Patrick Nandago was speaking on the sidelines of the 21st bilateral meeting between the Ministries of Interior of Angola and Namibia, which runs until Friday in Lubango, capital of the province of Huíla, to address topics of common interest, namely immigration, order and public security.
The Namibian diplomat, quoted by Angop, stressed that the drought affecting provinces in southern Angola also hit northern Namibia, expressing concern about the illegal immigration of Angolans to his country.
According to Patrick Nandago, data from the Ministry of Interior of Namibia reveal the existence, in the last three months, of at least 10,000 Angolans irregularly in Namibia, affected by drought and in a difficult situation.
The Namibian ambassador to Angola considered people's living conditions to be degrading, ruling out the possibility of a humanitarian crisis, for the time being, and it is necessary that the authorities of both countries strive to find a solution.
Patrick Nandago also expressed his country's availability for the opening of the border with Angola, which ended in March 2020, due to the covid-19 pandemic, with the exception of health situations, especially of Angolans.
According to the Namibian diplomat, the closure of the border has negatively affected the lives of the two peoples, with emphasis on those from the provinces of Cuando Cubango, Cunene, Namibe and, part of Huíla, where many young people are studying in Namibia.
"These young people, in 2020 were unable to study, due to the closure of the border. We also have a considerable number of Angolans looking for [health] services in Namibia, because although there are some ways to facilitate entry, there are still some embarrassments" , he indicated.
The availability of the Government of Namibia will be expressed during the meeting, said Patrick Nandago, hoping that Angola will accept the Namibian proposal, which has already sent some officials to the border region of Oshikango to address this issue, stressing that people must comply with the biosafety prevention measures for covid-19 recommended by the authorities.
The agenda, which this Wednesday and Thursday is being carried out by experts from both countries, coordinated on the Angolan side by the commander-general of the National Police, Paulo de Almeida, ends Friday with the signing of several agreements in matters of order and internal security, an act to be chaired by the Minister of the Interior, Eugénio Laborinho.
Illegal immigration, drug trafficking, cattle theft, the prison situation and the reopening of the border between the two countries, as well as enhanced cooperation in specialty matters, are the themes that will dominate the three days of work.
