Maria David
A PHALANX of former PLAN fighters gathered at the Enghandja village in the Ohangwena region to commemorate their fallen comrades that died during the Battle of Enghandja at the start of April 1989.
The battle occurred when the then security forces clashed with a unit of the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) a day after the ceasefire agreement came into effect.
A total of ten Plancombatants died in the battle amongst the 430 that were returning into the country and were buried by local residents in seven shallow graves that remain unmarked to this day.
The battle occurred after PLAN fighters were instructed to invade Namibia in violation of a ceasefire which came into effect on 1 April 1989 via the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 and the Tripartite Accord.
The group of fighters that gathered at the Enghandja village did not expect any fighting when they set up a temporary base.
Battle Commander Elisa Ambabi, who recounted the day said he was given the responsibility to lead the combatants from the northern region with the aim to disrupt the peace process and national elections under Resolution 435.
Ambabi stated that he was instructed to lead the battle on the northern front by late commander Festus Sakaria.
“We just came as instructed and pass through locals that rendered us with service and assistance as they usually did but little did we know that our tracks were being followed by the South African troops,” he said.
Ambabi stated that this forced them to divide into three groups to confuse the enemy.
He said the battle raged for several hours leaving their fighters dead. He said about 23 South African troops including their commander also died during the battle.
Minister of Safety and Security Daniel Kashikole, said there have been several battles in the country and it is not always possible to mention them, thus the commemoration of days like Independence and Heroes days in the country.
Kashikole stated that one of the government’s mandates through the department of Veterans Affairs is to keep the history of the liberation struggle alive, this includes documenting all historical events.
“The government has a program to document the history of the liberation struggle and to also mark the unmarked graves that are scattered in the bushes of the country,” he said.
Kashikole stated that the only challenges they face currently are financial constraints to carry out the programs of marking the graves and documenting all the battles.
Kashikole revealed that there are so many battles that have taken place and they still need to know the details of those battles once the battle commanders are traced for documentation purposes.
