Namibian Activists Prevent ship taking arms to Israel from docking
28.08.2024
LALIT is pleased to be able to inform readers of the action of a group in Namibia who managed to prevent a ship carrying arms to Israel from docking in its Port. As you know, ships are having to go around the Cape of Good Hope since the Houthi army is attacking ships associated with Israel, the USA or the UK that are conducting the plausible genocide in Palestine, in particular in Gaza. Here is their Report:
“Preventing a vessel carrying military cargo for Israel from docking in Namibia
“The Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT) in Namibia was alluded on Tuesday, 20 August 2024 by members of Palestine support groups that a vessel carrying military equipment and ammunition to Israel was heading towards Walvis Bay [Namibian port] where it would dock on 25 August 2024.
“On Thursday, 22 August, the ESJT wrote an open letter to the CEO of NAMPORT, the Namibian ports authority. In the letter, the ESJT appealed to NAMPORT not to allow the vessel to dock at any Namibian port. The ESJT also reminded NAMPORT of Namibia’s legal obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and that NAMPORT should make itself and the country not complicit to the ongoing genocide in Gaza by allowing any shipments of military equipment to use Namibian facilities.
“The letter pointed to the decisions of the International Court of Justice reports, the UN Rapporteur on Palestine’s assessment, as well as Namibian government’s position on the genocide in Gaza. Both the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and the Minister of Justice were copied in.
“In response, Namport issued a press release on Friday, 23 August outlining the procedural issues around the vessels MV Nordic and MV Kathrin which were mentioned in the ESJT letter. The Namport response, however, failed to address the core issues with regard to possibly complicity to genocide (see statement attached).
“The ESJT then wrote a letter to the Namibian Minister of Justice to ask for her intervention in view of Namibia’s international obligations. The Ministry acted immediately and the Minister wrote to the Minister of International relations, the Minister of Works and Transport as well as the Minister Home Affairs requesting that they implement a cabinet directive to support South Africa’s case against Israel and to prevent the vessel from docking and to avoid any Namibian complicity to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“Through the efforts of many committed individuals, including, legal practitioner and social justice activist Uno Katjipuka, the Minister of Justice Yvonne Dausab, executive Director Gladice Pickering as well as the Chief Inspector of the Explosives Unit of the Namibian Police and Inspector-General of the Namibian Police, the initial permission to dock was revoked. On Saturday, 24 August, the Inspector General revoked the permission for vessel MK Kathrin to enter Namibian waters.
“It thus seemed that the intervention was successful and that MV Kathrin would be unable to dock in Namibia. However, on 25 August it seemed that this vessel was still on course towards Walvis Bay. The ESJT shared this information and after the Walvis Bay port authorities were informed they communicated with the vessel and ensured that it changed course. This finally enforced the Namibian government’s decision to deny the vessel entry.
Prepared by Herbert Jauch, ESJT chairperson.”
Conclusion
LALIT would like to add that there is a new world-wide movement being born, called “No Harbour for Genocide”. This began in Spain amongst dock workers, then in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. Now, the activists in Namibia have joined in. Note how they link their blocking of the Port with the case put in by the South African Government against Israel for genocide, a case that the Namibian Government has supported. We re-iterate that our Government, which we acknowledge has said it “supports” all actions including this case, must formally join the South African case.
