wfn.org | Namibia, "a child of international solidarity"

["Frank Imhoff" <franki@elca.org>]

Namibian Prime Minister Hage G. Geingob visits LWF headquarters

Geneva, 30 June 2000 (LWI) - Ten years after the founding of the
Republic of Namibia, Hage G. Geingob, Namibia's prime minister, has
stressed that his country is "a child of international solidarity."
On the occasion of a meeting with Dr. Ishmael Noko, general secretary
of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Dr. Konrad Raiser, general
secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and LWF staff
members here, June 29, Geingob emphasized that churches and the whole
international community had "sacrificed" their scarce resources to
support Namibia.

When asked about the deployment of Namibian troops in the civil war
in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Prime Minister Geingob conceded
that, at first, it had been justifiable political self-interest that
was behind Namibian involvement in the conflict. But he said that
his, as well as President Samuel Nujoma's, aim is peace, and that the
small country of Namibia does not "have resources to embark on a
long-term war." Namibia is faced with many challenges, Geingob
explained, and needs its financial and material resources for
development.

"Therefore we are working very hard for peace," the Namibian prime
minister said. The problem, as well as the conflict with the
separatists in the Caprivi region, needs to be resolved as quickly as
possible because both are causing "instability in Southern Africa,"
he added. Efforts to revive the region's economy are of central
importance. For the peaceful country of Namibia, these conflicts mean
that opportunities and resources cannot be used to their full
potential.

LWF general secretary, Dr. Noko, congratulated Prime Minister Geingob
on the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Namibia
and recalled that the 1995 LWF Council meeting had taken place in
Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Noko mentioned the border conflict
between Namibia and Botswana where he had acted as mediator in April
1998. He pointed to the central importance, at the time, of the
participation of the Council of Churches in Namibia and the Botswana
Christian Council. Noko expressed his gratitude to Geingob for his
government's adherence to its commitment to respect the International
Court of Justice's decision concerning the boundary and the use of
the water reserves of the Sedudu and Linyanti rivers.

Prime Minister Hage G. Geingob was elected as the first prime
minister of the Republic of Namibia in March 1990. He was reelected
in 1995. Of a total population of 1.6 million Namibians, about 82
percent are Christian. Lutherans make up 51 percent, Catholics 20
percent, Dutch Reformed six percent, and Anglicans five percent.

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/