Negotiating the Freedom of Namibia: The Diplomatic Achievement of the Western Contact Group

At the beginning of 1977, several members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council prepared a joint diplomatic initiative to resolve the deadlock over South Africa’s illegal occupation of Namibia. In this book, Hans-Joachim Vergau, a key participant in the ensuing negotiations, analyses the multifaceted political and diplomatic developments - as well as dramatic setbacks - that followed the initiative. This book provides a precise view of the long diplomatic struggle to achieve Namibia’s independence through UN activities from the perspective of one of Germany’s most influential diplomats. Hans-Joachim Vergau’s commitment to the cause of independence bridged dangerous periods, including those during which Western powers and even his superiors did not apply the necessary pressure on South Africa. They prevaricated, until the apartheid regime started to crumble. Prof. Dr. Helmut Bley, University of Hannover