The
ship was stopped due to “explosive material destined for Israel,” Namibian
Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab claimed. The ship, which left from Vietnam, had
requested to dock at Walvis Bay before continuing north towards the
Mediterranean.
Walvis Bay, Namibia's largest commercial port, is located on
the western side of the African continent. It handles nearly 900 vessels and
about eight million tons of cargo each year, the BBC cited the Namibian Ports
Authority (Namport). The MV Kathrin was set to dock there on Monday but was
stopped.
Justice
Minister Yvonne Dausab said this was in line with Namibia's support for
the Palestinian people and its call to end the violence in Gaza, as
reported by the state-run New Era news website.
The report noted that the reason for the MV Kathrin's
request to dock was initially uncertain, as ships on long voyages often stop
for supplies, rest, or cargo exchanges.
Citing a police investigation, Dausab later confirmed that
the MV Kathrin was "indeed carrying explosive material destined for
Israel" and was thus barred from entering Namibian waters.
She stressed that Namibia is committed to avoiding
involvement in "Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, as
well as its unlawful occupation of Palestine."
The BBC noted that the Economic and Social Justice Trust
(ESJT) welcomed the decision, with Herbert Jauch saying they are pleased that
our government has decided to respect international law and not be complicit in
genocide."
Namport, which had not responded to the BBC before Dausab's
statement, mentioned it had not received the required pre-clearance documents
but promised to ensure "effective safety and security of our territorial
waters and ports" while supporting Namibia's international viewpoint on
the ongoing conflict.
In their report, the BBC noted that Namport had earlier
allowed another vessel with dangerous cargo to pass through but not dock.
Rights groups warned that allowing the vessel to dock could
involve Namibia in possible human rights violations.
