OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 2.15PM.
LUANDAN papers on Monday reported that Angola and Namibia have stepped up security at their joint border, with patrols being increased all along the border, but most notably near the town of Kavango, in northeastern Namibia.
Both countries closed the border in mid-July in a bid to stop arms traffickers and Angolan refugees from crossing illegally into Namibia after a series of clashes between border guards and traffickers in recent years.
Thousands of Angolan refugees who fled the fighting between Unita and the MPLA after the end of Portuguese colonial rule in 1974 reside in Namibia.
Meanwhile, Angolan Defence Minister Pedro Sebastiao met with his Russian counterpart Igor Sergeyev in Luanda on Monday to discuss military cooperation between the two countries.
Their discussions included Russia’s contribution to the training of specialists in the Angolan army, an agreement that was renewed by Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos during a visit to Moscow in June.