Namibia: independence at last.

President Nujoma smiled broadly. As the leader of the South West Africa People's Organization SWAPO), he had struggled for 24 years to see this day COME to pass.

"The whole world, especially Africa, rejoices with Namibia", Mr. Perez de Cuellar had said moments earlier. "What is a triumph for Namibia is a triumph for Africa and, indeed, for the principles that are enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations."

The inauguration ceremony which capped the year-long transition independence, a process supervised each step of the way by the United Nations-represented, he said, "the culmination of the struggle for national dignity and independence of many generations of Namibians". Numerous lives had been sacrificed in seeking the goal now reached, he added.

"In the name of our people, I declare that Namibia is forever free, sovereign and independent", said Mr. Nujoma, who on 16 February had been unanimously elected for a five-year term as President by the Namibian Constituent Assembly.

As of today, we are masters of this pastoral land of our ancestors. The destiny of our country is now in our own hands", he said, adding: Africa's last colony is, from this hour, liberated".

Mr. Nujoma hailed South Africa's President F.W. de Klerk's "statesmanship and realism" in withdrawing from Namibia. He hoped that such an attitude would "continue to unfold in South Africa itself'.

A few minutes earlier, President de Klerk, who was invited to speak by the new Namibian Government and shared the podium with Mr. Nujoma and Mr. Perez de Cuellar, had stated: "I stand here tonight as an advocate of peace. The season of violence has passed for Namibia and for the whole of southern Africa."

His country extended "a hand of friendship" to its new neighbours, he said, urging that the bitterness of the past be put aside. "Good neighbourliness is in our mutual interest", he said. Then a solemn looking Mr. de Klerk stood erect, his hand over his heart, as the orange, white and blue South African flag was lowered by uniformed South Africa Defense Force soldiers.

The former German colony, administered by South Africa since 1920, was expected soon to become the 160th Member StAte of the United Nations. (It did so on 23 April 1990.) The UN Council for Namibia had been the Territory's legal administrator since 1967 after the General Assembly in 1966 revoked South Africa's rights over the vast, mineral-rich land. UN to support is nation building"

Mr. Perez de Cuellar promised the full support of the United Nations to Namibia "in the challenging task of nation-building". The Organization would convene an international conference in june to mobilize financial aid for the new African republic, he said.

In his speech at the inauguration, he expressed appreciation to the South African Government, its Administrator-General in Namibia, Louis Pienaar, and SWAPO for their co-operation during the past year.

He expressed admiration for Mr. Nujoma's statemanship, which had transformed him from "dauntless party leader" to a leader of a new nation. All the political parties and the people of Namibia had given the world "a remarkable lesson in democracy", Mr. Perez de Cuellar stated.

The 8,000-strong United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG)-the international overseer of the independence process-had been "a unique operation", he said. It had "broken much new ground", successfully monitoring the procedures leading to free and fair elections for a Constituent Assembly.

Mr. Perez de Cuellar paid tribute to Martti Ahtisaari, his Special Representative in Namibia, Mr. Ahtisaari's Deputy, Legwaila joseph Legwaila, and UNTAG military force Commander, General Prem Chand. He also expresssed "deep gratitude" to the women and men from more than 100 countries who had served in UNTAG and to the UN staff members at UN Headquarters in New York who had "devotedly and cheerfully" covered for them.

Earlier that day at the sports stadium, the Secretary-General had attended the swearing in of Namibia's first multiracial cabinet. The new Prime Minister is Hage Geingob, Mr. Nujoma's campaign manager, and the first foreign Minister is Theo Ben Gurirab, who had served as SWAPO representative at Headquarters for many years.

Dr. Otto Herrigel, a white businessman is Minister of Finance, in charge of the...