Collen kurana 

IN 1989, the beginning of the collapse of the Cold War, which was a period of geopolitical tension characterised by political, economic, and propaganda tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, ushered in a new era in international politics. 

Geopolitical shifts occurred as countries that formed part of the Soviet Union became independent and pursued their self-determination. This led political scientists such as Francis Fukuyama in 1992 to term the event the end of history and the last man standing. 

However, the collapse of the Cold War has had consequences in Africa, and more so in southern Africa, particularly in Angola and Mozambique, where civil war erupted. Leaders of nationalist movements were confronted with the choice between democracy and communism. 

In Namibia, the beginning of the collapse of the Cold War in 1989 happened at a time members of the Constituent Assembly were drafting the Namibian Constitution. In 1990, Namibia gained independence from the South African apartheid regime. 

What followed was the consolidation of state power by the new Namibian government and dealing with issues of national unity and development. However, the government faced a number of challenges with regard to the Caprivi region (now the Zambezi region). 

Some of the politicians in the region were determined to secede from the rest of Namibia. These contestations, which were based on Caprivi identity, were some of the underlying reasons for the secessionists' actions. The contestation to secede did not take long to be put into action towards the end of the 20th century. 

The Oxford dictionary defines secession as the fact of an area or group becoming independent from the country or larger group to which it belongs. On 02 August 1999, a group of rebels calling themselves the Caprivi Liberation Army (CLA) took up arms against the government in Caprivi. They attacked government installations such as police stations, military bases and the NBC radio station among others. 

More than 14 people were killed in the conflict. Dozens were arrested, and more than 2 000 people fled the region to neighbouring Botswana. The rebellion was quashed instantly, and peace and security restored. 

However, many Namibians are still feeling the negative consequences of the Caprivi secession attempt today. Many people in the region were politically brainwashed by the separatists to flee the country. This was a ploy to create a perception in the international community that there were human rights violations in Namibia. 

Misinformation concerning the conflict also exaggerated the extent of the conflict and compelled many to flee to Botswana. Furthermore, bonds between families were broken. This happened when husbands left wives and children behind. 

Wives grew tired of waiting too long for their husbands to return and were frustrated by social upheaval. Consequently, most of them went back to their families or remarried. Children were either taken along or left in the care of relatives. This situation created a tough situation for the people who remained firm at home. The absence of proper parental support and guidance also posed other challenges, such as school dropouts and child marriage. 

The situation left a tough imprint on the personalities of the children. After continuous consented efforts by the Namibian and Botswana governments, in 2019, all
Namibian refugees in Botswana were repatriated to Namibia to rejoin their families. 

The main problem they found was the broken family ties and their reintegration into society in the wake of societal changes. This may continue to be the main lingering effect of the Caprivi secession attempt. 

Moving forward, the Caprivi secession attempt provides an important lesson on why peace is important. Peace is an important virtue cherished by everyone across the globe. Without peace, there is no harmony. 

The Caprivi secession attempt is an event that one wish would never repeat itself in Namibia. It was detrimental and unrealistic in nature. Namibia as a country has matured democratically, thanks to the leadership foresight of our liberation stalwarts since independence. 

The country enjoys a high ranking on the Global Peace Index (GPI). The prevailing peace and tranquillity in Namibia has even led some scholars, such as Lucia in 2020, to term the Caprivi secession attempt Namibia's forgotten conflict. 

To conclude, although the Caprivi secession attempt was short-lived, it left permanent scars in the memories of many people in Namibia and the Zambezi region in particular. 

Peace, education, good governance, and social justice are important undertakings in the Zambezi region to avoid possible tensions, particularly among ethnic groups.

*Collen Kurana is a DPhil student in Peace Studies at the Durban University of Technology.