Criticism of cosiness with the US ‘unfair’ – ex-diplomats

Former diplomats have characterised criticism of Namibia’s alleged cosiness with the United States (US) as unfair.

This comes after lawmakers criticised the government’s close relationship with the US during president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s state of the nation address on Wednesday.

“The criticism was a little bit too crass, in my opinion. Being bullied by the US under this presidency is almost a normal thing,” former diplomat Pius Dunaiski told The Namibian last week.

Lawmakers’ concerns that Namibia should stand up to American bullying ignore the fact that Namibia has stood up to the US, most recently by joining South Africa’s case against Israel regarding genocide in Palestine, he said.

He said pushing for a harder stance against any country risks the national interest of a small open economy like Namibia.

“I honestly believe that we should steer clear from “us-them,” Dunaiski said.

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani on Tuesday questioned why the government has not stood up for Namibia while it is being ‘bullied’ by the US.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia and South Africa have had very serious discussions about the issue, but that Namibia will continue to work with all its partners.

Swanu of Namibia’s Evilastus Kaaronda similarly raised the issue of the Namibia’s relationship with the US.

“I’ve always wondered why a revolutionary party like Swapo would develop a romantic relationship with a brutal regime like the US government,” Kaaronda said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said working together with the US is not the same as endorsing their foreign policy.

“They [the US] have an embassy here, we have an embassy in Washington and we are just dealing with them as part of the global village. But we do not say we forget what they have done.

We work with them, but it does not mean we agree with what they are doing,” she said.

Former diplomat Tuliameni Kalomoh, who was appointed Namibia’s first ambassador to the US in 1991, says Namibia has never followed American

foreign policy, despite benefitting from a generous partnership during previous American administrations.

“We have never been beholden to American generosity to compromise our independent foreign policy.

Our foreign policy is consistent with our history and our values, which most of the time are divergent from American foreign policy values,” Kalomoh says.

Even though there are many values that the US and Namibia share, those values are often not in foreign policy, he says.

He calls Venaani and Kaaronda’s comments a complete misunderstanding of history.

Former ambassador to China Elia Kaiyamo commends the president’s address and the actions of the eighth administration in line with election commitments.

“I am pleased that China, as a trusted friend, continues to play its part in supporting Namibia’s development efforts and expanding investment opportunities,” Kaiyamo adds.

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