The Nordic Countries and the Liberation Struggle in Southern Africa

Abstract

The research project on ‘The national liberation in Southern Africa: The role of the Nordic countries’, initiated ten years ago in order to describe and analyse the role of the Nordic countries in support of the liberation struggle, is about to be finalised. It has been co-ordinated by the Nordic Africa Institute, and financed by the Nordic ministries of foreign affairs. So far, it has resulted in five volumes, two on Sweden, one each on Finland and Norway and a volume that contains 80 interviews with important actors—22 Swedes and the rest from the South. The volume on Denmark is not published so far. This review article highlights some of the major features of this assistance, identifies similarities and differences in approach and performance, and scrutinises the volumes on their own merits.

Keywords:

• Liberation movements in southern Africa
• Nordic countries
• development assistance
• Southern Africa
• liberation struggle
• humanitarian aid