Namibia seeks help in grave probe

South African troops fought Swapo fighters in Namibia until 1990

Namibia has asked South Africa to send forensic experts to help investigate at least five mass graves discovered in the north of the country

The graves, near a South African army base, are thought to date from South African occupation of Namibia.

Before independence in 1990 South African was engaged in conflict with Namibian Swapo liberation fighters in northern Namibia and in Angola.

Police say clothes found at the site resemble those worn by Swapo fighters.

President Hifikepunye Pohamba has asked his South African counterpart Thabo Mbeki for help in investigating the sites.

Battle

Earlier this month, President Pohamba visited two of the sites shortly after their discovery and called on former soldiers of both sides of the liberation struggle to come forward with more information.

The graves were found during construction work near the former Eenhana military base.

Eenhana was the site of a battle between Swapo and the South African Defence Force in 1989, after a UN-supervised peace process had already begun.

Swapo is now Namibia's ruling party.