Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT Hage Geingob is set to depart for Finland today to attend the State Funeral of former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
Former President Ahtisaari passed away in October at the age of 86. His funeral will be held in the capital city of Finland, Helsinki, on Friday, 10 November.
“His Excellency Martti Ahtisaari will be remembered as a leading peacemaker who made outstanding contributions in the history of Namibia, when he was Ambassador of Finland to Tanzania and was first appointed as a senator to the Council of the United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN) in 1975, a position which later led to his appointment as Special Representative of the Secretary General to Namibia in 1978 by then United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim,” the Namibian Presidency said.
The presidency added that the former Finnish President was further appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General in 1989 to serve as the leader of the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia. In this capacity, the presidency stressed, he played a crucial role in the transition to Namibia’s independence in 1990.
“In his capacities as Director of the United Nations Institute for Namibia and later as SWAPO Director of Elections, including Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly, which birthed the Namibian Constitution, President Hage G. Geingob worked closely with His Excellency Martti Ahtisaari,” the presidency said.
The Namibian Presidency also highlighted that former President Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to world peace and outstanding international public service.
“He will be remembered by many as a friend of Namibia and her cause for freedom,” the presidency said.
Given the instrumental role that former President Ahtisaari played in Namibia, President Geingob will be attending the State Funeral and is expected to return to the country on Sunday, 12 November 2023.
