Sea piracy is a concern to Namibia

By: ADAM HARTMAN at WALVIS BAY

NAMIBIA is concerned about the increase in sea piracy, President Hifikepunye Pohamba said during the commissioning of the new naval base, jetty and naval vessel in Walvis Bay on Friday.

“Piracy has become a real threat to maritime trade, especially in some parts of the [African] continent. It disrupts trade and commerce, and it has become a notable threat to security,” he said.
He stated that the situation was exacerbated by political instability and eroded state control in some parts of Africa.
“This ugly phenomenon should be firmly addressed within the framework of collective efforts and cooperation among SADC member states and the African Union, with the support of the United Nations, Pohamba explained.
The President added: “Although the primary mission of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) is to defend the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Namibia, its secondary functions have increasingly gained prominence. Today, threats to national security have become varied and complex. Some of these threats transcend national borders,” he said. It is for these reasons that Namibia cooperates with other SADC member states to maintain peace and security in the region this is while also contributing towards global peace and security through the African Union and United Nations through a number of agreements in the field of defence cooperation.
The President said that the peace and security Namibia enjoys “brought with it more obligations on the part of our defence force”, which will require the recruitment and training of more young men and women in order to “be ready and able to serve when called upon to do so”. In order to encourage young people to enlist, Pohamba called upon the defence ministry to consider military career fairs for secondary school students.

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