SWAPO INFLUENCE ON THE UNITED NATIONS INSTITUTE FOR NAMIBIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86T01017R000707170001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2011
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 29, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/01: CIA-RDP86TO1017R000707170001-8
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DATE -7 .
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Central Intelligence igence Agency
OCR
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P&PD
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
29 April 1986
SWAPO Influence on the United Nations Institute for Namibia
Summary
The avowed purpose of the United Nations Institute for Namibia
(UNIN), created by the UN in 1976, is to train administrators for an _
independent Namibia. Increasingly, however, the UNIN appears to be
serving the South West African People's Organization's (SWAPO) political
and propaganda purposes. Moreover, SWAPO's influence over the
administration, faculty, and student body is increasingly pervasive.
The United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN), established by the
UN Council for Namibia, opened in Lusaka, Zambia in August 1976 to conduct
research and provide education and administrative training to prepare
future leaders for Namibian independence. According to its Charter,
admission to the Institute, which has a total capacity of some 540
students, is open to all Namibians. The UN Council for Namibia finances
the Institute through a separate account with the UN Fund for Namibia.
The Fund solicits voluntary contributions from UN member countries and
private organizations for the UNIN and two other Namibian programs. In
addition, the UN Commissioner for Namibia conducts periodic fund-raising
activities for the Institute to augment voluntary contributions.
The UNIN's goal, however, is being increasingly undermined by SWAPO;
indeed, faculty and administration include some senior SWAPO members and
students are almost exclusively drawn from SWAPO ranks
This memorandum was prepared for Alan Keyes, Assistant Secretary
of State for International Organizations, by
the Office of African and Latin American Analysis. It has been
coordinated with the Directorate of Operations. Comments and
queries are welcome and should be addressed to the Chief, Africa
Division, Office of Latin American Analysis
ALA M 86-20018
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SWAPO Influence on Administrators and Faculty
The Institute is administered by a 16-member Senate that includes
eight members selected by Zambia, the Organizations of African Unity, and
SWAPO. The remaining eight members include the UN Commissioner for
Namibia,'four representatives from the UN Council for Namibia, and three
members appointed by the UN Secretary General. These members support
SWAPO's status as sole representative of the Namibian people, and they are
almost certainly sympathetic to SWAPO's aims.
The SWAPO connection also is evident in the day-to-day administration
of the Institute. The Director of the Institute, Hage Geingob, is an
acknowledged member of SWAPO's Politburo and Central Committee. According
to one press report, Geingob admits that SWAPO influences the Institute,
but attributes SWAPO's UN recognition as justification for this
influence.* SWAPO Central Committee member, Secretary for Information
Hidipo Hamutenya, was formerly Assistant Director of the Institute. In
October 1985, SWAPO ordered all Namibian UNIN personnel, some of whom were
provided housing and food by SWAPO, to contribute 15 percent of their
monthly salaries to help defray SWAPO expenses
we have no evidence that funds have been
channelled directly from he UN Fund for Namibia to SWAPO.
one SWAPO Central Committee member,
Mose Tijitendero, is a regular lecturer at the Institute. SWAPO has at
least five other members on the UNIN staff
Some other teachers include Europeans, North Americans ana otiner
Africans, probably some are from the University of Zambia, as the
University underwrites the Institute's management and development
studies.
SWAPO's Growing Control Over Students
SWAPO's control over the student body probably is extensive, in our
judgment. The UNIN initially drew young Namibian refugees, many of whom
fled Namibia in the 1970's to join SWAPO's "independence struggle." The
student body was largely a cross section of young Namibian males, a number
* In 1973 the United Nations General Assembly (Resolution 3111)
recognized SWAPO as the authentic representative of the Namibian
people. Three years later, in December 1976, SWAPO was declared
the sole and authentic representative of the Namibian people and
accorded UN observer status.
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of whom continued their education at universities in Africa and Europe.
Other UNIN graduates have taught in SWAPO refugee camps in Zambia and
Angola
Recently, however, the student body appears to be drawn exclusively
from SWAPO ranks. SWAPO members at the Institute must maintain their
links with the organization, according to a SWAPO publication. In our
judgment, some students may have joined SWAPO in an effort to increase
their chances for admission to the UNIN. Others probably calculated that
through the UNIN they could either defer or avoid possible SWAPO military
commitments.
