Namibian authorities suspect a ship is carrying military cargo destined for Israeli use in the ongoing war in Gaza. Access to the ship has been blocked in the southern African country.
Namibian Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab told state media the ship was stopped because it was “carrying explosive material destined for Israel”.
The MV Kathrin, which departed from Vietnam, had requested permission to dock at Walvis Bay harbour before sailing north on a suspected route to the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar.
Human rights groups warned that Namibia could be implicated in possible human rights violations if the country allowed the ship to dock.
It is not known why the ship wanted to dock, but ships on long voyages often stop to replenish supplies, rest, or to unload or load cargo.
Last December, Namibia’s neighbor and ally South Africa launched an ongoing case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel rejects the genocide charge as “baseless.”
The conflict began after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage.
The Israeli army then launched a campaign to destroy Hamas. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 40,430 people have been killed since then.
According to the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport), Walvis Bay is Namibia’s largest commercial port, handling nearly 900 vessels and approximately eight million tons of cargo annually.
The MV Kathrin, which was due to dock in Walvis Bay from Vietnam on Monday, was stopped in line with Namibia’s support for the Palestinian people and the country’s call for an end to violence in Gaza, Ms Dausab told the state news website New Era.
Referring to a police investigation, Ms Dausab said the vessel was “indeed carrying explosive material destined for Israel and therefore should not have entered Namibian waters”.
“Namibia complies with our obligation not to support or be complicit in Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the unlawful occupation of Palestine,” she said.
The Namibian human rights organisation Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT) welcomed the move.
“We are pleased that our government has decided to respect international law and not be complicit in genocide,” Herbert Jauch of ESJT told the BBC.
Namport did not respond to the BBC for comment on the MV Kathrin. Before Ms Dausab’s statement, it said it had not received pre-clearance documentation for the vessel.
However, the agency pledged to ensure “effective safety and security of our territorial waters and ports”.
The country also said it supports Namibia’s “position and position on international relations and protocols”.
Namport reported that it recently allowed another vessel carrying “dangerous cargo” to pass through Namibian waters but not dock.
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