Armed gunmen in Caprivi assault

Suspected separatist gunmen on Monday attacked a remote military base in northern Namibia's Caprivi Strip killing at least six soldiers and police before fleeing after a fierce battle with security forces.

Officials told IRIN the attack on the Caprivi town of Katima Mulilo started around 12:30 a.m. and lasted well into the morning before the attackers fled into the bush after being beaten back by the army.

They attacked the military and police headquarters before seizing the local Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) building. A fierce battle ensued in which the army used mortar fire to dislodge them from the broadcasting building.

General Martin Shali, Namibia's defence force chief of staff, said in a national radio broadcast that those killed included three soldiers, three policemen and three or four of the attackers: "There are sufficient troops. We are carrying out mopping up operations now, and the situation is under control," Shali said.

Although he declined comment on who might have been responsible for the attack, diplomatic sources told IRIN they believed the attackers belonged to a secessionist group headed by a former opposition leader with suspected links to the Angolan rebel movement, UNITA.

No-one, however, had claimed responsibility for the attack in Caprivi which shares borders with Angola to the north, Botswana to the south and Zambia to the east.

Since August last year, more than 2,000 people fled to Botswana from Caprivi citing fears of government reprisals after plans for a secessionist revolt were allegedly disclosed.

In recent months, after negotiations with the governments of Namibia and Botswana, UNHCR assisted in the repatriation of 1,300 of the refugees.

"This attack is very, very unfortunate indeed," a UNHCR spokesman told IRIN ."We believed we had found a solution for the refugees. There are some 1,000 left in Botswana awaiting repatriation and 200 had volunteered to go home again on 10 August. It now seems that we shall have to reassess the situation."