Namibian and Angolan communities call for Baynes dam project to be suspended
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Namibia Economist
Representatives of the OvaHimba and OvaTjimba communities are calling on the Namibian and Angolan governments to suspend the Baynes hydropower project until transparent consultations are held. A petition handed to Namibian minister Modestus Amutse has 2,011 community signatures and online support from more than 500 people and institutions, according to International Rivers.
Leaders of the OvaHimba and OvaTjimba communities in Namibia and Angola are calling for the immediate suspension of activities linked to the Baynes hydropower project until transparent and inclusive consultations are put in place. A delegation handed a petition to Namibia’s Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Modestus Amutse, according to the organisation International Rivers.
The petition has 2,011 signatures from members of the two communities, as well as online support from more than 500 people and institutions. The signatories say they have not been adequately informed or consulted and are demanding a role in decisions concerning their land. They warn that the dam could threaten ancestral lands, graves, sacred sites, grazing land and water sources on which their pastoral way of life depends.
The communities are also calling for the publication of feasibility studies, impact assessments and project agreements in accessible formats, including in Otjiherero. They are demanding recognition of their biocultural protocol and an independent assessment of human rights and environmental impacts. The petition also calls for less harmful energy solutions, including solar and wind power, to be considered, International Rivers said.
