Ondjiva -The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, reaffirmed on Friday, in the province of Cunene, her government's position in condemning the behavior of Namibian farmers who occupied land illegally in Angolan territory.
Angola’s official government data point to the existence of 3,750 Namibian farmers, who for more than 15 years have illegally appropriated pasture areas in the locality of Etale Lomolova in the east of the municipalities of Namacunde and Cuanhama, Cunene province.
On the pretext of the practice of transhumance, cattle breeders installed farms and residences, as well as fenced off several spaces with more than 11,141 animals, distributed in 123 corrals.
Speaking at a bilateral meeting between the two governments, the deputy prime minister said they are in dialogue with Namibian farmers to respect Angola's laws and regulations, as well as the sovereignty of the two countries.
'The position of the Namibian government is clear, it does not support the behavior of any citizen who does not see himself within the regulations of the Republic of Angola and it has the right to apply its laws, as dictated by international standards,' she said.
She explained that farmers resort to pasture in Angolan territory due to the situation of cyclical drought that afflicts the northern region of Namibia, as a result of climate change, but that it must be done within the standards.
'Angola's goodwill does not imply that our fellow citizens should behave in any way, just as we should not abuse the goodwill of local communities and the Angolan government,' she stressed.
She deplored the fact that some farmers practice illegal hunting, use of firearms, stealing animals from local breeders, as well as aiding illegal immigration, among other acts that harm good coexistence.
In this regard, she advised farmers to legalize themselves and register with the diplomatic and consular services until October of this year, to ensure a healthy stay in the region.
She argued that the ancient bonds of friendship, solidarity and sacrifice that characterize bilateral relations between the two peoples are excellent, hence the need to maintain respect for the territorial integrity and laws in force in this State.
The deputy prime minister stressed that only with mutual respect and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity will the two countries be able to coexist peacefully as good neighbors.
She said that the issue of border violations is an evil that affects both countries, which requires the reactivation of the governors' forum, assisted by the respective technical committees, to allow daily issues that occur at the common border to be dealt with.
The meeting between the parties included several technical meetings of experts from the two countries in Cunene province, meeting with farmers from the Owangwena region (Namibia).
The province of Cunene shares a 460-kilometre border with the Republic of Namibia, of which 340 kilometres are land and 120 are fluvial.FI/LHE/VIC/DOJ
