WINDHOEK – Five members of the Budgetary Committee of the German Federal Parliament (the Bundestag) visited Namibia last week, the German Embassy in Windhoek said yesterday.
The focus, according to the media statement was the German support of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) as part of the German Federal Government’s Equipment Aid Programme.
It stated delegates representing various parties in the Bundestag travelled to Walvis Bay and visited the Ammunition Disposal Plant in that town.
The plant, they said, was built as part of the Equipment Aid Programme from 2001 to 2004 and has been operated by the Namibian Armed Force under its sole responsibility since 2006.
Furthermore, the embassy said the delegation then visited Osona military base near Okahandja where German supports three ongoing projects.
“One of them being a central support element (Center Mission Support Element) which is currently being set up,” reads the statement.
In future, the embassy said the facility will be used to maintain and refurbish material for potential peacekeeping operations, as well as train military staff to prepare Namibia for deployment within Sadc, African Union or United Nations missions.
According to the statement, a central medical training facility is being built, in Osona Base.
“This will enable the NDF to provide sustainable training and qualification for healthcare professionals in future.”
“The third ongoing project is the expansion of the existing Mobile Field Hospital which is already used for exercise missions. The Mobile Field Hospital will be expanded to include a mobile hygiene and disease protection component as well as a dental section,” further reads the statement.
Back in Windhoek, the embassy said the delegation held talks with the Deputy Minister of Defence, Billy Mwaningange, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, as well as with the Namibian Parliament Government Chief Whip, Evelyn! Nawases-Taeyele.
The statement stated the parliamentary delegation was able to obtain a comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the former and current projects under the Federal Government’s Equipment Aid Programme in Namibia.
“Highly experienced and committed soldiers of the Namibian armed forces briefed the honourable parliamentarians on projects already handed over to the NDF,” it read
Background:
With its Equipment Aid Programme, the German government has been actively promoting independent peacekeeping capacities in selected African partner countries for more than four decades. Namibia has been a partner country since 1992. So far, equipment assistance agreements worth more than €30 million have been concluded with Namibia.