Caprivi, one of Namibia’s thirteen provinces, is a geographically isolated corridor in northeastern Namibia which borders Botswana, Zambia and Angola. The “Four Corners,” the only four-country intersection in the world, is found on Caprivi’s easternmost front. For more than one hundred years, Caprivi was part of the multi-ethnic Barotse Kingdom that stretched over an area which included parts of present-day Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.       In 1890, the German Government insisted on having access between her colonies in south-west and east Africa, via the Zambezi River. This was achieved by means of the Helgoland-Zanzibar Treaty. Thus, a narrow wedge of land, 450km in length, later called the Caprivi Strip, was driven into what was then British sovereign territory. In the process, indigenous groups that bore no ethnic, linguistic or historical relationship to other Namibian tribes, were incorporated into German South West Africa.

Namibian Flag

Village along the Kwando River                                   Caprivi, Namibia

The annexation of the Caprivi Strip by South West Africa was in many respects senseless and bore significant consequences for its native inhabitants. Since the Zambezi is not navigable due to its numerous cataracts, the main purpose of this land gain could not be realized. The officials in Berlin also underestimated the difficulty and expense involved in reaching this remote area. Thus, they quickly lost interest in developing the Caprivi, especially since other colonial wars demanded German attention and financial resources at the time. For eighteen years, Germany discussed separating German Barotseland (as the Strip was initially called) from South West Africa. Meanwhile, the Strip became a sanctuary for criminals and poachers. In 1908, Germany set about incurring the enormous cost of establishing an administration for the territory.

      In 1920, South West Africa was designated a League of Nations mandated territory under South African rule. Still, government officials and supplies could not access East Caprivi by land until the advent of four-wheel drive vehicles in the 1950s due to the Okavango and Kwando Rivers. Until then, South West Africa’s administrative capital in Windhoek was able to reach East Caprivi only by air.

      In 1972, Caprivi was given its own Legislative Council which could take decisions concerning the development of the territory. It was administered by a Commissioner-General from South Africa, but had its own national anthem and emblem. In 1990, Namibia gained its independence from South African rule.

      Today, the population of the Caprivi region is composed predominantly of the Masubia and Mafwe ethnic groups. Since independence, the Masubia have traditionally supported the ruling party, the South West African Peoples’ Organization (SWAPO). The larger Mafwe community has usually supported opposition parties. Cumulative dissatisfaction among the Mafwe stemming from perceived political marginalization by the Windhoek-based government led to the creation of an armed political force in the 1990s. Long-standing claims for special political status or complete autonomy for Caprivi, allegedly promised by SWAPO before independence, have not been met.

      Mafwe leader Mishake Muyongo became President of the DTA, one of Namibia’s main opposition parties in 1989. In 1998, he headed a secessionist group, the Caprivi Freedom Movement, which included supporters from the Mafwe and other ethnic communities in Caprivi. After government forces reportedly discovered a military training camp in Mudumu Game Park in Caprivi in October 1998, they cracked down on suspected secessionists. Mishake Muyongo and as many as 2,500 other people fled to Botswana in the following months. Mishake Muyongo was later granted political asylum in Denmark.

      Currently, secession remains a small component of Caprivian political discourse, but today’s threat of armed conflict is minimal. Caprivi has recently begun embracing and promoting its fortuitous natural endowment. As a result, foreign tourists have begun flocking to the region to visit its game-filled national parks and fish-filled rivers. The beauty of the Caprivi Strip inspires and changes all those who venture to this remote region of the world.