‘Fear of the unknown’ worries Namibians in Ukraine
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
Namibian students in Ukraine say there are no immediate signs of instability amidst international reports that Russian forces were readying to attack that country, but urged the Namibian government to have “an evacuation plan” should the situation escalate.
Speaking to Namibian Sun yesterday from Lugansk, a city in eastern Ukraine near the border with Russia, students said there are no visible changes on the ground as far as the security situation is concerned, but urged authorities in Namibia to have a contingency plan in case war breaks out.
International media report that at least 130 000 Russian troops are positioned within reach of Ukraine's borders as Russia demands security guarantees from the West over plans to make Ukraine the newest member of Nato.
Nato, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 27 European countries, two North American countries, and one Eurasian country.
Focus on your studies
The Namibian ministry of international relations announced this week that Namibian ambassador to Russia Clemens Kashuupulwa, who is also accredited to Ukraine, on Monday spoke to student leaders in the eastern European country and offered to assist those who may wish to return home.
A student doing pharmaceutical studies at the Vinnystya National Medical University, located in the city of Vinnytsia in west-central Ukraine, yesterday said: “People are pretty calm in our city but there remains the fear of the unknown, with people wondering whether there would be an attack on the country or not. Some Namibian students have expressed a desire to return home, especially those in cities bordering Russia”.
He added: “What has made many Namibian students scared is when they saw nationals of other countries leaving. We had a meeting with Ambassador Kashuupulwa and he urged us to remain calm because the Russian government has no intention to attack. He told us to focus on our studies”.
We don’t want war
The BBC reported that more than 100 000 Russian troops have been deployed close to Ukraine's borders and a reported 30 000 more are engaged in exercises in Belarus, close to its 1 084 km border with Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden said in total they number 150 000 soldiers.
Russian president Vladimir Putin insisted that Russia does not want war and is ready to negotiate about its reservations over Nato. But he has threatened "appropriate retaliatory military-technical measures" if what he calls the West's ‘aggressive approach’ continues.
Life as usual
A Namibian woman studying at the Luhansk State Medical University in the border town of Luhansk said streets were calm and life was going on as usual.
“The situation on the ground seems calm. We don’t feel threatened. We are doing online classes at the moment but this is not due to tension between the two countries but due to Covid-19.
“For me, there is no cause for alarm of the need to go back to Namibia. But despite all this, we do feel that Namibia should have an evacuation plan in place and not wait until the eleventh hour to make such provisions,” she said.
“If any attack happens, communication will be shut down, and so will transport. That’s our only concern at the moment as students.”
WINDHOEK
Namibian students in Ukraine say there are no immediate signs of instability amidst international reports that Russian forces were readying to attack that country, but urged the Namibian government to have “an evacuation plan” should the situation escalate.
Speaking to Namibian Sun yesterday from Lugansk, a city in eastern Ukraine near the border with Russia, students said there are no visible changes on the ground as far as the security situation is concerned, but urged authorities in Namibia to have a contingency plan in case war breaks out.
International media report that at least 130 000 Russian troops are positioned within reach of Ukraine's borders as Russia demands security guarantees from the West over plans to make Ukraine the newest member of Nato.
Nato, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 27 European countries, two North American countries, and one Eurasian country.
Focus on your studies
The Namibian ministry of international relations announced this week that Namibian ambassador to Russia Clemens Kashuupulwa, who is also accredited to Ukraine, on Monday spoke to student leaders in the eastern European country and offered to assist those who may wish to return home.
A student doing pharmaceutical studies at the Vinnystya National Medical University, located in the city of Vinnytsia in west-central Ukraine, yesterday said: “People are pretty calm in our city but there remains the fear of the unknown, with people wondering whether there would be an attack on the country or not. Some Namibian students have expressed a desire to return home, especially those in cities bordering Russia”.
He added: “What has made many Namibian students scared is when they saw nationals of other countries leaving. We had a meeting with Ambassador Kashuupulwa and he urged us to remain calm because the Russian government has no intention to attack. He told us to focus on our studies”.
We don’t want war
The BBC reported that more than 100 000 Russian troops have been deployed close to Ukraine's borders and a reported 30 000 more are engaged in exercises in Belarus, close to its 1 084 km border with Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden said in total they number 150 000 soldiers.
Russian president Vladimir Putin insisted that Russia does not want war and is ready to negotiate about its reservations over Nato. But he has threatened "appropriate retaliatory military-technical measures" if what he calls the West's ‘aggressive approach’ continues.
Life as usual
A Namibian woman studying at the Luhansk State Medical University in the border town of Luhansk said streets were calm and life was going on as usual.
“The situation on the ground seems calm. We don’t feel threatened. We are doing online classes at the moment but this is not due to tension between the two countries but due to Covid-19.
“For me, there is no cause for alarm of the need to go back to Namibia. But despite all this, we do feel that Namibia should have an evacuation plan in place and not wait until the eleventh hour to make such provisions,” she said.
“If any attack happens, communication will be shut down, and so will transport. That’s our only concern at the moment as students.”
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