Operation Merlyn

Operation Merlyn
Part of the South African Border War
Location	Namibia Tsumeb Grootfontein Windhoek Rundu Oshakati Eenhana Operation Merlyn (Namibia)
Objective	Prevent the incursion of PLAN (SWAPO) insurgents into South West Africa/Namibia in contravention to a ceasefire which came into effect on 1 April 1989.
Date	1–9 April 1989

Operation Merlyn (aka The Nine Day War) was a military operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF), South West African Territorial Force (SWATF) and South West African Police (SWAPOL) during the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War in April 1989. The aim of the operation was to prevent the incursion of PLAN (SWAPO) insurgents into South West Africa/Namibia from bases in Angola. These incursions were in violation of a ceasefire which came into effect on 1 April 1989 via the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 435 and the Tripartite Accord. Initially these PLAN incursions were tackled by South West African police units and eventually by SADF and SWATF units, released to assist the police having been confined to their bases by the peace agreements. These incursions and the conflict that resulted, ended after hastily arranged talks resulted in the Mount Etjo Declaration and an eventual ceasefire.

On 22 December 1988, at the United Nations (UN) in New York City, the South African, Cuban and Angolan government representatives met to sign the New York Accords better known as the Tripartite Accords. This represented the end of twelve rounds of negotiations between three parties which had started on 3 May 1988, chaired by the American representative Chester Crocker and attended by officials from the Soviet Union. The end of twelve rounds of negotiations saw an agreement that linked the implementation of United Nations Council Resolution 435 with the withdrawal of all Cuban soldiers from Angola. The agreement saw the initial withdrawal of 3000 Cuban soldiers followed by movement of troops further north in Angola, then staggered withdrawals from Angola resulting in all troops gone by 1 July 1991. The date for the implementation UN Resolution 435 was the 1 April 1989. The agreement did not however end the conflict between two Angolan adversaries in the Angolan Civil War, the MPLA and UNITA. United Nations verification of the Cuban withdrawal and the creation of a Joint Monitoring Commission was also agreed too. The UN created a timetable of actions over seven months required by all parties leading up to 1 April and beyond. SADF forces were to be reduced to 12000 men by six weeks before the 1 April and confined to two bases in SWA/Namibia before being reduced to 1500 men twelve weeks later. SWATF and the area-forces were to be demobilised and their arms and ammunition placed under guard. PLAN forces were also to remain confined to their bases from the 1 April. Law and order would remain with SWA Police with UNTAG international police members monitoring their impartiality. UNTAG's military component was only set to arrive at the end April beginning of May and they would monitor both the SADF and PLAN. By the 14 March 1989, the UN Secretary General sent letters to the South African's and SWAPO proposing that on 1 April at 04h00, a ceasefire and the end of cross border movements into and out of Namibia, would come into being. The Secretary General's proposal was agreed to by SWAPO on 18 March and 21 March by the South African government.