Meeting of the Heads of State of the Front Line States on the Namibia Question

“Sam, on some detailed questions we are backing you up as far as Resolution 435 is concerned… On the form of elections we are backing you fully.” -President Julius Nyerere, Meeting of Front Line States Leaders, Tripoli, 7 August 1982

During the 1982 meeting of the Organization of African Unity in Tripoli, leaders of the Front Line States convened to discuss the latest developments in negotiations over Namibian independence and the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 435. The meeting brought together several key African leaders, including Presidents Julius Nyerere, José Eduardo dos Santos, Quett Masire, Samora Machel, and Kenneth Kaunda, along with Prime Minister Robert Mugabe and SWAPO leader Sam Nujoma. 

The discussions focused on diplomatic negotiations underway in New York, proposals linking Namibian independence to the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola, and strategies for ensuring the effective deployment of the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG).