Presidential press secretary Alfredo Hengari says the government has not yet made a decision on whether to send troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the capture of the city of Goma by M23 rebel forces.
Namibia has so far spent N$90 million on peacekeeping efforts in the DRC.
On Friday, president Nangolo Mbumba called for diplomacy to end the crisis.
“President Nangolo Mbumba is committed to the peaceful resolution of the conflict, and reiterated that position on Friday, 31 January, in his message to the diplomatic community,” says Hengari.
“President Mbumba and the Namibian government stand firmly behind the Luanda and Nairobi processes as pathways towards lasting peace in eastern DRC. Any form of escalation is counterproductive,” he adds.
South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania have deployed soldiers to the DRC to assist the Congolese army in combating the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group and to protect civilians from violence and human rights abuses.
South Africa has suffered significant losses in the DRC as rebels swiftly advance towards Goma, a key trading hub on the border with Rwanda. At least 13 South African soldiers have been killed since last week, adding to last year’s toll of seven casualties, one of the country’s deadliest combat-related tragedies in recent times.
Namibia and Zimbabwe last deployed troops to the DRC in 1998.
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