A petition launched by social activist Michael Amushelelo to remove United States (US) ambassador to Namibia John Giordano had garnered more than 500 signatures by late yesterday.
The petition – ‘Declare the US Ambassador Persona non Grata in Namibia’ – was published online and received 100 signatures in the first hour.
“With recent oil discoveries, Namibia has become a focal point for powerful nations. Yet, we stand firm against the perceived encroachment on our natural resources,” Amushelelo says in the petition’s text.
He says diplomats should respect Namibia’s sovereignty.
Giordano, a former lawyer, was appointed American ambassador to Namibia last October.
“The exploitation of Namibia by foreign diplomats endangers not only our resources but also our nation’s autonomy. Empirical evidence clearly shows the consequences of foreign interference, with countries often losing control over their assets through coercion and political manipulation,” Amushelelo says.
Declaring a diplomat ‘persona non grata’ is a formal status used to ban diplomats.
Amushelelo tells the media that he would send the petition to president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, calling for Giordano to leave Namibia.
“The United States has openly expressed growing commercial and strategic interest in Namibia’s emerging oil and gas industry, critical minerals [and] energy infrastructure. There is nothing inherently wrong with countries seeking mutually beneficial trade with Namibia. But Namibia must remain vigilant,” Amushelelo says in the letter.
Additional requests include reviewing Namibia-US relations and rejecting economic or diplomatic pressure from foreign powers looking to control Namibian resources.
“This petition is not directed against ordinary citizens of the United States of America. It is a political demand concerning the conduct, priorities and representation of a foreign government within our sovereign republic,” he says.
Former diplomat Pius Dunaiski told The Namibian yesterday that declaring a diplomat persona non grata would be “extremely serious”.
Under Article 9 of the Vienna Convention, Namibia has the right to remove Giordano as ambassador, without necessarily having to give a reason for doing so.
“Importantly, however, persona non grata is not supposed to be a political popularity contest. It is a sovereign diplomatic instrument normally associated with serious concerns about a diplomat’s conduct or the interests of [Namibia],” Dunaiski explained.
Expelling the ambassador would send a powerful message to Washington and would affect the entire functioning of the Namibia-US relationship, he said.
“I think the petition should be taken seriously as an expression of public sentiment, but I would be very cautious about interpreting it as evidence that the Namibia-US relationship itself is fundamentally broken,” Dunaiski said.
Namibia’s international position as a non-aligned country allows it to work together with the United States, just as it works with China or Russia, he added.
“The government can acknowledge the concerns without allowing an emotionally driven campaign to determine foreign policy,” he said.
He called the petition’s reasons for calling for Giordano to be expelled “weak”.
“Ambassadors are precisely supposed to promote the interests and relations of their countries,” Dunaiski said.
Amushelelo did not respond to additional questions about the reasons for his petition.
The US embassy in Namibia said it is aware of the petition but has no further comment at this time.
