U.N. under fire over S.W.A.P.O. withdrawal

Press, 13 April 1989, Page 8

U.N. under fire over S.W.A.P.O. withdrawal

NZPA-Reuter Windhoek United Nations peacekeepers have been caught in a diplomatic crossfire over S.W.A.P.O.’s scheduled pullout from border battlefields of South African-ruled Namibia. Diplomats and soldiers yesterday condemned the siting and staffing of assembly points set up to evacuate South West Africa People’s Organisation (5.W.A.P.0.) guerrillas after almost two weeks of bitter clashes with South African-led Government troops. "The United Nations has botched the whole thing from the start,” said a West European diplomat who is in Windhoek to liaise with peacekeepers from his country. British and Australian soldiers raised United Nations flags at noon on Tuesday and prepared to receive retreating S.W.AP.O. guerrillas at nine border assembly points. Only a handful of rebels came in from the bush to seek United Nations protection after battles that have killed at least 290 men. Most of the posts were set up within metres of South African military bases still bristling with uniformed soldiers, rifles and artillery. “Any guerrilla who wants to come out of the bush and report is going to have to do so under the eyes of about 100 South African soldiers,” one witness said after visiting an assembly point at Okalongo. South African-led Government forces outnumbered United Nations officials at the assembly points by at least two to one and witnesses said Pretoria’s flag was more prominent at most points than the pale blue United Nations flag. “Why would anyone walk into a place so obviously under the control of

the people who have been his enemies for the past 23 years?” one diplomat said. The United Nations flew in reinforcements for its Transition Assistance Group (U.N.T.A.G.) on Tuesday and more were expected on Wednesday to bring the force level up to about 1600. Fewer than 1000 of the 4650 U.N.T.A.G. members were in Namibia when fighting broke out on April 1, at the start of the territory’s 12-month transition to independence from white-ruled South Africa. In the Zambian capital of Lusaka, S.W.A.P.O.’s legal affairs secretary Ehrenst Tjiriange blamed U.N.T.A.G.’s chief, Martti Ahtisaari, for the slow start of the withdrawal. He said the rebels did not trust Mr Ahtisaari after he gave permission to South African forces on April 1 to leave their bases and confront S.W.A.P.O. insurgents entering from Angola. “Ahtisaari is dripping with the blood of innocent Namibians killed using South African forces. We cannot work with such a person ...,” Mr Tjiriange said. A black village pastor, Sakeus Shaduka, told reporters on the border that he visited guerrillas in a bush hideout and found they were reluctant to hand themselves over to U.N.T.A.G. "There was trust for U.N.T.A.G. ... but then U.N.T.A.G. gave permission to use South African troops and now they don’t really trust U.N.T.A.G.,” he said. A United Nations diplomat in Windhoek said Mr Ahtisaari’s staff was enraged by the attacks on his management of the U.N.T.A.G. operation. He said U.N.T.A.G.’s arrival was delayed by a United Nations row over financing and the reduction of the military force from 7500 to 4650.