Namibia follows a largely independent foreign policy, with strong affiliations with states that aided the independence struggle, including Nigeria, Libya, and Cuba.
In Africa, Namibia has been involved in conflicts in neighbouring Angola as well as Democratic Republic of the Congo.
International organisations
Namibia is a member of 47 international organisations. These are:
Lomé Convention (ACP) African Development Bank (AfDB) African Union (AU) Commonwealth of Nations (C) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Group of 77 (G-77) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) International Criminal Court (ICCt) International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) ICRM International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) International Finance Corporation (IFC) International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS) International Labour Organization (ILO) International Monetary Fund (IMF) Interpol International Olympic Committee (IOC) International Organization for Migration (IOM, observer) IPU International Organization for Standardization (ISO, correspondent) International Telecommunication Union (ITU) MIGA Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ONUB Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA) Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Southern African Development Community (SADC) United Nations (UN) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) UNMIS UNOCI Universal Postal Union (UPU) WCL World Customs Organization (WCO) World Health Organization (WHO) World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Tourism Organization (WToO) World Trade Organization (WTrO)
United Nations
Namibia became the 160th member of the United Nations on 23 April 1990 upon independence from South Africa.
International disputes
Namibia is involved in several minor international disputes. Commission established with Botswana to resolve small residual disputes along the Caprivi Strip, including the Situngu marshlands along the Linyanti River Botswana residents protest Namibia's planned construction of the Okavango hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls Managed dispute with South Africa over the location of the boundary in the Orange River Dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe boundaries converge
Diplomatic relations List of countries which Namibia maintains diplomatic relations with: #CountryDate12345678910111213141516—17181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950515253—5455565758596061626364656667686970717273747576777879808182838485868788891990–199290919293949596979899100—101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131—132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171
Bilateral relations
Africa
Country Formal Relations BeganNotesSee Angola–Namibia relations
In 1999 Namibia signed a mutual defence pact with its northern neighbour Angola. This affected the Angolan Civil War that has been ongoing since Angola's independence in 1975. Namibia's ruling party SWAPO wanted to support the ruling party MPLA in Angola to fight the rebel movement UNITA, whose stronghold is in southern Angola, bordering Namibia. The defence pact allowed Angolan troops to use Namibian territory when attacking UNITA.
The alliance between SWAPO and MPLA has deep roots and began as both Angola's and Namibia's ruling parties sought independence during the mid-20th century and into the Angolan Civil War. In Angola, the leftist movement MPLA was fighting the rightist movement UNITA, which was supported by South Africa. In Namibia, SWAPO, then a rebel movement, was fighting for independence from South Africa along the Angolan border. Angola allowed SWAPO to establish training and refugee camps for Namibians and PLAN (People's Liberation Army of Namibia) fighters. As MPLA and SWAPO shared a common ideological ground, and had a common enemy in South Africa, they came to cooperate.
The Angolan civil war resulted in a large number of Angolan refugees coming to Namibia. At its peak in 2001 there were over 30,000 Angolan refugees in Namibia. The calmer situation in Angola has made it possible for many of them to return to their home with the help of UNHCR, and in 2004 only 12,600 remained in Namibia.See Botswana–Namibia relationsDuring the South African occupation of Namibia, Ethiopia was one of the country's leading proponents abroad; Ethiopia and Liberia were the first two states to bring the question of independence for then South West Africa to the United Nations.The South West Africa/Namibia dispute by John Dugard
In 2007, the two governments signed an agreement which expanded air travel between the two states. In December 2009, Namibia's Foreign Minister, Marko Hausiku met with Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Minister Seyoum Mesfin and noted the economic, science, technical and cultural agreements in place between the two countries and expressed a desire to improve the trade relations.Ethiopia, Namibia working out to step up cooperation areas
Ethiopia is accredited to Namibia from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. Namibia has an embassy in Addis Ababa.In 1960, Liberia and Ethiopia brought litigation against apartheid South Africa in the International Court of Justice to end its occupation of Namibia. NewLiberian.com, 15 July 2008 As part of Liberia's support for Namibia's liberation struggle, many Namibian students received Liberian passports which helped them study abroad.
