Caprivi conflict

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Caprivi conflict
Caprivi-escort.jpg
A Namibian armed pickup truck serving as a military escort for a truck convoy through the Caprivi Strip.
Date1994–1999
(5 years)
Location
Caprivi Strip, Namibia
Result Namibian government victory
Belligerents
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia Flag of Caprivi Bantustan.svg Caprivi Liberation Army
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Namibia.svg Sam Nujoma
Flag of Namibia.svg Dimo Hamaambo 		Mishake Muyongo
Boniface Bebi Mamili
Casualties and losses
Unknown 132 arrested
3,000 fled to Botswana

The Caprivi conflict was an armed conflict between the Namibian government and the Caprivi Liberation Army, a rebel group that waged a brief insurrection in 1999 for the secession of the Caprivi Strip. [1]

Contents

Background

The Caprivi Strip in the north east of Namibia is mainly inhabited by the Lozi people. They share a common language and history, and often feel more connected with Lozi people in neighbouring countries—Zambia, Angola, Botswana, and South Africa.

One cause of the conflict can be seen in a previous power struggle between Mishake Muyongo and the country's leadership (dominated by SWAPO) during Muyongo's exile in Angola. In July 1980, Muyongo was ousted from being SWAPO Vice-President, accused of being involved in subversive activities and pursuing secessionist ambitions. He was subsequently detained in Zambia and Tanzania, followed by an alleged purge against Caprivians in SWAPO. [2]

After his return to Namibia in 1985, Muyongo formed the United Democratic Party (UDP) which joined the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA). He was president of the DTA from 1991 until he was expelled in 1998. [3]

Map of the Caprivi Caprivistrip.png
Map of the Caprivi

Formation of CLA, raid on CLA training camp

The Caprivi Liberation Army was formed in 1994, with the goal of self-rule for Caprivi.[ citation needed ] The Namibian government has accused the CLA of being allied with the Angolan rebel movement UNITA. UNITA is very unpopular in Namibia since it helped South Africa fight SWAPO during the liberation struggle. [4] Elections in 1989 showed that the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance had a significant advantage in the Caprivi region over SWAPO. [5]

In October 1998 the Namibian Defence Force with the support of the Special Field Force discovered and raided a CLA training camp. That resulted in more than 100 armed CLA men fleeing into Botswana, as well as some 2,500 civilians who feared the government's repression (including rape and torture). [5] Among the refugees were the two leaders of the CLA: Mishake Muyongo and Mafwe leader Boniface Bebi Mamili, who were both granted asylum in Denmark. Namibia unsuccessfully demanded Botswana and Denmark to hand over the rebels, and President Nujoma called the rebels "traitors and murderers" and stated that they would be punished for their crimes. [6] A few hundred of those who fled were repatriated, but others wishing for Caprivi independence joined Muyongo and Mamili, including Caprivi governor John Mabuku and councilor for the Linyanti Constituency Fani Francis Sizimbo. Also joining them in a camp in Botswana was the chief of the Kxoe people, another regional group under pressure from various governments, with a few thousand men. [5]

Meanwhile, preparations for regional elections continued, and in December 1998 those were held. Since the DTA had seen many of its supporters flee the country, SWAPO was able to sweep the election, gaining all six seats assigned to the area. Turnout in the regions from whence the refugees came was below 20%. [5]

1999 insurrection

On 2 August 1999 CLA launched unanticipated attacks on army base, border post, and the police station of Katima Mulilo, the provincial capital of the Caprivi region. They also stormed the state-run radio station (of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation) and Katima Mulilo Airport. In the fighting that followed between rebel and government forces 14 people were killed, including some civilians who were caught in the crossfire. [5] A state of emergency was declared in the province, and the government arrested alleged CLA supporters. [7]

Support for the rebels had come from Angola's Jonas Savimbi and UNITA, and from the Barotse Patriotic Front. [5] Both Angolan and Namibian forces, as well as UNITA, were accused of committing human rights violations against the population in the Caprivi Strip. [8]

The government responded with violence and repression, and the declaration of a state of emergency which granted it broad powers, and suspected rebels were tortured while imprisoned, according to an Amnesty International report. [5]

Aftermath

Shortly after the unsuccessful secession attempt about 3,000 people sought refuge in neighbouring Botswana for fear of reprisals from the Namibian government. They were granted refugee status and accommodated at the Dukwe camp. As of December 2015 there are still several hundred Namibians living in the camp, although about 2,100 have returned to Namibia. [9]

In 1999, 132 alleged participants were arrested and charged with high treason, murder and a host of other offences. Judgement in the resulting trial, known as the Caprivi treason trial was heavily delayed, and prisoners were only acquitted in 2012, a situation that Amnesty International repeatedly complained about. [10]

On 7 October 2002, the Itengese nation severed all ties with Namibia and declared the independent, sovereign Free State of Caprivi Strip/Itenge their national homeland. [1] This nation is not recognised by any other government, though, least of all Namibia.

