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The Namibian / Hage Geingob
State House says President Hage Geingob will not be attending today’s regional summit with other heads of state in Angola where the current political crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is likely to be on top of the agenda.
State House press secretary Albertus Aochamub yesterday told The Namibian that the President has too many engagements here at home, and will also not send a representative to attend as the invitation is strictly for the head of state.
The Congo-focused regional summit will be held in Angola today.
Congolese president Joseph Kabila is on a campaign to strike a deal to extend his term in office, hoping to use the platform at the summit to garner support from countries in the region to extend his term beyond December when he is expected to step down.
The country has been plunged into political unrest following the delay of elections to elect a new leader, with president Kabila accused of following in his late father Laurent Kabila’s footsteps to cling onto power and turning to regional powerhouses for help to keep him in office. During Laurent Kabila’s battle to extend his term in power, Namibia’s then President Sam Nujoma, an ally of Kabila, extended military support to that country by sending troops there in the late 1990’s.
Asked what Namibia’s current stance on the Congolese situation is, Aochamub said Geingob has often reiterated and preached about an emerging Africa which believes in the rule of law under the African Union (AU).
“Namibia is an active member of the AU, the Southern African Development Community and the UN amongst other international bodies. We will participate in deliberations aimed at Africans resolving African problems themselves, and abide by the outcomes of such deliberations,” he said. He also explained that for this week, the President has a full schedule of events on the home front at the service of the Namibian people, and will be here all week.
“He is fully engaged with hosting and dealing with international investors who are presently in town after heeding his calls for partnerships during his recent overseas visits. We are attending to matters of poverty eradication, energy, water supply and food security for all Namibians,” he said.
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