A series of diplomatic cables (mes- sages) that were initially marked secret and later published on the WikiLeaks website show Uinted States (US) dip- lomat Henry Kissinger’s heavy hand in trying to negotiate between Swapo leader Sam Nujoma and South African apartheid prime minister John Vorster.
Some of these cables document a meeting between Kissinger and Nujoma in which Nujoma gave his demands for the negotiated settlement with the apartheid government.
The following cable deals with a visit of Nujoma to then Ivory Coast president Félix Houphouët-Boigny in October 1976.
“In press conference following
meeting, Nujoma said he had long conversation with Houphouet-Boigny about current developments in Namibia and that Ivory Coast president had as- sured his continued support in fight for liberation of Namibia.
“Nujoma referred in positive fashion to recent initiatives undertaken by . . . Kissinger with South African prime minister Vorster and said that although these efforts had not yet produced concrete results he remained hopeful.
“He said Swapo was prepared to continue the armed struggle to liberate
Namibia, but was also prepared to try a negotiated solution.
“He reiterated that negotiations be- tween South Africa and Swapo should take place through United Nations channels.”
– Compiled from WikiLeaks
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