Neighbours across the ocean

Celebrating 30 Years of Brazil-Namibia Naval Cooperation (1994-2024)

The Late President Hage Geingob as soon as referred to the friendship of Brazil and Namibia as that of “neighbours, separated solely by the ocean.”

Thanks to 3 a long time of a profitable naval partnership, Brazil and Namibia have actually turn out to be neighbours united by the Atlantic Ocean.

Right this moment, 4 March, we rejoice the thirtieth anniversary of the Brazil-Namibia Settlement for Naval Cooperation, which paved the way in which for Brazil’s largest and strongest naval cooperation in Africa.

The anniversary coincides with the celebration of 30 years because the handover of Walvis Bay and the offshore islands to Namibia on 28 February 1994, marking the consolidation of the Namibian territory.

Following the reintegration of Namibia’s essential port metropolis, native authorities welcomed on 2 March 1994, the Brazilian Frigate Niteroi, the primary army ship to enter Namibian waters after the return of Walvis Bay.

On the identical day, Brazil established a Naval Mission to Namibia, with the intention of supporting the creation and strengthening of the Namibian naval wing, which might turn out to be a totally fledged drive in 2004.

Throughout its keep at Walvis Bay, the Niteroi was honoured by a go to of founding president Sam Nujoma. It was additionally the stage for the signing ceremony of the naval settlement.

A landmark venture between Brazil and Namibia below the settlement was the hydrographic survey of the Namibian coast, carried out in 1997 by the Brazilian hydrographic vessel Sirius. The venture led to the publication of the primary nautical chart of the Walvis Bay harbour.

Revised and prolonged in 2001, the naval settlement allowed for 1 179 Namibian army personnel, comprising 90% of navy employees, to obtain coaching in Brazilian naval establishments inside a interval of 10 years.

Since then, yearly new programs are supplied to the Namibian Navy in areas as numerous as cartography, nautical sciences and army technique.

From 2003 to 2006, Brazil supplied naval consultancy to Namibia in making ready the documentation required by the United Nations Fee on the Limits of the Continental Shelf for the submission of a proper proposal relating to the Namibian Continental Shelf.

In 2004, the Brazilian authorities donated to the Namibian Navy the Purus Corvette, which was re-baptised as NS Lt-Gen Dimo Hamaambo.

The Brazilian Navy additionally supplied specialised coaching, in addition to technical and logistics help for the Namibian ship’s crew.

In 2009, Brazil additionally provided the Brazilian made 200-tonne Brendan Simbwaye navy patrol vessel, and two patrol boats of the Marlim class.

In the identical yr, the Brazilian Marines Advisory Technical Crew at Walvis Bay was established, permitting for the coaching in Namibia of 723 privates and 209 non-commissioned officers, resulting in the creation of the Namibian Marine Corps in 2016.

Since then, the Brazilian Marines have skilled greater than 1 400 Namibian Marines in programs taught within the nation, along with offering army, technical and administrative recommendation.

Moreover, below the bilateral naval cooperation, Brazilian offshore patrol vessels have recurrently visited Namibia as a part of naval coaching workouts alongside the coast of Africa.

In September 2022, the NS Elephant turned the primary Namibian vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean to take part within the Brazilian celebration of the 2 hundredth anniversary of Brazil’s independence and the multilateral naval train Unitas LXIII, in Rio de Janeiro.

Past our bilateral ties, Namibia and Brazil are members of the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone (APCZ), a neighborhood of 24 riverine international locations from South America and west and southern Africa.

Created in 1986, the APCZ goals at guaranteeing that the South Atlantic stays an space freed from nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, the place peaceable cooperation prevails. Within the twenty first century, these objectives stay extra related than ever.

As Namibia embarks on a brand new stage of financial improvement, by exploring the ample oil reserves lately found, challenges relating to safety in its offshore zone will demand new options and actions. The Brazilian Navy, which has lengthy been answerable for the safety of Brazil’s oil and gasoline offshore platforms, stands able to share its expertise and experience with Namibia.

Vivian Loss Samartin is the ambassador of Brazil to Namibia.