Related Research Articles

The history of Namibia has passed through several distinct stages from being colonised in the late nineteenth century to Namibia's independence on 21 March 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zambezi Region</span> Region in Namibia

The Zambezi Region is one of the 14 regions of Namibia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the country. It is largely concurrent with the major Zambezi River after which it was named. The region has eight constituencies and its capital is the town of Katima Mulilo. The self-governed village of Bukalo is also situated in this region. The Zambezi Region had a population of 90,596 in 2011. As of 2020, it had 47,884 registered voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caprivi Strip</span> Geographical area of northeastern Namibia

The Caprivi Strip, also known simply as Caprivi, is a geographic salient protruding from the northeastern corner of Namibia. It is bordered by Botswana to the south and Angola and Zambia to the north. Namibia, Botswana and Zambia meet at a single point at the eastern tip of the Strip, which also comes within 150 m (490 ft) of Zimbabwe thus nearly forming a quadripoint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katima Mulilo Urban</span> Electoral constituency in Zambezi region, Namibia

Katima Mulilo UrbanConstituency is an electoral district in Namibia. It is situated in the Zambezi Region. The region's capital, Katima Mulilo, is in this constituency. The constituency has a population of 28,362 people. In the 2020 Regional Council Elections, there were 13,860 registered voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katima Mulilo Rural</span> Electoral constituency in Zambezi region, Namibia

Katima Mulilo Rural is a constituency in the Zambezi Region of Namibia. It comprises the area south of the town of Katima Mulilo, the regional capital. As of 2020, the constituency had 6,712 registered voters.

Katuutire Kaura was a Namibian politician. He was president of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) from 1998 to 2013 and was the official leader of the opposition from 2000 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katima Mulilo</span> Town in Zambezi Region, Namibia

Katima Mulilo or simply Katima is the capital of the Zambezi Region in Namibia. It had 28,362 inhabitants in 2010, and comprises two electoral constituencies, Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban. It is located on the B8 national road on the banks of the Zambezi River in the Caprivi Strip in lush riverine vegetation with tropical birds and monkeys. The town receives annual average rainfall of 654 millimetres (25.7 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popular Democratic Movement</span> Political party in Namibia

The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), formerly the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), is an amalgamation of political parties in Namibia, registered as one singular party for representation purposes. In coalition with the United Democratic Front, it formed the official opposition in Parliament until the parliamentary elections in 2009. The party currently holds 16 seats in the Namibian National Assembly and one seat in the Namibian National Council and is the official opposition. McHenry Venaani is president of the PDM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luhonono</span> Settlement in Zambezi Region, Namibia

Luhonono, until 2013 Schuckmannsburg, is a settlement in the Caprivi Strip in northeastern Namibia with a population of about 800. It belongs to the Kabbe North electoral constituency of the Zambezi Region. During the time of German colonialism, it was the capital of the Caprivi Strip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mishake Muyongo</span> Namibian politician currently living in exile in Denmark (born 1944)

Albert Mishake Muyongo is a Namibian politician and former Member of Parliament who is currently living in exile in Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caprivi Liberation Army</span> Namibian rebel and separatist group

Caprivi Liberation Army (CLA) is a Namibian rebel and separatist group which was established in 1994 to separate the Caprivi Strip, a region mainly inhabited by the Lozi people. It operates only in the Caprivi strip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeyi people</span> Bantu-speaking people in Botswana and Namibia

The MaYeyi are Bantu-speaking people of north-western Botswana and north-eastern Namibia. The Yeyi immigrated to the area in the 18th century from the north, and lived in close cooperation with the San people, or Basarwa, in particular, the Xanikhwe who had lived in the area previously. They speak ShiYeyi, a language that was influenced by the San and exhibits the characteristic clicks.

