Namibia: Major U.N. Achievement

Africa’s last colony, Namibia, became free today, setting a new standard for a smooth and constructive transition to democracy.

The achievement is the work of many, most important the United Nations, which has overseen 33 years of decolonization in Africa. It was the United Nations that developed the plan to free Namibia, prodded South Africa to abandon its illegal hold on the territory, organized the repatriation of 40,000 exiles, supervised the election and now will help coordinate the assistance that will be necessary for years to come. Other remarkable contributions have come from both black and white political leaders of Namibia, none more influential than Sam Nujoma. It was he who led the South-West Africa People’s Organization in its long war of resistance to South African control, and then won a stunning election victory to become leader of the new nation. He used his power to develop consensus, resulting in a constitution based on multiple parties and a market-oriented economy.

The United States has had a special role. It was President Woodrow Wilson who devised a trusteeship under the League of Nations that ended German control of Namibia (then known as South-West Africa) at the end of World War I. Donald F. McHenry, while deputy U.S. representative to the U.N. Security Council, played a key part in drafting the 1978 U.N. plan for independence. The role was more controversial after 1980, as the Reagan Administration linked independence to the withdrawal of Cuban troops from neighboring Angola and, with its policy of “constructive engagement,” may have encouraged the obstinacy of South Africa. But ultimately the State Department played a central role in negotiating South Africa’s agreement to free the vast territory.

In Namibia, as in another neighboring nation, Zimbabwe, the black majority has exercised moderation and treated the white minority with respect. It is a model that could help South Africa chart its new course to majority rule. It is a model that could inspire all the nations of Africa.