Africa-Press – Namibia. THE United States (US) Africa Command’s (AFRICOM) Deputy Commander, Lieutenant General John W. Brennan, has revealed that AFRICOM is working closely with Namibia to ensure the country remains secure and prepared for potential threats to national security — particularly given the presence of jihadist groups operating along Namibia’s periphery.
Brennan made these remarks during a recent briefing, which followed AFRICOM’s official visits to Namibia and Angola, where discussions centred on enhancing regional security collaboration. While in Windhoek, the AFRICOM delegation met with Namibia’s Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Frans Kapofi, to explore avenues for deeper defence cooperation.
The meeting took place shortly after the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) issued a public threat to mobilise weapons and bring the country to a halt should its leader, Epafras Mukwiilongo, be arrested. The party called on its supporters to prepare for nationwide mobilisation.
“We will take to the streets, we will mobilise our people across the country, and we will bring this nation to a standstill,” the party said in a statement issued by its deputy president, Kalimbo Iipumbu.
These developments did not lead to an escalation or undermine peace in the country. However, Brennan emphasised that AFRICOM’s visit to Namibia was preventative, given the rising extremist activity in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
“Security is security. It’s really preventative. There are jihadist groups that operate all along the periphery of both Angola and Namibia. ISIS has franchises in Mozambique, South Africa, as well as an emerging Mexican drug cartel issue that we think is going to – is getting worse over time, that’s emanating from South Africa and from coastal West Africa. We want to keep Namibia and Angola free of those threats, as well as to prepare them for any future threats through the training and exercise programme, as well as the equipping,” Brennan said.
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