The World - News from Jan. 24, 1989

South Africa named a special envoy to Namibia and said it is willing to remove 2,300 police officers from the territory as it prepares to grant independence to Africa’s last colony. South Africa has ruled neighboring Namibia, also known as South-West Africa, for 74 years but has agreed to begin implementing a U.N. independence plan in April. South Africa has an estimated 50,000 soldiers in Namibia, but under the U.N. plan, the force is to be reduced to 1,500 by June. Willem Retief, South Africa’s ambassador to West Germany, has been named special envoy to serve as a liaison between Namibia’s current transitional government and the U.N. special representative to the territory.