Guns smuggled to Angola are police, army weapons

HOME affairs minister Albert Kawana said weapons exclusively meant to be used by the police, army and intelligence officials are among those smuggled from Namibia into Angola.

Kawana spoke to the The Namibian yesterday.

However, he refused to provide further details on the firearms, because doing so would jeopardise the ongoing investigation being conducted by the two countries into the smuggling of the firearms.

Head of the Angolan police Arnaldo Carlos, and inspector general of the Namibian Police Sebastian Ndeitunga launched the joint investigation into the smuggling of weapons from Namibia into Angola at Oshakati two weeks ago.

Kawana said the firearms are not allowed to be used at individual level, because they are exclusively for the police, army and intelligence services.

He declined to disclose the number of weapons smuggled.

“We will not give that information until the report of the joint investigations is given to both countries,” he said.

Kawana said the two governments don’t want the weapons to be used during the Angolan elections, in August this year.

When he visited Oshikango on Wednesday alongside Angolan minister of the interior Eugénio Laborinho, Kawana said Namibia will not allow weapons to be smuggled into Angola to destabilise the peace there.

Kawana said Namibia will take strict action against those found trafficking weapons into Angola.

“Namibia will never allow illegal weapons from here to go and destabilise Angola. That will not happen and we will take stern actions against those criminals who want to destabilise Angola. We will not allow it. Those are the directives of my president,” Kawana said.

At the signing, Carlos said the Angolan police are investigating some top brass in that country for allegedly smuggling firearms from Namibia into Angola.

He also said four people, including a Namibian, were arrested and detained, but the Namibian was later released on bail.

At the event, Ndeitunga said that 13 firearms and 450 rounds of ammunition were smuggled from Namibia since 2017.

Ndeitunga said the suspects used documents with the forged signature of Angola’s police chief to buy the weapons.

The minister said Angola housed Namibia during the liberation for independence, and during the war, Angola experienced the most destruction, with many Angolans paying in blood for Namibia’s independence.

Kawana said the Namibian Police’s Special Field Force will ensure no smuggling of illegal firearms takes place along the borders.

“We will deal with you according to the laws of Namibia. We will be fair but very harsh,” said Kawana.

National police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi earlier this year said Namibian national Daniel Thomas (35) was arrested by Angolan authorities after he was found in possession of several new firearms and ammunition.

He was arrested during the Angolan authorities’ inspection of goods at the Xangongo Customs Tax post.

Thomas was detained in Angolan police custody.

At the time, Shikwambi told the media the weapons were bought at a gun shop in Namibia. This included a Ruger AR556 (silent), FSM12, and CZ Scorpion EVO 3S1 guns and ammunition. There were also 18 gun magazines, four pistol magazines, 51 1/50 ammo boxes and 15 sabre knives.

Thomas was allegedly travelling from Santa-Clara to Luanda in Angola.