Namibia: Mass grave update II: More questions than answers

Last 1st October the Safety and Security Minister Nickey Iyambo launched a vitriolic and intimidating attack on NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh and other human rights defenders following report release on discovery of mass grave sites in the north of Namibia. However, a critical analysis of Minister Nickey Iyambo's Ministerial Statement in the National Assembly, on October 1 2008, yields more questions than answers. Continue reading this press release by the NSHR.

As a reprisal for NSHR’s campaign against enforced or involuntary disappearances in Namibia, Safety and Security Minister Nickey Iyambo on October 1 2008 launched a vitriolic and intimidating attack on NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh and other human rights defenders. As they have been subjected to similar attacks before, the human rights defenders were not necessarily surprised why the disclosure of mass graves along Namibia’s northern border invited such a hostile reaction from Minister Nickey Iyambo.

However, a critical analysis of Minister Nickey Iyambo’s Ministerial Statement in the National Assembly, on October 1 2008, yields more questions than answers. Minister Iyambo spoke like someone who had a lot to hide! This Press Release seeks to raise some of these questions. NSHR hopes that Minister Nickey Iyambo will have the courage to provide the answers to these questions.

According to Minister Nickey Iyambo, “following Ya Nangoloh’s briefing of 09 September 2008 on the alleged mass gravesites, the Government of the Republic of Namibia considered it necessary to methodically investigate the allegations”. However, and contrary to NSHR’s call, such “methodical” investigation went ahead in the absence of international forensic experts.

During its media briefing on September 9 2008, NSHR inter alia called for an independent, impartial and thorough international forensic investigation to ascertain whether or not there are human remains in the alleged gravesites, as well as when and how those buried there were killed and who the perpetrators are. The call, which was strongly supported by several other international human rights organizations concerned about disappearances from The Netherlands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Morocco and other countries, was ignored and the investigation went ahead without the international forensic experts. This is a loud and clear indication to NSHR that Minister Nickey Iyambo has a lot to hide.

Following prominent media reports after the NSHR media briefing on September 9 2008, several people came forward and informed NSHR that one of the two mass gravesites, which NSHR had discovered on the Namibian side of the Angola-Namibian frontier, contained the remains of Namibians massacred by apartheid South African police (SAP) at Epinga village on or around January 30 1972.

NSHR is therefore surprised that instead of condemning SAP for the Epinga massacre, Minister Nickey Iyambo directed his anger at NSHR and Phil ya Nangoloh. This anger was merely provoked by NSHR publicizing of the mass graves discovery.

Furthermore, without expressly stating that the Epinga massacre gravesite (near Ohauwanga village) was not only known to, but also recognized by, the Government, Minister Nickey Iyambo, nevertheless, claimed:

“[…] Ya Nangoloh realized that the grave site was not his discovery. The grave was known even by some in the investigation team as they were born at the grave site village […] The fact is, the local community, including those whose relatives are in that grave do clean and assemble at that grave every year before or on the 26th August […] Those buried in that grave, their blood waters our freedom today […] As it can be seen, the first name on the list of the victims is Mr. Tomas Mweshihange who was the young brother of our late first minister of Defense, Comrade Peter Mweshihange. In that respect it should therefore defeat any logic that the grave could not have been known. As a matter of fact, Hon. Jerry Ekandjo, when he was responsible for the Ministry of Home Affairs, also visited the site in 2001. It should indicate to everyone that this is not a mysterious grave […] The grave site is known by local people, as I said earlier, they do gather there every year before or on the 26th August to remember the fallen heroes […]”.

This Press Release seeks to point out several significant contradictions and double talks as well as preposterous shortcomings which characterize Minister Nickey Iyambo’s National Assembly Statement on October 1 2008. Consider the following facts:

1. Through his statement, Minister Nickey Iyambo created a false impression that the five (5) people, whose remains are said to be buried in the Ohauwanga mass gravesite, are well known to and recognized by the Government as “fallen heroes” whose “blood waters our freedom today”. However, the original pictures, which NSHR has taken about this gravesite, show a gravesite which has been neglected for almost 36 years! Is this how Minister Nickey Iyambo treats all those “fallen heroes whose blood waters our freedom”?

2. According to Minister Nickey Iyambo those buried near Ohauwanga are now also well known to him. Yet, one of the “fallen heroes” is apparently only “well known” to Minister Nickey Iyambo only by his first or last name. The deceased has been identified by Minister Nickey Iyambo only as “Mr. Matias from Ohainengena, Eenhana area”. This is despite a “thorough investigation” conducted by the Police, including obtaining sworn statements from witnesses and relatives of “Mr. Matias”.

3. Also, another impression is not only created that “Mr. Matias” only had one name, but perhaps also that there was and or there is only one such “Mr. Matias” at Ohainengena village near the town of Eenhana. So, exactly who is this “Mr. Matias”?

4. Furthermore, according to Minister Nickey Iyambo, “Hon. Jerry Ekandjo, when he was responsible for the Ministry of Home Affairs, also visited the site in 2001”.

5. It is extremely interesting, though not necessarily surprising, that the garrulous and supposedly staunch anti-apartheid South Africa Jerry Ekandjo discovers a mass grave containing “fallen heroes” massacred by “the Boers” and yet he (Ekandjo) decided to keep quiet about it! What is the rationale behind this silence by Minister Jerry Ekandjo?

6. Also, it is interesting to learn that Minister Jerry Ekandjo had visited this mass gravesite at the time (i.e. 2001) when gross and systematic human rights violations, including enforced or involuntary disappearances, were occurring along the northwestern, northern and northeastern borders of the country. Why and what exactly was Minister Jerry Ekandjo’s mission at this (Ohauwanga) gravesite? This is precisely one of the critical reasons behind NSHR’s call for an international forensic team in order to independently establish the number of people whose remains are buried in the now officially confirmed mass graves, the causes of the death of those buried in such graves, as well as who the real perpetrators might have been. By the way, was this the only gravesite which Minister Ekandjo had visited or are there [not] others? If so, where are these?

7. In addition, NSHR is also very puzzled by the heavy presence of high-ranking military officers charged with counterintelligence (CI) operations in the Police investigation team which visited the Ohauwanga gravesite. The human rights organization wonders what role the several CI lieutenant colonels were playing in the Police team which spent at least 12 days (from September 18 to 30 2008) “guarding” the Ohauwanga gravesite.

“For those who might not know, a CI officer functions as a supervisor, coordinators and advisor on CI collection of human intelligence (HUMINT). CI officers also engage in carrying out proactive operations designed to manipulate, disrupt, neutralize or even destroy foreign intelligence activities. But really what intelligence, if any, is there to counter vis-à-vis the mass graves?” asked NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh.

8. Therefore, NSHR cannot help but assume that, judging from Minister Nickey Iyambo’s intimidating and vitriolic attack on Phil ya Nangoloh on October 1 2008, the rationale behind the inclusion of CI officers in the Police investigation team for the Ohauwanga gravesite trip might have been to destroy and or manipulate the evidence that more than 5 people might have been buried in the said site. As a CI strategy, it is quite possible to bury people on top of others!

In case of additional information, please call Dorkas Phillemon and or
Phil ya Nangoloh (at 061 236 183 or 061 253 447 office hours) or e-mail:
nshr@nshr.org.na or web: www.nshr.org.na