Ubwo ibihugu byo ku mugabane w’Uburayi byahaga ubwigenge bimwe mu bihugu byakolonizaga muri Afurika, Afurika y’Epfo na yo yari ku gitutu cyo guha ubwigenge Namibia.
Icyo gihe Afurika y’Epfo yari yarigaruriye Namibia yitwaga South West Africa nyuma yuko u Budage bwari bumaze gutsindwa mu ntambara ya mbere y’Isi.
Mu mwaka w’1966, Umuryango w’Abibumbye wasabye Afurika y’Epfo kurekura bimwe mu bihugu byakolonizwaga n’u Budage ariko irinangira. Byakomeje kuba bibi kurushaho kuko habaga irondaruhu kugera no muri Namibia.
Icyo gihe habaye ihutazwa ry’uburenganzira bw’ikiremwamuntu bigizwemo uruhare n’abari abasirikare b’Afurika y’Epfo SANDF (South African National Defense Force).
Ibyo bikorwa byatumye hashingwa umutwe witwaje intwaro wa SWAPO (South West African People’s Organisation) wari uje guhangana mu ntambara yamaze imyaka 23 bahanganye n’Afurika y’Epfo.
Mu ntambara yamaze imyaka 23 guhera mu 1966 ihanganishike umutwe wa SWAPO na SANDF, abantu ibihumbi bakomerekeyemo, impunzi zibarirwa mu majana zibura ubuzima bigizwemo uruhare n’ingabo za SANDF.
Mu myaka mirongo 44, habaye igitero cyu’bwicanyi cyiswe ‘Ubwicanyi bwa Cassinga’. Bivugwa ko ingabo z Afurika y’Epfo zibarirwa muri 400 zateye mu gice cy’umujyi wa Kassinga ahantu hari ibirombe by’amabuye y’agaciro mu majyepfo ya Angola kuri kirometero 260 ujya ku mupaka wa Namibia.
Inkuru yanditswe na Pambazuka News ivuga ko igitero cyabaye mu rukerera ku itariki ya 4 Gicurasi 1978. Icyo gihe indege za Afurika y’Epfo zagurukaga hejuru y’inkambi zigaturitsa amabombe.
Icyo gihe hakurikiye igitero cy’ingabo zo mu kirere z’Afurika yepfo. Ku mpera y’icyo gitero bivugwa ko impunzi 600 za Namibia zapfuye, inyinshi muri zo zari abagore n’abana abandi babarirwa mu majana bahavana ubumuga. Abari muri iyo nkambi bagera mu 3000 batabawe n’ingabo z’abanya-Cuba.
Mu myaka yakurikiyeho Afurika y’Epfo yasobanuye ko Cassinga yari ikigo cya gisirikare cy’umutwe wa SWAPO, aho kuba inkambi y’impunzi, ariko mu makuru yagarutsweho cyane yemeje ko yari inkambi y’impunzi yashinzwe na SWAPO ku bufatanye bw’Umuryango w’Abibumbye ariko yarindwaga na bamwe mu basirikare kabuhariwe bake ba SWAPO.
Amakuru avuga ko mu minsi yabanjirije icyo gitero kuri Cassinga, ishami ry’Umuryango w’Abibumbye ryita ku bana, UNICEF, rikorera muri Angola ryari rimaze iminsi risuye iyi nkambi. Ivuga ko leta ya Angola yari yareguriye ikirombe cya Cassinga umutwe wa SWAPO mu 1976 nk’ahantu hagomba kwimurirwa impunzi zo muri Namibia zakorerwaga ivangura rya Apartheid.
Ishyaka rya SWAPO rivuga ko mu kwezi kwabanjirije ubu bwicanyi, abanya-Namibia babarirwa mu 4000 barimo abanyeshuri n’imiryango yari ifite abana benshi biteguraga kuba bajyanwa gutuzwa ahandi, koherezwa ku bigo by’amashuri muri Angola cyangwa mu mahanga. Ikindi ni uko iyi nkambi yari ifite ishuri, ivuriro, ahatunganyirizwa imodoka, ubuhuniko bw’ibyo kurya n’ibindi.
Kuri iyo nkambi hari abarinzi bake batari bafite intwaro n’imwe. Ku munsi wabereyeho igitero, abantu 4000 bari mu kibuga cy’inkambi bitegura kujya mu mirimo yabo nko kubaka aho kuba guhinga. Umwe mu bagore barokotse yavuze ko yabonye indege enye ubwo yari asohotse mu bitaro byo mu nkambi, akabona abantu benshi bakomeretse n’abandi bapfuye.
Bwa nyuma mu mwaka w’1988, Afurika y’Epfo bigizwemo uruhare n’Umuryango w’Abibumbye yemeye kurekura igihugu cya Namibia, ntiyongera kukigenzura, kibona ubwigenge ku itariki ya 21 Werurwe.
Sam Nujoma, umuyobozi wa SWAPO, ni we warahiriye kuba Perezida wa mbere w’iki gihugu bigizwemo uruhare n’uwari Umunyamabanga Mukuru w’Umuryango w’Abibumbye, Javier Perez de Cuellar.
Uyu munsi ubwicanyi bwa Cassinga bwashyizwe muri komisiyo y’ukuri no kwiyunga. Ntabwo Afurika y’Epfo yigeze ikurikiranwa cyangwa ngo umusirikare wayo aburyozwe.
Muri Namibia, tariki ya 4 Gicurasi ni umunsi w’ikiruhuko rusange mu rwego rwo kwibuka izi mpunzi zaguye mu gitero cya Cassinga.
Niyobuhungiro David