Most UNIN students reportedly are Ovambos, which is the dominant
tribe within SWAPO.
-- In 1985, only 4
non-Ovambo students were attending the UNIN, prompting some
non-Ovambo SWAPO members to dub the UNIN the "United Nations
Institute for Ovambos".
-- All 150 students entering the UNIN in January 1986 were SWAPO
members and, with the exception of two or three, belonged to the
Ovambo tribe,
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Moreover, in this year's class most of the 90 male students are from
SWAPO's armed wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). UNIN
instructors reportedly are shocked by the poor calibre of the 1986
class--in particular the PLAN soldiers many of whom could neither read nor
write--and are that these students will damage the institute's
reputation
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officials at the Institute speculate that e UNIN is either a 25X1
perquisite for "good" PLAN soldiers and/or a place to send the rebellious
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At the same time the paucity of military recruits appears to have led
SWAPO to tap students at the UNIN as potential conscripts. Many young
educated SWAPO members, including those trained at the UNIN are frustrated
by their bleak future with SWAPO and have been returning to Namibia,
probably in an attempt to
SWAPO
,
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preempt further defections, told the institute's 1985 graduates to proceed
directly to Angola upon graduation 25X1
Evidence of compliance with this SWAPO directive is
unavailable. However, SWAPO's order reportedly marked a change from
previous procedures. Many UNIN students reportedly were leery of their
Angola assignment and regretted forfeiting the opportunity to further
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their educations. SWAPO likely hopes to train some students for military
operations and assign others to teach in SWAPO refugee camps in Angola.
A Vehicle for SWAPO Training?
We believe SWAPO's influence over the Institute, particularly over
the student selection process, is pervasive. We have no evidence that the
Institute is a military-training center for SWAPO guerrillas. Given
SWAPO's access to refugees in both Angola and Zambia--some 77,000
according to recent UNHCR estimates--and military training facilities in
Anogla, it is unlikely that SWAPO conducts military training at the
UNIN. We believe, however, that SWAPO recruits new members from the
Institute and likely tries to inculcate non-SWAPO students to support
SWAPO's military struggle.
4
SECRET
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SUBJECT: SWAPO Influence on the United Nations Institute for Namibia
Original--Allan Keyes, Assistant Secretary of State for International
Organizations
1--Phillip Ringdahl, Director of African Affairs, NSC
1--Donald Gregg, Office of the Vice President
1--Stephen Sestanovich, Director, Political-Military
Affairs, National Security Council
1--Chester Crocker, Assistant Secretary of State for Africa
1--Charles Freeman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State,
Bureau of African Affairs
1--Robert Cabelly, Special Assistant to the Assistant
Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs
1--Jeffrey S. Davidow, Director, Office of Southern
African Affairs, Department of State
1--Raymond F. Smith, Deputy Director, Office of Southern
African Affairs, Department of State
1--Allen F. Harris, Deputy Director, Office of Southern
African Affairs, Department of State
1--Douglas Holladay, Working Group on South Africa
and Southern Africa, Department of State.
1--Anthony S. Dalsimer, Director, Office of Analysis
for Africa, INR, Department of State
1--Leo Cecchini, Desk Officer for Mozambique,
Department of State
1--James Wood, Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Africa, International Security Affairs, Office of the
Secretary of Defense.
1--William Thomas, Acting Defense Intelligence
Officer for Africa, Defense Intelligence Agency.
1--Walter Barrows, Assistant to the Director, International
Security Agency.
1--DDI
1--NIO for Africa
1--NIO for USSR
1--NIC
1--DDO/Africa
1--DDO/AF/Q
1--PDB Staff
1--ILS
1--C/DDI/PES
1--D/ALA
1--ALA Research Director
2--ALA/PS (one sourced copy; one clean)
4--OCPAS/IMD/CB
4--ALA/AF
ALA/AF/
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4--ALA/S
4--ALAS File
(30
April 1986)