Namibia blocks ship 'carrying military cargo for Israel's war on Gaza'

Namibia has blocked access to a vessel it suspected of carrying military cargo for Israel's use in its ongoing war on Gaza to one of the country's ports, in the latest show of solidarity with Palestinians.

The Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel MV Kathrin, which departed from Vietnam, requested permission to dock at the Walvis Bay post when Namibian authorities intervened. 

The ship, suspected of intending to sail north towards the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar, was then fully halted by Namibian officials.  

Namibia's Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab confirmed the decision on Monday in an interview with the state-owned news agency New Era, adding that the request was made last Friday. 

"Upon receiving reports that a vessel may be carrying weapons intended for Israel, I addressed a letter to Cabinet, international relations ministry, works ministry, as well as the safety and security ministry, advising and reminding them of our international obligations, not only under the Genocide Convention but also as articulated in the recent advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ)," she continued. 

Dausab said a police investigation was conducted which later concluded that the ship was "indeed carrying explosive material destined for Israel, and was therefore prohibited from entering Namibian waters". 

"Namibia complies with our obligation not to support or be complicit in Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, as well as its unlawful occupation of Palestine," Dausab said. 

The exact reason why the ship sought to dock remains unclear.  The New Arab cannot independently verify the claims.

Vessels on long journeys typically stop at ports to replenish supplies, provide the crew with some respite, or offload and take on new cargo. 

Rights groups including the Namibian human rights group the Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT) praised the country for upholding its stance against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. 

"We are pleased that our government has decided to respect international law and decided not to be complicit to genocide," ESJT's Herbert Jauch told the BBC. 

The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has not directly commented on the incident but noted it had not received the necessary pre-clearance documentation for the ship. 

The agency, however, pledged to ensure the "effective safety and security of our territorial waters and ports" but pledged its support for Namibia's "standing and position on international relations and protocols".

Namport further mentioned that it had recently permitted another vessel carrying "dangerous cargo" to pass through Namibian waters, although docking was not allowed. 

Namibia has openly denounced the months-long war in Gaza and supported neighbour South Africa in its court battle at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to have Israel's assault on Gaza recognised as a genocide against the Palestinian people.

Namibia has also criticised Germany in its support for Israel amid the ongoing ICJ case, the former European colonial power having committed genocide in the southern African nation early in the 20th century.

In a statement on X in February, the Namibian presidency highlighted that the first genocide of the 20th century was committed by Germany, when between 1904 and 1908 "tens of thousands of innocent Namibians died in the most inhumane and brutal conditions" under German rule.

Condemning Germany for its "inability to draw lessons from its horrific history", former President Hage Geingob further implored Germany to "reconsider its untimely decision to intervene as a third party in defence and support of the genocidal acts of Israel" before the World Court. 

The presidency asserted that Germany "cannot morally express commitment to the United Nations Convention against genocide" or genuinely atone for the genocide it committed on Namibian soil while simultaneously "supporting the equivalent of a holocaust and genocide in Gaza".