Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Namibia

Nujoma denies owning diamond mine in DRC

    JOHANNESBURG

    Namibian President Sam Nujoma on Wednesday denied a local newspaper report that he owns a diamond mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where his troops are helping the government, news reports said.

    A statement issued on Nujoma's behalf signed by acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tuliameni Kalomoh, said the report in the 'Windhoek Observer' was "utterly false". The newspaper report on Saturday alleged that Nujoma owned a diamond mine at Maji-Munene, 45 km from the town of Tshikapa in central
    DRC. The newspaper, which published photographs of the mine, claimed the operation was being run by members of Namibia Defence Force.

    Kalomoh said: "President Nujoma has denied the allegation with the contempt it deserves and challenges the author to substantiate or retract such filthy allegations."

    He added: "The government of Namibia has stated time and time again that our decision to send to troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo was not motivated by any economic considerations."

    His statement said that the presence of Namibian troops in the DRC had "created the necessary conditions for the deployment of UN peacekeeping force in the Congo and to allow the Congolese people to find a lasting political solution through the democratic process".

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join