User:Pgallert/Independence of Namibia

Namibia gained its independence on 21 March 1990.

Timeline of events

 * December 17, 1920: South Africa assumes administration of South-West Africa under the terms of Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations and a Class C Mandate agreement by the League Council. The Class C mandate, supposed to be used for the least developed territories, gave South Africa full power of administration and legislation over the territory without the obligation to guide the population into independence. It did require, however, that South Africa promote the material and moral well-being and social progress of the people.
 * 1945: The end of World War II effects a raise in base metal prices and increased demand for cattle, karakul, fish, and diamonds—all commodities that are abundant in South-West Africa. The territory becomes economically profitable for South Africa, its economy begins growing at a fast pace.
 * May/June 1946: The South African administration runs a referendum on joining South Africa among the indigenous population which results in 85% favouring the merger. This poll has been criticised as not being a proper referendum (headmen were polled on behalf of their populace), and as being worded in a way that does not satisfactorily explain the choices at hand. In fact, the Administration cheated by suggesting the possibility that another country might rule South-West Africa henceforth.
 * 1946: The newly founded United Nations turn down the subsequent South African request to annex South-West Africa. Furthermore the UN requests that the mandated territory be transformed into a trusteeship under its supervision. South Africa questions the legitimacy of the mandate restrictions to be passed from the League of Nations to the UN and claims full jurisdiction over the territory. The UN approaches the International Court of Justice in this matter.
 * 28 May 1948: The National Party wins the 1948 election in South Africa and subsequently introduces apartheid legislation. These laws also extend into South-West Africa which was the de facto fifth province of South Africa.
 * 1950: The International Court of Justice rules that the territory remains a mandate and that there is no requirement to create a trusteeship as requested by the UN.
 * 1958: Foundation of the Ovamboland People's Organisation, the predecessor of SWAPO This event marks the beginning of a quick shift of leadership from traditional leaders to political parties.
 * 20 August 1959: Foundation of SWANU
 * 10 December 1959: Residents of the Old Location protest against rising bus fares and forced removal to a new township, Katutura. The resulting uprising sees 11 people dead and 44 injured. It also forces leading figures of the Ovamboland People's Organisation into exile, indirectly leading to the foundation of SWAPO. The events around the Old Location Uprising are probably one of the main reasons for SWAPO to put less effort into petitioning and resistance, and to turn the independence struggle into an armed conflict.
 * 1960: Foundation of SWAPO
 * 1962 Formation of SWAPO's armed wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN)
 * 26 August 1966: fights between SWAPO and the South African Defence Force start at Omugulugwombashe. The exchange of fire at Omugulugwombashe is regarded as the start of the Namibian War of Independence, part of the South African Border War
 * October 1966: The United Nations General Assembly revokes South Africa's mandate to govern South-West Africa and creates the position of a United Nations Commissioner for Namibia
 * 1972: UNGA recognises SWAPO as "sole legitimate representative" of Namibia's people. As a consequence of this step, exiled Namibians that were affiliated with other political organisations, saw their refugee status endangered. Some returned to South-West Africa instead of joining SWAPO.
 * 1974: SWAPO transfers its headquarters to Angola which recently became independent. 6000 Namibians go into exile to join the liberation movement.
 * 1 September 1975-6 October 1977: The Turnhalle Constitutional Conference is tasked with the development of a constitution for a self-governed Namibia under South African control. SWAPO and UN reject the conference and its proposals.
 * 30 January 1976: United Nations Security Council Resolution 385 adopted by the United Nations, instructing South Africa to hold free elections in Namibia within 6 months. This resolution marks the entry of the USA and their allies into the negotiations on the future of Namibia.
 * 18 May 1977: The draft constitution as suggested by the Turnhalle Conference (called the Turnhalle Plan) is tested in a Whites-only referendum. 95% approve.
 * 1977: Martti Ahtisaari becomes United Nations Commissioner for Namibia.
 * 5 November 1977: the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) is founded, mainly from the ethnic groups that attended the Turnhalle Conference, but also smaller, ethnically based parties. . The DTA servers as a counterbalance to SWAPO, representing the part of the population that resists the liberation movement's violence.
 * 1977-1987: "Namibia turned from an economic asset to a millstone" to South Africa, caused by drought, overfishing, changing import-export price ratios, mismanagement, and the cost of the war which by then equaled the Gross Domestic Product of South-West Africa.
 * 27 March 1978: Clemens Kapuuo is assassinated in Windhoek. SWAPO is blamed for the killing, but the South African military could have been the perpetrator, too.
 * 4 May 1978: South Africa attacks the SWAPO camp at Cassinga with aircraft and kills several hundred people. SWAPO insists that Cassinga was a refugee camp, and the attack therefore a massacre, while the South Africans speak of a military base at Cassinga, and call the attack the Battle of Cassinga. Indications are that the camp served both roles.
 * 10 April 1978: The Western Contact Group makes its Settlement Proposal
 * September 29, 1978: United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 adopted by the United Nations
 * 4-8 December 1978: The first multi-racial elections in South-West Africa are conducted. Namibia National Front, SWAPO Democrats and SWAPO are excluded, but their call for boycott is ineffective, likely because of intimidation and the presence of South African troops in the North. The level of support for SWAPO at the grassroots is, however, unclear at this time. DTA gains 41 of the 50 seats, the UNSC rejects the election and the subsequent government.
 * 12 September 1979: A request by Sam Nujoma to have selected pre-school children educated abroad is granted by the government of the German Democratic Republic. Subsequently, more than 400 children are flown to the GDR to attend school. This group is known as the GDR Children of Namibia, it only returns in August 1990.
 * 18 January 1983: South Africa dissolves the government that was formed in the 1978 elections and again assumes full administrative authority.
 * 17 June 1985: Without conducting elections, the Transitional Government of National Unity is installed by the South African Administrator-General. Its legislative and executive actions are subject to South African approval. DTA gets 22 seats, and five minor parties, Labour Party (LP), the National Party of South-West Africa (NP), the Rehoboth Free Democratic Party, the South West Africa National Union (SWANU), and the SWAPO Democrats (SWAPO-D) get 8 seats each.
 * 17 February 1988: The Oshakati bomb blast at Barclays Bank (today First National Bank Namibia) kills 23 people and wounds 70. SWAPO and SWATF blame each other for the attack, although indications are that the South Africans initiated the blast in order to discredit SWAPO. Leonard Sheehama is arrested in June that year and admits to various bombings, including the one at Walvis Bay. He receives the death sentence from a South African court but is acquitted after his 1991 appeal during which it was established that he was tortured.
 * 22 December 1988: Angola, Cuba, and South Africa sign the Tripartite Accord (New York Accords), granting independence to Namibia and ending the direct involvement of foreign troops in the Angolan Civil War.
 * 1 March 1989: TNGU is suspended along the terms of Resolution 435.
 * April 1989: United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) assumes operation
 * 7-11 November 1989: Namibian parliamentary election, 1989
 * November 21, 1989: First meeting of the Constituent Assembly of Namibia
 * 9 February 1990: Constitution of Namibia drafted and adopted
 * 21 March 1990: Namibian Independence Day
 * 1 March 1994: Integration of Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands