As the world continues to reflect on the life and impact of the late President Hage Geingob, some in civil society and the local media credit him with positioning Namibia as a respected voice on the international stage.

A charismatic man who expertly understood geopolitics and international relations, Geingob has been credited with thrusting Namibia onto the global stage, using international platforms to expound Namibia's position on global conflicts.

The Executive Director of the Institute of Public Policy Research, Graham Hopwood, described Geingob as an internationalist.

"His popularity cut across the usual kind of divisions in ideological separations from Russia through to the US. I think he was an internationalist; he spent a good part of his life in exile, travelling to many countries, but also, as a Prime Minister and later as President, he was very keen on international engagement; he had a very engaging personality; he was very jovial; that reflects that aspect of his personality.

In recent years, the world has demonstrated a desire for leadership in geo-political conversations, and experts say leaders like Geingob championed this.

"One of the things that State House did very well during the presidency of President Geingob was organise these side events on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, engaging investors. Last time in October, when he went to New York, he made a stop in France, watched rugby where Namibia played, and then had a public lecture at one of the universities there. So his approach was very significant for our country, just to thrust yourself into the thick of things. We are a small country in the international sphere; he was a brilliant man at doing that," said Toivo Ndjebela, Editor of the Namibian Sun.

As tributes continue to pour in from across the globe, it is evident that President Geingob respected and advocated for world peace and equality.

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Namibian Presidency

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Gordon Joseph