United Democratic Party - Caprivi Freedom
| United Democratic Party - Caprivi Freedom | |
|---|---|
| Party leader | Mishake Muyongo |
| Secretary General | Felix Kakula |
| founding | 1985 |
| Headquarters |
Copenhagen , Denmark (since 1999)
 |
| Colours) | Blue-white-red-green-black |
| Website | www.caprivifreedom.com |
The United Democratic Party - Caprivi Freedom (UDP; in German about United Democratic Party - Freedom for Caprivi ) is a party founded in Namibia in 1985 . Since 1999 it has been a party in exile based in Copenhagen , Denmark .
Its political goal is the independence of the Caprivi Strip from Namibia, or at least autonomy . This requirement is based on the historical past and the population, which is completely different from other Namibian ethnic groups. After an unsuccessful brief violent struggle in 1999, the party continued to underscore its efforts for the independence of the Caprivi until at least 2012.
history
The party was founded in 1985 by Mishake Muyongo when he returned from exile in Dakar, Senegal. At that time, the Caprivi African National Union (CANU), founded in 1963, was absorbed into the United Democratic Party - Caprivi Freedom (UDP). United Democratic Party is translated as the United Democratic Party. Muyongo was chairman of the CANU and, after its establishment, also became chairman of the UDP. In the 1994 presidential elections , Muyongo stood for the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance , a party alliance of the German Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA). Muyongo got 23.66 percent of the vote.
Secessionist aspirations
In 1994, the UDP founded the Caprivi Liberation Army , an armed combat force for a liberation struggle. The Caprivi conflict began in October 1998 when a training camp for the CLM's Caprivi Liberation Army was excavated. In the course of combating separatist activities, the entire population of the Caprivi region was placed under the general suspicion of being potential rebels. As a result of the repression, around 2500 people fled to Botswana. By June 1999, several hundred refugees had returned to Caprivi. But the majority stayed in Botswana. The refugees also included a large number of UDP political leaders, including Muyongo. In February 1999 the Botswana government granted political asylum to Muyongo and John Mabuku , another leader of the separatists. Denmark accepted the duo as political refugees in May 199. On August 2, 1999, the Caprivi Liberation Army (CLA) launched several attacks in and around Katima Mulilo. In the morning hours of August 2, 1999, CLA rebels attacked several strategic locations in the regional capital, Katima Mulilo. In addition to the police station and the Namibian radio station, the CLA also occupied the city's airport. Immediately after the uprising, then President Samuel Nujoma declared a state of emergency. A night curfew was imposed by the regional police commander.
In the days that followed, Muyongo issued a statement saying the attacks were "just the beginning" and that the "battle will be long, bigger and bigger, and victorious". Within a few days the uprising was suppressed by army and police units without much consideration for the civilian population. 14 people including police officers, soldiers, rebels and civilians died in the riots.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Muyongo sticks to Caprivi independence. The Namibian, June 14, 2012.
- ^ Henning Melber : Namibia's forgotten political prisoners. In: Allgemeine Zeitung . July 31, 2009, accessed December 9, 2009 .