Fresh Caprivi attack "suicidal"

The Namibian government has vowed to crush any fresh attack by separatists in the northeastern Caprivi region.

Defence ministry spokesman Vincent Mwange told IRIN on Thursday that a repeat of last month's raid by rebels of the Caprivi Liberation Army (CLA) on the regional capital of Katima Mulilo could not be ruled out, "but all we can say is that it would be suicidal for them."

He added that Namibia is "receiving cooperation from all our neighbours not to harbour separatist forces" and that they have been "helping to flush out these people." But he acknowledged that Caprivians had fled into the bush after the Katima Mulilo raid, presumably to join the rebels, and "we can't safely say they have all been destroyed and can't make a come back."

Mwange could not confirm the level of support the CLA had allegedly received from the Angolan rebel movement, UNITA, from across the northern border. The spokesman said "we are still establishing that fact" but there "were indications" of UNITA backing.

On reports of human rights violations by the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) in Caprivi against suspected CLA sympathisers, Mwange said: "We have already instituted internal investigations into these allegations. Disciplinary measures will be taken, but this is an internal issue (of the NDF)."