العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolSOUTH WEST AFRICA PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATION
(Redirected from South-West Africa People\'s Organization)
The 'South West Africa People's Organization' ('SWAPO') is a political party and former liberation movement in Namibia. For electoral purposes, it is referred to as the "'SWAPO Party'." The party won 75.1% of popular votes and 55 out of 78 seats in the 2004 parliamentary elections on November 15.The Norwegian government began giving aid directly to SWAPO in 1974.[1]
After World War I the League of Nations gave South-West Africa, formerly a German colony, to the United Kingdom as a mandate under the title of South Africa. The South African government turned this special mandate arrangement into a military occupation, and extended apartheid rule to Namibia. SWAPO had its base among the Ovambo people of northern Namibia. By the 1960s SWAPO had emerged as the dominant liberation organization for the Namibian people, co-opting other groups such as the South West Africa National Union (SWANU). SWAPO was essentially a militant organization, using guerrilla tactics to fight the South African military. It was based in Zambia and then after 1975, in Angola, where SWAPO was allied with their fellow Marxists in the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). South Africa later staged several military campaigns against the Marxist MPLA in Angola from its territory in Namibia.
Some say SWAPO was responsible for human rights abuses against its own cadres during the period of exile. The most serious of these was the detainee issue, which remains a divisive issue. The stories of the detainees begins with a series of successful South African raids that made the SWAPO leadership believe that there were spies in the movement. Hundreds of SWAPO cadres were imprisoned, tortured and interrogated. [Leys, C and Brown, S. (2005). Histories of Namibia. London: Merlin Press. ISBN 0-85036-499-X]
When Namibia gained its independence in 1990 SWAPO became the dominant political party, with its head, Sam Nujoma, elected as Namibia's first President. Nujoma had the constitution changed so he could run for a third term in 1999, but in 2004 he was replaced as the SWAPO presidential candidate by Hifikepunye Pohamba, described by some as Nujoma's "hand-picked successor." Nujoma will, however, remain president of the SWAPO party until 2007.[1]
1. Eriksen, Tore Linné. ''Norway and National Liberation in Southern Africa''. Page 90.
The 'South West Africa People's Organization' ('SWAPO') is a political party and former liberation movement in Namibia. For electoral purposes, it is referred to as the "'SWAPO Party'." The party won 75.1% of popular votes and 55 out of 78 seats in the 2004 parliamentary elections on November 15.The Norwegian government began giving aid directly to SWAPO in 1974.[1]
| Contents |
| History |
| Controversy within the movement |
| Independence |
| References |
History
After World War I the League of Nations gave South-West Africa, formerly a German colony, to the United Kingdom as a mandate under the title of South Africa. The South African government turned this special mandate arrangement into a military occupation, and extended apartheid rule to Namibia. SWAPO had its base among the Ovambo people of northern Namibia. By the 1960s SWAPO had emerged as the dominant liberation organization for the Namibian people, co-opting other groups such as the South West Africa National Union (SWANU). SWAPO was essentially a militant organization, using guerrilla tactics to fight the South African military. It was based in Zambia and then after 1975, in Angola, where SWAPO was allied with their fellow Marxists in the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). South Africa later staged several military campaigns against the Marxist MPLA in Angola from its territory in Namibia.
Controversy within the movement
Some say SWAPO was responsible for human rights abuses against its own cadres during the period of exile. The most serious of these was the detainee issue, which remains a divisive issue. The stories of the detainees begins with a series of successful South African raids that made the SWAPO leadership believe that there were spies in the movement. Hundreds of SWAPO cadres were imprisoned, tortured and interrogated. [Leys, C and Brown, S. (2005). Histories of Namibia. London: Merlin Press. ISBN 0-85036-499-X]
Independence
When Namibia gained its independence in 1990 SWAPO became the dominant political party, with its head, Sam Nujoma, elected as Namibia's first President. Nujoma had the constitution changed so he could run for a third term in 1999, but in 2004 he was replaced as the SWAPO presidential candidate by Hifikepunye Pohamba, described by some as Nujoma's "hand-picked successor." Nujoma will, however, remain president of the SWAPO party until 2007.[1]
References
1. Eriksen, Tore Linné. ''Norway and National Liberation in Southern Africa''. Page 90.
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
Featured Companies
| Dancing Moon Travel | |
| Uniglobe Alliance Travel Ltd |
Newest Companies
South West Africa People's Organization Travel Deals
