Ondjiva – Former soldiers of the Southwest Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), from the 8th to the 12th of this month, are planning a tour in the southern Cunene Province with the aim to visit former combat zones and other historical sites.
The delegation is made up of more than 60 people from different regions of the Republic of Namibia, including Windhoek, Oshakati, Rundu, the Cunene region, Caprivi, Oshana and Owanguena.
According to what ANGOP had access on Wednesday, the head of the delegation, retired Brigadier Commissioner Shiti Shombe, said that they want to visit the camps where SWAPO troops fought alongside People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLAS) against the apartheid regime imposed by South Africa.
He said that their presence in Angola will not be for political reasons, but only for war tourism with the aim of getting to know their old positions, the people of these regions, as well as visiting the cemeteries where their compatriots are buried and learning more about Angola's development.
Shiti Shombe emphasised that the main aim of their tour is particularly to show respect for the Angolan people, who during that difficult period of armed conflict supported their Namibian brothers.
He added that the fighting was very serious, as many people died, including soldiers and civilians, and that it was therefore everyone's duty to pay a deep and dignified tribute to all the citizens who fought in the battles.
For him, with the end of the war, it is necessary to strengthen the bonds of friendship and fraternity, as well as to thank the support of Angolan citizens who faced sad times so that Namibia could achieve independence in 1990, adding that it is essential to inform young people of the unconditional support they receive from Angola so that they can have the self-determination to make it real.
The Namibian retired brigadier revealed that during the tour of Cunene the delegation would visit the memorial to King Mandume, the great Ombala (palace) of Owkwanhama's reign, the cemeteries of Mupa, Evale and the of Oshietekela village.
Cunene province shares a 460-kilometre border with the northern region of Namibia.
The Republic of Angola and the Republic of Namibia cooperate in the sectors of Defence and Security, Transport, Energy and Water, Health, Petroleum, Tourism, Fisheries, Agriculture, Finance, Geology and Mining, among others, both bilaterally and within the framework of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
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