United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG): the Dutch contribution

Deployment

On the day the ceasefire was due to come into force (1 April 1989), the first marechaussee personnel (arrival in March) were faced with an invasion of SWAPO fighters from Angola. This development largely determined the deployment of the police observers. It was decided that the majority should be concentrated in the north of Namibia, the home of 70% of Namibia's population.

27 additional Royal Netherlands Marechaussee service members

The Netherlands decided in June 1989, at the request of the Secretary-General, to increase its contingent with 27 marechaussees. UNTAG now had enough agents to put more staff into the southern posts as well. From that time on, CIVPOL was operating in 7 police districts, spread over 49 police stations.

Maintaining law and order

It was the police officers’ job to ensure that the South West African Police (SWAPOL) – the police corps in Namibia that had been set up and was still influenced by South Africa – maintained law and order efficiently, professionally and impartially. Together with colleagues from other countries, the marechaussees regularly went on patrol as observers with SWAPOL. They were welcome guests, as they were able to communicate with the South Africans.

Civilians

On the whole, however, CIVPOL’s hands were pretty firmly tied. The UN police officers had no powers of arrest and could only indirectly influence the way SWAPOL worked, although civilians could lodge a complaint with CIVPOL about SWAPOL's actions and CIVPOL would then launch an inquiry.

Monitoring

As well as its patrolling task, from June 1989 CIVPOL also kept an eye on things during the return of the refugees, provided observers for the electoral registration, which started on 3 July, and regularly attended election meetings. Between 7 and 11 November, more than 1,000 CIVPOL agents were made available to join over 1,700 other international observers to oversee the elections.