By: Ludorf Iyambo
The minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security, Albert Kawana, says that people who live along the borders of Namibia and Angola should be able to carry out their activities in peace for the sake of economic development.
Kawana said this at the official signing of an agreement on police matters between Namibia and Angola on Monday in Windhoek.
According to Kawana, the agreement came after, a few days ago, inspector-general Sebastian Ndeitunga hosted his counterpart, where police cooperation matters were discussed.
On Monday, the two countries signed a special agreement that will further cement the relationship between the two.
He said people must be allowed to continue interacting with their brothers and sisters along the border.
He added that these are the same families who were divided by colonial borders.
Therefore, the signing of the agreement will go a long way in achieving leaders’ desire to ensure peace and harmony by enabling two police forces to coordinate their activities to combat crime effectively.
Kawana also thanked the Angolan government for agreeing to open the borders between the two countries.
He said this made it possible for Namibia’s business community to trade with their counterparts in Angola.
Angola’s minister of interior, Eugénio César Laborinho, said that Namibia and Angola are establishing and strengthening cooperation in the framework of policy activity, civil protection, immigration, penitentiary/ correctional, exchange of information, the fight against cross-border crime and terrorism.
He said they are encouraged by the will to strengthen and revive the existing relations between the two countries, and they are determined to develop mutually advantageous cooperation for both States in the domain of security and internal order.
He further said the synchronised participation of Namibia and Angola in the conflict of the Great Lakes region and the defence of the people and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shows the vital mission of the two countries to strengthen their relations.
Laborinho said after the rebel attacks in northern Mozambique, the Namibian and Angolan governments initiated discussions on how to assist each other should such attacks reach the two countries.
“The Republic of Namibia was among the African countries which did not hesitate to support people and the government of Angola in the most difficult moments of its recent history,” said Laborinho.
According to Laborinho, Namibia and Angola share an extensive common border of more than 1 300 km.
He added that it is necessary to establish collaboration in different areas to protect the common interest of the two counties’ friendly relations.
Laborinho narrated that on 24 October 2007, an essential legal instrument was signed in Luanda between the two counterparts in the domain of security and public order, which represented a milestone in the framework of relations and opened an era in this domain.
“The dynamic of the current world and the growing internationalisation of criminal phenomena impose upon us the need to act together in a coordinated manner to protect the reciprocal interest,” he said.
