The first stop of President Nujoma’s overseas trip to Brazil, Cuba, and Ghana appeared to have a major military emphasise, according to international news reports. The main issues discussed with Brazil’s president Lula was defence cooperation, the Mail & Guardian reported in its online edition on Tuesday.

Quoting news agencies, the M&G said Brazil was trying to close a US$ 35-million (N$ 225 m) deal "to sell a ship and 5 patrol boats to the Namibian navy." This was disclosed to a Brazilian official. Nujoma toured Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro where he visited the Brazilian navy and plane carrier arsenal.

Pedro Coelho, head of the Africa desk in Brazil’s foreign ministry, said Brazil donated a warship, a frigate to Namibia (in 2003) as part of the defence deal. The frigate will be handed over this Friday at the Aratu Navy Base in Bahia, Brazil. The Namibian defence ministry is already constructing a naval base at Walvis Bay, costing hundreds of millions N$. In this year’s new budget, defence expenses for the first time came to over one billion N$. A historic old fort of German days at Okahandja was also refurbished by Asian contractors to a military museum for the NDF.