Embassy of the Republic of Namibia in Germany

Ambassador Jerobeam Shaanika with Ms. Avril Coetzee, Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Namibia in Berlin, following a meeting with Mr. George Klußmann, Chief of Protocol of the City of Berlin, and Ms. Birgitta Strunk, on 4 June 2026.

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest and to further strengthen cooperation and engagement between the Embassy of the Republic of Namibia and the authorities of the City of Berlin.

Ambassador Jerobeam Shaanika with Mr. Thomas Wimmer, Head of Division 22 at the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, during the official visit of the Diplomatic Corps to Saarland at the invitation of H.E. Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, on 3 June 2026.

Group photograph of some African Ambassadors accredited to the Federal Republic of Germany during the visit of the Diplomatic Corps to some of Saarland industrial sites, held at the invitation of H.E. Dr. Frank Walter-Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 June 2026.

The visit underscored the importance of continued dialogue and engagement between Germany and the diplomatic community, while highlighting Saarland’s contributions to the Federal Republic’s economic, scientific, and cultural landscape.

Group photograph of Ambassadors from SADC countries accredited to the Federal Republic of Germany with His Excellency Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, during the official visit of the Diplomatic Corps to Saarland, held at the invitation of the President on 3 June 2026.

The visit underscored the importance of continued dialogue and engagement between Germany and the diplomatic community, while highlighting Saarland’s contributions to the Federal Republic’s economic, scientific, and cultural landscape.

On Wednesday, 27 May 2026, Ambassador met with representatives of Mielec Aviation Company of Polanda, Mr. Roman Ignasiak, President of the Board, Ambassador Janusz Jesionek, Advisor, Ms. Zofia Kowalska, member of the board responsible for Finance and Ms. Avril Cotzee, Counsellor, Embassy of Namibia.

Hon. Dr. Kaire Mbuende, Director-General of the National Planning Commission of the Republic of Namibia, visited ENERTRAG Headquarters in Dauerthal, Germany, on Saturday, 23 May 2026.

The Director-General was accompanied by Ambassador Jerobeam Shaanika, Ambassador Alfredo Hengari to Belgium and the European Union, Ms. Toni Beukes, Head of Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) for Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, as well as several officials from the National Planning Commission and Hyphen Hydrogen Energy.

The visit provided an opportunity for constructive engagement on renewable energy, green hydrogen development, sustainability, and avenues for strengthened cooperation between Namibia and Germany in support of the global energy transition.

Ambassador Jerobeam Shaanika meeting with Archbishop Liborius Ndumbukuti Nashenda of Namibia’s Windhoek Catholic Archdiocese and President of the Namibian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Father Kapena, Sister Mercy Gabriel, and Sister Cherubina Shimuningeni in Rome before returning to Berlin on Friday, 22 May 2026.

PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIAL LETTERS BY THE AMBASSADORS OF:
SIERRA LEONE, BANGLADESH, YEMEN, RWANDA, NAMIBIA, MAURITIUS, CHAD, SRI LANKA

ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV
TO THE NEW NON-RESIDENT AMBASSADORS
ACCREDITED TO THE HOLY SEE

Clementine Hall
Thursday, 21 May 2026
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I welcome all of you cordially on the occasion of the presentation of the Letters accrediting you as Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Holy See on behalf of your respective countries: Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Yemen, Rwanda, Namibia, Mauritius, Chad and Sri Lanka. I ask you kindly to convey my respectful greetings to your Heads of State, together with the assurance of my prayers for them and for your fellow citizens.

I am particularly pleased to receive you as the Church approaches the Solemnity of Pentecost, recalling how the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, transforming fear into courage and division into unity by enabling them to speak in the languages of all peoples. It is my hope that a similar vision of unity may inspire the world of diplomacy, where constructive relations among nations flourish through genuine openness, the fostering of mutual respect and a shared sense of responsibility.

In this regard, I wish to renew the appeal I made in my Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps this past January. In a time when “peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion,” there is an urgent need for a return to “a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus” on all levels — bilateral, regional, and multilateral. Such dialogue, “motivated by a sincere search for ways leading to peace,” demands that words once again express clear realities without distortion or hostility. Only then can misunderstandings be overcome and trust be rebuilt in the context of international relations.

Yet courteous and clear dialogue, essential though it is, must be accompanied by a deeper conversion of heart: the willingness to set aside particular interests for the sake of the common good. No nation, no society and no international order can call itself just and humane if it measures its success solely by power or prosperity while neglecting those who live at the margins. Indeed, Christ’s love for the least and the forgotten compels us to reject every form of selfishness that leaves the poor and the vulnerable invisible (cf. Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, 4 October 2025, 9).

It is precisely this spirit of self-giving solidarity that must animate the service of diplomats and strengthen the international organizations, in order to create spaces for encounter and mediation. These institutions remain indispensable instruments for resolving disputes and fostering cooperation. At a moment when geopolitical tensions continue to fragment our world further, it is necessary to make them more representative, effective and oriented toward the unity of the human family.

Your service as Ambassadors constitutes a valuable bridge of trust and cooperation between your countries and the Holy See. I pray that our shared efforts will contribute to a revitalized commitment to bilateral and multilateral engagement and help draw attention to those often forgotten at the margins of our societies. In this way, we can work together to lay firmer foundations for a more just, fraternal and peaceful world.

As you undertake your new responsibilities, I assure you of the Secretariat of State’s readiness to assist, together with the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia. May your mission strengthen dialogue, deepen mutual understanding and contribute to the peace so greatly needed in our world. Upon you, your loved ones and the Nations you represent, I invoke God’s abundant blessings, trusting that he will guide and sustain you in your noble service. Thank you!

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV with Jerobeam Shaanika, members of his family, and staff members following the ceremony for the presentation of Letters of Credence on Thursday, 21 May 2026, in the Clementine Hall, Vatican City.

Photo Credit: Vatican Media

Ambassador Jerobeam Shaanika presenting his Letters of Credence and the Letters of Recall of his predecessor to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV , today, Thursday, 21 May 2026, during a ceremony in the Clementine Hall.

Photo credit: Vatican Media