After the end of World War I, Germany was required to renounce all its colonial claims to South West Africa, or SWA (as Namibia was previously called) under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. South Africa was granted a mandate to administer SWA as part of the Union of South Africa in 1921 by the League of Nations.

The mandate was renewed by the United Nations after World War II, but South Africa wanted to annex SWA as a fifth province, refusing to relinquish its grip on the territory. The UN applied mounting pressure on South Africa throughout the 1950, to no avail.

Sam Nujoma took over the leadership of the Owamboland People's Organisation in 1959, and...

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