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International Law and Self-Determination in Namibia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2008

Extract

Namibia, formerly South-West Africa, continues from the point of view ofinternational law to represent the symbol of violated right. Even though the United Nations has been seized of the matter for many years and the International Court of Justice has been given the opportunity to adjudicate, the problem appears to be as intractable as ever. South Africa has established her administrative and military presence and means to defend what she considers to be her right with all the forces at her command. The country does not lack friends whose direct or indirect support it counts upon. Yet the fundamental issue remains: Are the people of Namibia entitled to self-determination and how may they exercise that right? It will be necessary to refer back to the history of Namibia from the time of the mandate.

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Article
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

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References

Page 586 note 1 Cape Times (Capetown), 18 09 1920.Google Scholar

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Page 587 note 3 21st Ordinary Session, Report of the 1st Committee, pp. 5–6.

Page 588 note 1 Resolution II (I) of 9 February 1946. Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Belgium expressed their readiness, while France vacillated.

Page 588 note 2 South Africa stated that 208,850 Natives favoured annexation, 33,520 were opposed, and 56,790 were not consulted. In 1960 the population consisted of 428,000 Africans, 73,150 Europeans, and 24,000 people of mixed blood.

Page 588 note 3 Resolution 65 (I) of i December 1946.

Page 589 note 1 United Nations Document, 1946, A/334.

Page 590 note 1 International Court of Justice, Reports, 1956, p. 23. Hereafter referred to as I.C.J. Reports.

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Page 593 note 1 Resolution 2145 (XXI) of the General Assembly, 1966. The resolution was opposed by South Africa and Portugal, while Britain, France, and Malawi abstained.

Page 593 note 2 The members of the committee were Canada, Chile, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Finland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, U.S.S.R., U.A.R., and U.S.A.

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Page 594 note 1 U.N. Security Council Resolutions 264 and 269.

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Page 601 note 1 In the Corfu Channel (Merits) case, I.C.J. Reports, 1949, p. 4Google Scholar, the Court held that Albania was liable for the destruction of British warships and lives through the failure to notify the presence of mines. It held that the obligation to notify was based ‘on certain general principles’, inter alia, ‘elementary considerations of humanity, even more exacting in peace than in war’ (ibid. p. 22).

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Page 601 note 4 For the value of advisory opinions, see Rosenne, op. cit. p. 747. The 1950 opinion was accepted by the Assembly in Resolution gA (v) of 13 December 1950 and, whatever may be its binding effect, it is ‘the law recognised by the United Nations. It continues to be so although the Government of South Africa has declined to accept it as binding upon it and although it has acted in disregard of the international obligations as declared by the Court in that Opinion.’ Judge Lauterpacht in the Admissibility of Hearings of Petitions, in I.C.J. Reports, 1956, p. 23Google Scholar. But see Dugard, C. J. R., ‘The South-West Africa Cases’, in South Africa Law Journal, 1966, p. 460.Google Scholar

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Page 602 note 3 Resolutions 134 of I April 1960, 181 of 7 August 1963, and 191 of 18 June 1964.