Narrating peace: memoir, UNTAG, and the memory of Namibian independence

The United Nations’ (UN) contribution to Namibia’s independence with the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) is widely celebrated as a successful example of peacekeeping. Beyond already existing analyses of this mission, this article aims to provide an understanding of peacekeeping as a lived and narrated experience. In so doing, we consulted (auto)biographies, memoirs, interviews and oral histories of prominent figures and participants in UNTAG and Namibia’s independence. We find that the dominant narrative of remembrance among UN diplomats follows the script of UNTAG as a success story with support of the Contact Group; while SWAPO’s collective memory emphasises the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, and demands acknowledgement of UNTAG’s failures, in particular in the context of the incursion of SWAPO fighters. Contestation around this specific incident in part also exists among the UN diplomats involved seeking to shoot down, blame and provide justifications for their decision-making. Exploring the memory-making of UNTAG also revealed less prominent voices that provide a more nuanced picture of its heritage. Although this article sketches a complex account of UNTAG, it underlines the importance of seeking political solutions to violent conflicts and the many contributing factors that cannot be influenced – as the moment must be ‘ripe’ for peace.