The World - News from June 13, 1989

The United Nations began one of its most ambitious repatriation operations, bringing hundreds of Namibian exiles home to participate in the territory’s independence process. The U.N. High Commission for Refugees sought to repatriate more than 1,300 refugees on 11 flights on the first day, but several flights were canceled, allowing only about 700 to return. The United Nations wants to bring back 1,000 refugees a day--it estimates there are about 40,000 in camps in neighboring countries--for the next six weeks under the independence plan for Africa’s last colony, ruled by South Africa for 74 years.