Liberating Namibia

Book excerpt: After World War I, the League of Nations assigned management of the German colony of Namibia to Britain, which passed control to South Africa as a "trophy" for the country's support during the war. The League mandated that South Africa prepare the country for independence, but South Africa showed no sign of working toward that goal. The clash over interpretation of the League's mandate led to 70 years of complicated diplomacy to solve the dispute. This incisive volume offers an in-depth analysis of the political and diplomatic efforts undertaken by representatives of the United Nations, Namibia, and South Africa--with the assistance of the international community, the Organization of African Unity, and Western powers--during the struggle for self-rule in Namibia from 1920 to 1990. This classic example of conflict resolution technique in global and African studies provides a useful template for conflict negotiation around the world.