Collaboration of the GDR with the Liberation Movement of Namibia, 1960—1990

Based on archival documents from the National Archives of Namibia and rare publications of sources, the article examines the stages and main forms of collaboration of the German Democratic Republic with organizations fighting for the liberation of Namibia, the main one of which was the Organization of the Peoples of South West Africa (SWAPO). The GDR was the main country of the socialist camp after the USSR, actively supporting the SWAPO's struggle for the independence of Namibia. SWAPO was a priority for the GDR among the liberation movements in Africa, and this was due to the orientation of this organization towards Marxism-Leninism, to which the GDR contributed a lot. At first, the GDR tried to establish relations not only with SWAPO, but also with SWANU (the National Union of South West Africa / The South West Africa National Union). The first contacts between the GDR Solidarity Committee and SWAPO took place in 1961, when SWAPO opened an office in Cairo. Rallies were held with the participation of the SVANU and SWAPO delegations, financial assistance and scholarships were provided to both organizations, which sent a small number of their members to the GDR. The Solidarity Committee initially proceeded from the possibility of uniting both organizations, then came to the conclusion that SWAPO had stronger support among the population of the country. In addition, they came to the conclusion that SWAPO had great support among migrant workers, an important part of the emerging working class of Namibia. Relations between SWAPO and the GDR gradually improved after Angola gained independence in 1975, and SWAPO began to cooperate more actively with the MPLA and unveiled a socialist political program in 1976. On October 13, 1978, the SWAPO representative office in East Berlin was opened, which meant political and diplomatic recognition of SWAPO by the GDR. On the eve of Namibia's independence, cooperation acquired a number of additional features. The GDR's collaboration with SWAPO took place under the slogan of solidarity, which meant all kinds of assistance to African countries. Contacts were carried out through the “solidarity bodies” of East Germany, such as the Union of Free German Youth, the Federation of Free German Trade Unions and the Solidarity Committee. The Solidarity Committee, as a directly dependent on the Central Committee of the SED, but legally independent organization, established back in 1960, played a special role in the cooperation of the GDR with SWAPO. Important aspects of GDR's collaboration with SWAPO were financial assistance to SWAPO refugee camps in Angola, training of national personnel for a future free Namibia, in particular, the education and upbringing of children of SWAPO activists in the GDR itself, as well as military cooperation.