Security in Kavango and Caprivi to be maintained

Namibian Defence Minister Errki Nghimtina said the country’s defence force was doing its best to ensure that stability in the volatile Kavango and western Caprivi regions in the north of the country was maintained, PANA reported on Wednesday. Nghimtina said the defence force continued to conduct “aggressive patrols” along the common border between Namibia and Angola to prevent illegal crossings, and to prevent suspected UNITA rebels from crossing into Namibia.

He said the force continued to provide escort services on the Bagani to Kongola section of the Trans-Caprivi Highway to protect civilians on the road from UNITA attacks, he said.
According to him, the force has also been conducting follow-up operations to rescues civilians abducted by UNITA, as well as help in defusing landmines planted by the rebels, targeting innocent civilians.

Namibia’s northeastern border with Angola has been unstable for more than a year. UNITA rebels have staged a number of hit-and-run attacks, killing civilians and tourists, abducting aid workers and planting landmines on strategic roads in the region.