R 271135Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0368
INFO DIA WASHDC
CIA WASHDC
FBI WASHINGTON DC

S E C R E T WINDHOEK 000072 
 
 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/ITA AND DS/IP/AF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2018 
TAGS: ASEC PTER WA
SUBJECT: SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE - 
SPRING 2009 
 
REF: STATE 13023 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador G. Dennise Mathieu For Reasons 1.4 
C & D 
 
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POLITICAL VIOLENCE 
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¶1. (SBU) DEMONSTRATIONS 
 
¶A. Post is not aware of any religious or ethnic communities 
in Namibia that actively and publicly espouse specifically 
anti-American positions. Moreover, there are very few public 
demonstrations in general in Namibia.  Namibia's 
approximately 2500-member Muslim community, comprised of 
African, Southeast Asian and Middle East traders and 
diplomats is not politically active.  Namibia's main labor 
union, which is affiliated with the ruling SWAPO party, has 
in recent years staged demonstrations involving up to several 
hundred participants, but has not organized any anti-U.S. 
events since March 2003. 
 
a1. No 
 
a2. Yes, See events para below. 
 
a3. 150-500 (historically), but most recently 10-12 persons. 
 
a4. Yes, See events para below. 
 
 
Events: 
 
--In March 2007, 10-12 demonstrators from the Namibian Cuban 
Friendship Association rallied near the American Embassy to 
express their concern about the incarceration of Cubans in 
the United States (the so-called "Cuban Five") who they 
claimed were being held on trumped-up charges. 
 
-- In March 2007, human rights activists marched to the 
Zimbabwean High Commission to protest abuses by the 
Zimbabwean government. 
 
--In August 2007, security guards from across the capital 
gathered at an open field outside the Katutura Youth Centre 
to protest poor wages. 
 
 
¶B.  Peaceful. 
 
b1. No 
 
b2. No 
 
 
¶C.  Yes - In September 2008 some 92 demonstrators from a 
group called the "Children of the Liberation Struggle" camped 
out for more than 70 days on the pavement in front of the 
Ministry of Veterans' Affairs. 
 
c1. No 
 
c2. 300-500 historically 
 
c3. Peaceful. 
 
c4. No 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) MACRO CONFLICT CONDITIONS 
 
¶A.  No. 
 
¶B.  N/A 
 
¶C.  N/A 
 
¶D.  N/A 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) HOST COUNTRY CAPABILITIES 
 
¶A. No. Although Namibia has a good human rights record and 
there are limited cases of abuse, law enforcement officials 
receive insufficient training and frequently are not capable 
of properly conducting investigations and handling 
enforcement. 
 
¶B. Several Namibian law enforcement agencies (especially 
Customs and Immigration) fully participate in USG training 
programs at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) 
in Gaborone.  During the past years, several senior Namibian 
police officials have participated in ILEA programs.  The 
police had previously declined for many years to participate, 
reportedly because GRN ally Zimbabwe was excluded from ILEA 
training. 
 
¶C. Individual cases of corruption are reported, but Namibia 
has managed to avoid endemic, system-wide corruption in law 
enforcement agencies. 
 
¶D. No. Although mostly professional in their conduct, their 
limited resources would make it difficult to deter terrorist 
actions. 
¶E. Yes, to the extent of their very limited capabilities. 
¶F. N/A. 
¶G. Yes. 
¶H. Average. 
¶I. Ineffective, especially at land border posts. 
¶J. Ineffective; large portions of Namibia's borders are 
essentially unpatrolled. 
 
 
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INDIGENOUS TERRORISM 
-------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) ANTI-AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUPS 
 
¶A. None that Post is aware of. 
 
¶B. No. 
 
¶C. N/A. 
 
¶D. No. 
 
¶E. No. 
 
¶F. N/A. 
 
¶G. N/A. 
 
 
II. (SBU) OTHER INDIGENOUS TERRORIST GROUPS 
 
¶A. None that Post is aware of. 
 
¶B. N/A. 
 
¶C. N/A. 
 
¶D. N/A. 
 
 
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TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM 
----------------------- 
 
¶6. (S) TRANSNATIONAL TERRORIST INDICATORS 
 
¶A. None that Post is aware of. 
 
¶B. N/A. 
 
¶C. No. 
 
¶D. No. 
 
¶E. No. 
 
¶F. China, Russia, Cuba, and Venezuela maintain diplomatic 
missions in Windhoek, and both China and Russia are currently 
in the process of building very large embassies in Windhoek. 
The Chinese have installed a radio repeater at one of the 
highest points in Windhoek, which could allow them to 
intercept our Embassy radio signals. (Although we are unable 
to confirm whether there have been any attempts to do so. 
There is no evidence that any of these missions are engaged 
in anti-US intelligence activities relative to potential 
anti-American terrorist acts.  The Chinese business community 
in many areas of Namibia has grown exponentially.  Windhoek's 
four mosques receive foreign financial support: Iranian 
assistance for the Shi'ite mosque and Saudi funds for the 
Sunni Islamic Center and affiliated mosques.  There is no 
indication that these groups are involved in anti-American 
activities. 
 
¶G. Small arms are widely available in Namibia.  Most weapons 
are unregistered, including automatic weapons originating 
from Angola. Explosives are used in the mining industry but 
are well controlled by the companies that use them. 
 
 
MATHIEU