In 1984, Napper returned to Embassy Moscow for a two-year assignment as Chief of the Foreign Affairs Unit of the Political Section. From 1986 to 1988 he served as Deputy Director of the Department's Office of southern African Affairs.
Napper's return to Embassy Moscow in 1984 marked his assignment as head of a key unit within the Political Section, and from 1986 to 1988, he played a significant role as deputy director of the department focused on southern African relations.