John Mabuku was the governor of Caprivi Region in Namibia and secessionist supporter of an independent Caprivi Strip. Mabuku, a former Democratic Turnhalle Alliance National Council member, fled to exile in Botswana with former DTA leader Mishake Muyongo following a failed separatist revolt in 1998 in the Caprivi Strip against the Namibian government.

The Caprivi treason trial is a trial in which the Government of Namibia indicted 132 people for allegedly participating in the Caprivi conflict on the side of the Caprivi Liberation Army during a period between 1992 and 2002. They were charged with high treason, murder, sedition, and many other offences, altogether 278 counts of criminal conduct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Democratic Party (Namibia)</span> Political party in Namibia

The United Democratic Party (UDP) is a political party in Namibia, representing mainly people from Eastern Caprivi and advocating for the secession of the Caprivi Strip.

The Caprivi Vision is a weekly published community newspaper in Namibia with content in English and Lozi. It is sold in the Caprivi Strip now Zambezi Region, Northern Regions of Namibia, in the capital Windhoek and other countries of the Southern Africa such as Botswana and Zambia. The Caprivi Vision was founded by Risco Mashete Lumamezi on 21 August 2000 as a student of the Polytechnic of Namibia, and its first edition was sold in Katima Mulilo on 30 April 2002.

Richard Kapelwa Kabajani was a Namibian activist, militant, diplomat and politician. Kabajani was a military commander for SWAPO during the Namibian War of Independence and after independence served a minister in the Namibian government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bwabwata National Park</span> Namibian national park

Bwabwata National Park is a protected area in northeastern Namibia that was established in 2007 and covers 6,274 km2 (2,422 sq mi). It was created by merging Namibia's Caprivi Game Park and Mahango Game Park. It is situated in the Zambezi and Kavango East regions, extending along the Caprivi Strip. It is bounded by the Okavango River to the west and the Kwando River to the east. Angola lies to the north and Botswana to the south.

Brendan Kongongolo Simbwaye (1934–1972?) was a Namibian anti-apartheid activist who was president of the Caprivi African National Union (CANU). Simbwaye became the vice-president of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) in 1964 after the two organizations merged. Simbwaye's life and political career was cut short in 1972 when he disappeared without trace.

Boniface Bebi was a Mamili, or tribal king, of the Mafwe in Namibia, from 1987 to 1999. Born in Linyanti, South West Africa, he succeeded Richard Muhinda in 1987, as the sixth recorded King of the Mafwe. After being involved in the Caprivi conflict, in which autonomy was sought for the Lozi people of the Caprivi Strip, he fled for Botswana, which granted him political asylum, after which Denmark granted him and Mishake Muyongo political asylum. His first-born child, Hoster Bebi, died in 2000; he lost a son while in Danish exile.

References

  1. 1 2 "Caprivi Liberation Front / Caprivi Liberation Movement (CLM)". GlobalSecurity.org.
  2. ↑ Gustine Hunter (2008). Die Politik der Erinnerung und des Vergessens in Namibia. Frankfurt: Peter Lang. ISBN   978-3-631-56059-4.
  3. ↑ Hopwood, Graham (2007). Guide to Namibian Politics. Windhoek: Namibian Institute for Democracy. pp. 214–215. ISBN   978-99916-840-1-7.
  4. ↑ Colin Leys; John S. Saul (1994). "Liberation without Democracy? The Swapo Crisis of 1976". Journal of Southern African Studies . Taylor & Francis, Ltd. (published March 1994). 23 (1): 123–147. JSTOR   2637123.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Melber, Henning (2009). "One Namibia, one nation? The Caprivi as contested territory". Journal of Contemporary African Studies . 27 (4): 463–481. doi:10.1080/02589000903399454. S2CID   144750882.
  6. ↑ "Namibia calls on Botswana to hand over rebels". BBC. 8 November 1998.
  7. ↑ Lamb, Guy (October 1999). "Civil supremacy of the military in Namibia: A retrospective case study". Centre for Conflict Resolution via NamibWeb.
  8. ↑ "Civilians suffer as Angolan conflict fuels insecurity on the Namibian border". Amnesty International. 22 March 2000.
  9. ↑ NAMPA (4 March 2016). "Namibian refugee status revocation postponed". The Namibian . p. 5.
  10. ↑ "Namibia – Justice delayed is justice denied: The Caprivi treason trial". Amnesty International.
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