UN washes hands over 1989 liberation war refugee money

The United Nations (UN) has dismissed claims of unfulfilled financial assistance to former Namibian refugees, stating all repatriation funds were used and accounted for at the time.

This was confirmed by UN resident coordinator to Namibia Hopolang Phororo at a meeting with the refugee group in Windhoek on Saturday.

“The return assistance accorded to the returnees was what the UN had available and the final assistance, including donors, was accounted for and the process was frozen,” she said.

In a meeting last February, she said the returnees’ claims were answered.

Phororo said the UN has, since engagements with the group began in 2011, been giving the same answers with no change in the situation.

She said the issue has been finalised and further issues are to be directed to the Namibian government.
The group has been camping outside the Swapo headquarters since October 2025.

The over 400 former refugees of the liberation struggle have been demanding answers about the funds promised to them after their repatriation.

Spokesperson on behalf of the group Aina Angula says the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had three components: Repatriation, rehabilitation and resettlement.

Of these components, she says, the UNHCR only successfully fulfilled the reparation component.

“This has left many refugees suffering physically, economically and socially due to the absence of these crucial services,”Angula says.

Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa has addressed the group following petitions claiming that Swapo received money from the UN.

She says such claims are false as party records do not show any money received from the UN.

“Through a review of all types of income and expenditures traced back to the tenure of all my predecessors, the review has revealed no internal evidence supporting the claims raised by the demonstrators,” she says.

Meanwhile, UNHCR representative to Namibia Kavita Belani says all funds were accounted for and the matter is now considered closed.

She says the returnees were voluntarily repatriated and provided with assistance to support their reintegration.

“The UN’s role in 1989 was limited to repatriation assistance, meaning helping Namibians to safely return home with basic assistance,” she says.

She says all assistance processes were conducted and fulfilled.

Belani maintains that responsibility for rehabilitating and resettling the refugees rests with their origin country, in this case, Namibia.

“UNHCR further confirms that the repatriation was voluntary and all the available donor funds was fully utilised and accounted for and that no earmarked funds were returned,” she says.

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