Treason trial postponed

The treason trial involving 125 people has once again been postponed, the Namibian Press Agency (Nampa) has reported. The group have been charged with treason following their involvment in the Auguts 1999 alleged plot to secede the northern Caprivi region from the rest of Namibia. Grootfontein Magistrate Court officials were quoted as saying that the defence and state lawyers would have to determine the date for actual trial after the forthcoming pre-trial. Officials said that all the lawyers defending the alleged separatits had withdran from the case because their legal fees had not been paid. Officials added that the group had appointed on of their co-accussed to speak on their behalf when the case resumes. They are yet to indicate whether they will defend themselves or apply to the ministry of justice's directorate for legal aid. In a seperate development the Namibian Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said in a statement on Thursday that eight Nambian Defense Force (NDF) soldiers were killed on 21 July in Licua in southeastern Angola, about 150 km northeast of the northen Namibian border town of Rundu. The NSHR said that the bodies were "allegedly" taken bacj into Namibia on 28 July. According to media reports on 25 July the Namibian ministery defense denied claims by the UNITA rebel movement that 10 NDF solsiers had been killed in an attack on Licua.