Staff Reporter
FOLLOWING bilateral discussions held between Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, and Ambassador Teté António, the Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Angola, Namibian farmers have been cautioned to respect the territorial integrity of Angola and dismantle structures they have illegally established in the neighbouring country.
It is estimated that Namibian livestock farmers have approximately 400 cattle posts or “farms” in Oshimholo in the southern Cunene province of Angola.
Mandated by President Dr. Hage G. Geingob, Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of Namibia, undertook a Goodwill Mission to the Republic of Angola, where she held a bilateral meeting.
The two ministers exchanged views of matters of mutual interest and concern at the bilateral level, including the issue of Namibian farmers grazing their cattle in the southern part of Angola, and reaffirmed the importance of peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness along the common border.
The two ministers underscored the sanctity and importance of respecting the rules, regulations, and laws of the Republic of Angola and the Republic of Namibia. In this regard, it was emphasized that Namibians are welcome on the condition that they obey and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Angola.
The two ministers further reiterated the need for the preservation of protected natural reserves, in line with the objectives and principles of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA CFTA) and called for the de-occupation of those farmers who have illegally erected structures on Angolan territory.
The two ministers noted that the Bilateral Agreement on the Movement of Goods and People (signed in 1992) continues to be in force. Noting the interdependence, people-to-people ties, and shared cultural heritage prevailing along the common border, the agreement provides for the free movement of people within a 60-kilometer radius.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, while expressing gratitude for the Republic of Angola’s solidarity in allowing Namibian farmers to graze their cattle due to the effects of climate change, described it as a gesture that testifies to the longstanding bonds of friendship and solidarity that continue to characterize the warm, comradely, and excellent bilateral relations between the two sister countries.
The two ministers agreed to undertake a Joint Working Visit to the Cunene Province of Angola and Ohangwena in Namibia to engage local populations on the importance of peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness between the two sister countries before the end of October 2023. They also agreed to strengthen the Technical Joint Committee and called on the neighbouring Provincial/Regional Governors to operationalize the Governors’ Forum to realize closer people-to-people linkages.
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