Singapore’s first United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force to Namibia was a 21-strong police contingent led by then Acting Superintendant of the Police Task Force II, Lee Kong Leong. Singapore’s involvement in the peacekeeping mission, which was to oversee Namibia’s transition to independence, was in response to an urgent call for help from then UN General-Secretary Javier Perez de Cuellar on 29 March 1989.[1] The peacekeeping force, which left for Namibia two months later on 5 May for its one-year tour of duty, formed part of the 500-strong civilian police component of the UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG).[2] The component, which was under the command of then UN Special Representative Martii Ahtisaari, was tasked to monitor the performance of the local police force in enforcing law and order during the period leading to Namibia’s election and its transition to independence.[3]
The members of Singapore’s peacekeeping force were selected from a pool of police officers who had volunteered for the assignment.[4] Before leaving for Namibia, the officers went through a three-week training course to prepare themselves for the various challenges of this assignment. These ranged from having to acclimatise themselves to the weather conditions as well as the exposure to high levels of security risk.[5] In Namibia, the Singapore peacekeeping force was deployed in groups of four to five officers to the Namibian capital Windhoek and four other towns, namely Hochfeld, Noordoewar, Omaruru and Enana.[6] Serving alongside peacekeeping officers from 14 other countries such as Australia, Barbados, Fiji, Hungary and Sweden, the Singapore officers carried out policing duties such as daily bush patrols or settling communal and industrial disputes. Bush patrols were particularly challenging as the officers were expected to cover vast distances under extreme conditions, with some patrols lasting as long as eight hours.[7]
In October 1989, the size of Singapore’s UN peacekeeping force in Namibia was increased to 48 after another group of 27 officers was deployed at the request of the UN.[8] These members of the second group, who left for Namibia on 31 October following a strenuous nine-day training course, were selected from the various land divisions of the police task force and the traffic police.[9] In addition to these police officers, Singapore also sent a 20-man team to help supervise the country’s election, which was held in November that same year.[10]
After a gruelling 43-week stint, the Singapore UN peacekeeping officers returned to Singapore in two batches. The first batch returned on 5 March 1990 and the remaining officers on 28 March.[11] These officers earned the praise of Perez de Cuellar who commended the men for their contributions to Namibia and their professionalism in discharging their duties.[12]
References
1.21-man police team to join Namibia peace force. (1989, April 7). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. Jacob, P. (1989, May 5). Experience of a lifetime awaits Namibia force. The Straits Times, p. 10; Emotional send-off for Namibia-bound officers. (1989, May 6). The Straits Times, p. 40. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. The Straits Times, 7 Apr 1989, p. 1;The Straits Times, 5 May 1989, p. 10.
4. The Straits Times, 7 Apr 1989, p. 1.
5. The Straits Times, 5 May 1989, p. 10.
6. Nair, S. (1989, May 18). S'pore police officers praised in Namibia. The Straits Times, p. 18; Pereira, B. (1989, November 6). S'pore policemen rough it out in vast Namibia. The Straits Times, p. 15. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
7. The Straits Times, 6 Nov 1989, p. 15; Pereira, B. (1990, January 22). A day as a UN peacekeeper. The Straits Times, p. 14. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. Minister, relatives see 27 off to Namibia. (1989, November 1). The Straits Times, p. 22. Retrieved from NewspaperSG .
9. Bigger team bound for Namibia. (1989, October 28). The Straits Times, p. 27. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. Miller, D. (1989, October 21). Elections chief Namibia-bound. The Straits Times, p. 23. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
11. Back from Namibia. (1990, March 6). The Straits Times, p. 3; Cop home from Namibia has first sight of his son. (1990, March 29). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
12. The Straits Times, 29 Mar 1990, p. 1.
The information in this article is valid as at 2014 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.