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South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO)

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South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) UN Secretariat Item Scan - Barcode - Record Title Page 141 Date 06/06/2006 Time 11:29:27 AM S-0902-0007-02-00001 Expanded Number S-0902-0007-02-00001 Items-in-Africa - Question of Namibia - organizations and individuals - South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) Date Created 29/07/1978 Record Type Archival Item Container s-*>902-0007: Peacekeeping - Africa 1963-1981 Print Name of Person Submit Image Signature of Person Submit RECEIVED South West Africa People's Organ! ition NOV - 81879 Solidarity — Freedom — Justice SWAPO OBSERVER MISSION to the United Nations 801 Second Avenue Room 1401 New York, N.Y. 10017 Telex - 237249 Telephone: (212) 986-7863/7864 November 8, 1979. Dr. Kurt Waldheim Secretary General Room 3800 United Nations New York, N.Y. 10017 Your Excellency, President of SWAPO Mr. Sam Nujoma wishes me to acknowledge with thanks receipt of your letter dated 5 November 1979, regarding a proposed meeting in Geneva on Namibia and further directs me to express SWAPO's acceptance of your kind invitation. SWAPO delegation will be composed of eight members led by Mr, Sam Nujoma himself. Please accept, Your Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration. Sincerely, Pheo-Ben Gurirab Permanent Observer Note of Meeting between the Secretary-General and SWAPO held on 23 March 1979 Present : The Secretary -General Mr . Farah Mr. Ahtisaari Mr . Jonah Mr . Omayad Mr. Muganda Mr. Thorn"berry Mr. Muyongo Mr . Gurirab Mr. Harautenya Mr. Tjirimuje The Secretary-General velcomed the SWAPO delegation at 1515 hours and said that he had now been informed of the progress of the proximity talks. However, he would be glad to know how the matter was seen by SWAPO. Mr. Muyongo said that SWAPO had come to assist with the process of clarification. Their position had not been changed in any way during the talks. The discussions had centered on two matters. Clarifications had been sought and given relating to the restriction of SWAPO forces to bases inside Namibia; whether they would be monitored by UTITAG; and relating to the restriction to bases of SWAPO forces outside. In regard to the latter matter, it was up to the Front Line Governments in cooperation with SWAPO to see that the ceasefire was not violated. There had been discussion of the time between the signing of a ceasefire lette • and the ceasefire itself in the context of possible further infiltrations. SWAPO had emphasised that such period would be used to get information to their people inside the country and would not be used for the infiltration of further personnel. SWAPO had emphasised that they would need three weeks in this regard because their forces in Namibia were scattered rather than being concentrated in one base. Mr. Muyongo said that a misunderstanding seemed to have arisen regarding SWAPO 's position as to restriction to bases in the neighbouring countries. The Five Western Governments had seemed to be under the false impression that SWAPO did not agree to this. The Front Line Governments, in conjunction with SWAPO, had then made it quite clear to the Western Governments that SWAPO was in agreement that the restriction to bases in the neighbouring countries would be undertaken in conjunction with the Governments of those neighbouring countries. Regarding liaison offices, the Front Line Governments had said that if the personnel to be sent to such offices were civilians, then the creation of such offices would present no problem. If they were military personnel, however, this would create cc: The SEcretary-General Mr. Farah Mr. Ahtisaari Mr. Jonah - 2 - difficulties. This was also SWAPO's position. The Secretary-General asked whether discussion of liaison offices had taken place in the absence of Angola. Mr.Muyongo said that it had taken place in the absence of Angola. The Secretary-General said that he still did not know whether Angola accepted the idea of such liaison offices. Mr_. Muyongo referred to the suggestion of electronic monitoring devices. These had not been mentioned to SWAPO by the Five Western Govern- ments. After SWAPO had heard about them from other sources, they asked the Western Governments. The Western Governments said that this was a sugges- tion of the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General said that this was not the case. He said that he did not even know what they were. Mr. Muyongo said that they had told the Western Governments that this was a verysensitive matter involving the Front Line Governments. They had said that SWAPO might be opposed to this because these devices were used against Vietnamese freedom fighters. He thought that this idea night have to be dropped. Was it contemplated that the devices would be used in Angola or in Namibia? SWAPO would want to know these