wants to trade the harbor for a cooperative attitude from the new Namibian regime after it takes power. SWAPO insists that Walvis Bay, through which 90% of the territory's international trade passes, must become part of Namibia...
...Ambassador Andrew Young, who conceived the Namibian strategy early last year. McHenry has been shuttling between New York and seven African capitals for the past 15 months in an effort to persuade leaders of the so-called Front Line States (Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Botswana) to talk SWAPO Leader Sam Nujoma into buying the plan. Angolan officials were particularly anxious for a resolution of the conflict. Their southern border area is scattered with Namibian refugee camps and SWAPO guerrilla bases; last May South Africa peppered the area with a series of bombing attacks in an attempt to wipe...
South Africa is called upon to phase down its troop presence of 15,000 to a token force of 1,500 over the next three months. These remaining forces will be withdrawn after elections, to be held later this year. At the same time, SWAPO has agreed that its armed forces will cease "all hostile acts." The agreement fails to resolve the issue of Walvis Bay, the deepwater harbor in Namibia that South Africa has been anxious to keep. Presumably, it will be the subject of further negotiations...
...Western plan had been accepted by South Africa in April. Last week South African Foreign Minister R.F. ("Pik") Botha cautiously called SWAPO's acceptance a development that "could herald a new era in southern Africa." Some South African officials, however, remain skeptical about whether SWAPO guerrillas are genuinely prepared to enter into peaceable rivalry with Namibia's only other major political force, the moderate, white-aligned Democratic Turnhalle Alliance...