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1977 - Known as the Western
Contact Group (WCG), Western members of the UN Security Council
(Canada, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom
and the Unites States), launch a joint diplomatic effort to mediate
an internationally acceptable transition to independence for Namibia.
The offer is accepted by both SWAPO and South Africa.
1978 - In April, the WCG
submits a proposal to the UN Security Council calling for UN supervised
free elections for a Constituent Assembly in Namibia. As a precondition
for elections, all political prisoners would be released, all refugees
would be permitted to return and all discriminatory or restrictive
legislation would be repealed. Additional conditions include a ceasefire
and cessation of hostile acts by all parties and restrictions on
the activities of South African and Namibian military and paramilitary.
The compromise plan is formally passed as UN Security Council Resolution
435.
Resolution 435
435 accepted the de facto nature of the South African presence in
Namibia and assigned to it certain responsibilities to be carried
out until the Constituent Assembly to be elected could draw up a
constitution and establish a government for the new, independent
state. Under 435, a United Nations Transition Assistance Group for
Namibia (UNTAG) was to be established by the UN Secretary-general
with a budget for a one-year operation. UNTAG was to be comprised
of a military and civilian component, both headed by the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Martti Ahtisarri of
Finland.
UNTAG operations would be carried out in 3 stages:
• Cessation of all hostile acts by all parties and the
withdrawal, restriction or demobilisation of various armed forces.
• The conducting of free and fair elections to the Constituent
Assembly. Preconditions include the repeal of all restrictive and
discriminatory laws, the release of all political prisoners, the
free and voluntary return of Namibians in exile, the establishment
of effective monitoring of the transition process by the UN and
an adequate period for electoral campaigning.
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• The formulation and conducting of a
constitution for Namibia by the elected Constituent Assembly, followed
by its adoption and the consequent attainment of independence.
The 7,500-stong military force was tasked with monitoring the cessation
of hostile acts, the restriction of armed forces to bases and other
strictly military matters. The civilian component comprised several
hundred police officers, tasked with accompanying the existing South
African police force, and about 2,000 UN officials to make election
arrangements, work with the South African-appointed Administrator-General
and to ensure that elections met international standards.
(Due to internal and international politics, specifically the unresolved
Angolan civil war which led to a stalemate over Namibia, negotiations
for the implementation of 435 took another 12 years and implementation
itself another year.)
1988 - On 13 December, Cuba,
South Africa and the People's Republic of Angola agree to a total
withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola. This protocol establishes
a Joint Commission consisting of the parties with the United States
and the Soviet Union as observers, to oversee implementation of the
accords. A bilateral agreement is signed in New York between Cuba
and the People's Republic of Angola on 22 December. On the same day,
the tripartite agreement is signed in which the parties recommend
the implementation of Resolution 435 on 1st April 1989 and the Republic
of South Africa agrees to withdraw its troops.
1989 - Resolution 435 is official implemented
on 1 April as South African-appointed Administrator General Louis Pienaar begins
administering the territory's transition to independence.
In October, under order of the UN Security Council, Pretoria demobilises
members of the disbanded counterinsurgency unit, Koevoet, who had
been incorporated into the South West African police.
96.4% of registered voters cast their votes in the election from 7
- 11 November. SWAPO won the election with a solid majority of 41
seats; the DTA with 21 seats becomes the principal opposition. |
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