things. SWAPO felt very strongly that it was necessary to hear from the South Africans "Before the Secretary-General made any report. The Secretary-General said that he was not preparing a report. At a given moment, when agreement had been reached he would present to the Security Council an explanatory memorandum giving his interpretation of his previous report of 26 February. But, he emphasised, this could only be done after agreement had been reached between the parties concerned. Hr. Muyongo said that the Five Western Governments had suggested that, they would recommend that the Secretary-General should lay down a date for a ceasefire. SWAPO felt that it was better to keep away from naming a date until South Africa had agreed this time. SWAPO would need, for practical reasons, to know about the ceasefire in advance. The Secretary-General repeated how he would propose to proceed. He said that he could not emphasise too much that agreement between the parties must be reached before the matter was taken further. He then referred to the question of the monitoring of SWAPO bases inside IIamibia. He asked whether the Five Western Governments had indicated to SWAPO how many such bases might come under UN monitoring. Mr. Huyongo said that the Five Western Governments had suggested that SWAPO personnel inside Namibia should have the option of either restriction to base in Namibia; laying down their arms and joining the election campaign; or withdrawing from the country. SWAPO had said that the proposal stated clearly that such personnel were to be restricted to - 3 - base in Namibia. SWAPO had said that they did not know how many such armed personnel there were in Namibia. They had not discussed with the Western Governments how many such bases there might be. The Western Governments had said that they now understood SWAPO's position.on restriction to base in Namibia. The Secretary-General raised the question of whether there might be two bases inside Namibia as in the case of the proposed restriction of South African forces. Mr^ Muyongo said that SWAPO had kept saying to the Western Governments:- What is the other party saying? He said that this question of two bases had not been touched on at all in the discussions. The Secretary-General said he thought it was important to know this matter but it could be gone into again. He asked whether SWAPO would agree on the liaison offices? Mr. Muyongo said that President Neto had had a different understanding altogether to that of the other Front Line Governments. He himself felt that the question of liaison offices, and, indeed, the whole question of monitoring by the neighbouring countries, was entirely up to the neighbouring countries. SWAPO had felt that perhaps existing UH facilities in these neighbouring countries could be made use of rather than there being new offices created. The Secretary-General said that the idea of using existing UITDP offices had been mentioned. This had never been done before. The UNDP dealt with economic development matters; the liaison offices would have strictly political purposes. He felt that one should, if possible, not mix up these two separate functions in the same office. He asked again whether SWAPO had agreed to the setting up of such offices. Mr. Muyongo said that this was up to the neighbouring countries, not to SWAPO. But SWAPO could live with this proposal. Mr. Jonah asked whether SWAPO had accepted the committment that SWAPO bases in the neighbouring countries would be monitored by those Governments? Mr. Muyongo said that restriction to base of SWAPO forces in the neighbouring countries would be done by the Governments of those neighbouring countries in cooperation with aWAPO. The Sec rotary-General referred to the report which he had been given that SWAPO had agreed not to increase its forces in Namibia prior to the ceasefire. Mr. Muyongo confirmed this and said that SWAPO did so agree. Mr. Gurirab added that this agreement was given subject to the other side not attacking SWAPO during that period. He said that the onus - U - had been placed on the Five Western Governments to obtain such an assurance. The Secretary-General asked whether the Western Governments had agreed to obtain such an assurance. Mr. Ahtisaari said that the request had been passed over by the Western Governments to South Africa, on 22 March. He said that he wished to return to the question of the options which SWAPO personnel might have at the time of the ceasefire when in Namibia. He asked whether SWAPO wanted to allow those persons vho could in this manner be restricted to base to stay in the bases until the end of the period? Mr. Muyongo said that SWAPO did not feel that those SWAPO personnel restricted to base should have the option of leaving it. Kr._ Ahtisaari asked whether any length of time for personnel inside the country at the time of the ceasefire to come forward and be identified had been alluded to? Mr^.
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