Israel

Namibia, a South African country, denied entry to the ship “MV Kathrin,” which was carrying weapons to Israel, into its territorial waters and Walvis Bay Port. According to Namibia’s New Era newspaper, Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab instructed relevant authorities, including the Namibia Ports Authority, to prevent the ship from entering the country’s waters. In a statement to the press, Dausab highlighted Namibia’s clear stance on Palestine, noting that a more detailed investigation by the Namibia Police Force revealed the ship was carrying explosives intended for Israel, leading to the ban on its entry. Dausab called for an end to violence in Palestine and emphasized that after receiving reports of the ship carrying weapons to Israel, she reminded authorities of Namibia’s international obligations, as indicated by both the Genocide Convention and recent advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice (ICJ). She requested that the ship be denied access to Walvis Bay Port based on these considerations. Dausab stressed the need for all nations, particularly African countries, to take a firm stance against Israel and reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and condemning ongoing genocide against them. No information was provided about the ship’s origin. Following Germany’s support for Israel amid genocide charges at the ICJ, former Namibian President Hage Geingob criticized Germany on January 13, stating that Germany cannot morally commit to the UN Genocide Convention, recalling the genocide and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Namibians between 1904 and 1908.