As of July 2008, a total of 5,900 Namibia Defence Force troops had been rotated through Liberia as part of the United Nations Mission in Liberia.Liberia and Namibia to trade more The Namibian, 15 July 2008 Namibia maintained a battalion of about 800 personnel in Grand Cape Mount county for several years, for most of the period part of UNMIL Sector 2, headquartered at Tubmanburg. In May 2005, Namibian troops were accused of sexual exploitation of young girls and women; three Namibian soldiers were sent home from the force after a United Nations investigation found them guilty of "engaging in sexual activity with civilians", which is against United Nations rules for peacekeepers.NDF to probe Liberia sex scandal The Namibian, 26 May 200521 March 1990Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 March 1990
Namibia and Nigeria have binding bilateral agreements, but as of 2014, trade between the two countries was low. In March 2014, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan visited Namibia for Namibia's 24th independence day celebrations. The two countries also discussed establishing an oil refinery in Namibia for Nigerian oil.
Namibia has a high commission in Abuja.See Namibia–South Africa relations
Upon independence in 1990, Namibia's economy was still tied to South Africa's. To this day, the economy of Namibia is still closely contacted to South Africa through both institutional relationships (Southern African Customs Union, for example) and privately owned mining concessions.Namibia – Economy 5 August 1990See Namibia–Zambia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 August 1990
Namibia has a high commission in Lusaka. Zambia has a high commission in Windhoek.See Namibia–Zimbabwe relations
The ruling parties of Namibia (since independence in 1990) and Zimbabwe (since independence in 1980) have been close since pre-independence days, as both were anti-colonial movements against white-minority governments.Zimbabwe heaps praise on Swapo's transition effort by Tangeni Amupadhi, The Namibian, 3 June 2004 Namibia sent troops in the Namibia Defence Force to the Democratic Republic of the Congo alongside Zimbabwe in a SADC coalition to support President Joseph Kabila.Namibia and Zimbabwe – the second liberation by Henning Melber, pambazuka.org, 13 May 2008 Namibia has an embassy in Harare. Zimbabwe has an embassy in Windhoek.
Americas
Country Formal Relations BeganNotes1990See Brazil–Namibia relations
Brazil has an embassy in Windhoek. Namibia has an embassy in Brasília.See Canada–Namibia relations
Canada's relationship with Namibia began in 1977 when Canada joined the Western Contact Group, a joint diplomatic effort of France, United Kingdom, United States, Canada and West Germany to bring an internationally acceptable transition to independence for Namibia. In 1990 official relations started; Canada has dispatched an Honorary Consul to Windhoek.Canada-Namibia relations Foreign Ministry of Canada
Canada is one of the main destinations for Namibian refugees. Together with Botswana and Denmark, Canada has been granting asylum to people fleeing Namibia in the aftermath of the Caprivi conflict, and particularly the Caprivi treason trial that followed in which the Namibian government was accused of human rights violations. Only in 2010 Canada has changed its standpoint and is now considering the CLA to be a terrorist organisation that has "attempted to usurp an elected government". Nonetheless, Canada received a steady inflow of Namibian immigrants who seek economic betterment under the pretense of humiliation and harassment in Namibia. In 2011 more than 1,000 Namibians entered Canada. Three-quarters of them applied for refugee status, but only a few were successful.
Canada is accredited to Namibia from its high commission in Pretoria, South Africa. Namibia is accredited to Canada from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States.See Cuba–Namibia relations
Cuban-Namibian relations date back to the Namibian War of Independence when Cuba politically, militarily and diplomatically supported the Namibian rebel organisation and future ruling party, South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) against the military of Apartheid South Africa.Cuba-Namibia Joint Commission Meeting Kicks off in Havana, Radio Habana, Cuba, 5 July 2005
Since independence, Namibia and Cuba have held joint meetings every two years for Economic, Scientific-Technical and Commercial Cooperation. In 2005, it was reported that 1,460 Cuban professionals had worked in Namibia, including 208 in 2005.
Cuba has an embassy in Windhoek. Namibia has an embassy in Havana.17 April 1990See Mexico–Namibia relations Mexico recognised and established diplomatic relations with Namibia on 17 April 1990. In 1993, Mexico opened an embassy in Windhoek, however, the embassy was closed in 2002.
Mexico is accredited to Namibia from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. Namibia is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States.See Namibia–United States relations
US-Namibian relations are good and continue to improve. Characterised by shared democratic values, commitment to rule of law, and respect for human rights, the bilateral relationship has been strengthened through trade ties and US assistance programs. Namibia has seized opportunities created by AGOA. Currently the SACU countries and the US are negotiating a Trade, Investment and Development Cooperation Agreement, scheduled to be signed in 2008. Namibia has been included in President Bush's International Mother and Child HIV Initiative and the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The US Agency for International Development's (USAID) bilateral presence in Namibia has been extended until 2010. In addition to the embassy, the Centers for Disease Control, Peace Corps, and the United States Department of Defense have offices in Windhoek.