WALVIS BAY - The Namibian Navy and their Brazilian counterparts took part in various military exercises over the weekend to strengthen relations between the two countries.
About 50 marines, 69 enlisted men and 12 officers arrived last week on the Araguari naval ship at Walvis Bay to pay a courtesy visit before sailing to Cameroon, where they will take part in the multinational exercise ‘Obangame Express 2023’.
The naval vessel’s captain Marcio dos Santos indicated that the exercise will enable the participating countries to provide maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea through simulation exercises to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing
activities, pollution at sea, piracy, and assistance to ships in distress.
“Overall, the mission of our vessel is to execute maritime patrolling, search and rescue operations, multinational training exercises, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, amongst others,” Dos Santos stated.
He said the stop in Namibia shows the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries.
According to him, Namibia and Brazil’s mutual relationship is evident in exchange and training programmes between the two naval forces.
Claucio Velaso from the Brazilian embassy said a Brazilian naval ship visit is always an important occasion, given the broader fruitful defence cooperation between countries.
“Namibia is a special friendly country, with historical ties of cooperation that date back to the early years of Namibia’s independence,” he added.
The visit also embodies the Namibian and Brazilian foreign policy commitment to the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone to protect
their territorial waters.
Araguari was expected to leave the port of Walvis Bay yesterday.