Some members of the Namibian ruling party are calling for the expulsion of European Union (EU) envoys from the country over a meeting with a top opposition figure last week.
The envoys met Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) party leader Panduleni Itula last Tuesday, at the residence of German ambassador Thorsten Hutter in the capital, Windhoek.
The meeting has sparked strong criticism from the government and the ruling Swapo party.
Vice-President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the meeting amounted to “highly questionable diplomacy”, suggesting potential interference in the upcoming elections in the southern African country, local media reported.
In a statement on Sunday, the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) condemned diplomats from Germany, Finland, France, Spain and Portugal and called for their expulsion from Namibia.
It urged the Namibian authorities to “declare any foreign missions’ representatives who seek to interfere in the internal affairs of our country as persona non grata, without compromise”.
But the EU mission in Namibia has denied claims that it discussed state matters or engaged in activities that could interfere in the upcoming elections in November.
It said the meeting was an “informal lunch” to discuss “the situation” in Namibia, including Mr Itula’s election campaign.