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Russia Today
a day ago
- General
- Russia Today
Namibian descendant calls for justice over colonial-era genocide
A descendant of Namibia's OvaHerero and Nama peoples, Thrive Vinomaandero Mahua, has called for greater accountability and reparations from Germany over its colonial-era atrocities in Namibia. The OvaHerero and Nama genocide, carried out by the German Empire in present-day Namibia between 1904 and 1908, was the first genocide of the 20th century. It targeted the two groups through a campaign of ethnic extermination and collective punishment in what was then German South West Africa. Speaking to RT, Mahua recounted the personal toll the genocide had taken and expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in reaching a just resolution. She said the events tore families apart, and it was only after Namibia's independence that many displaced individuals were able to reconnect with their relatives. Although Berlin officially recognized the genocide of the OvaHerero and Nama peoples in 2021, more than a century after the atrocities, negotiations over reparations have remained deadlocked. The transition to a new German government, she added, has only introduced further uncertainty about whether these talks will resume. Mahua noted that a proposed €1.1 billion aid package was rejected by traditional leaders from both affected communities, who argued that the funds should be allocated directly to survivors and their descendants, rather than to national development projects. Mahua stated that no monetary figure could ever truly compensate for the suffering inflicted. 'What is the price for a life?' she asked. She further argued that the Namibian genocide deserves the same level of recognition and accountability as the Holocaust, pointing out that many practices later associated with the Nazis, such as concentration camps, had earlier precedents in her country during the German colonial occupation. According to Mahua, it is inconsistent for Berlin to take full responsibility for one atrocity while treating another with markedly less seriousness. 'As the descendants of those that have been affected, we should not allow them to forget days such as the Genocide Remembrance Day,' Mahua stressed. She emphasized the need for continuous public engagement, remembrance days, and open discussion. 'We need to make it uncomfortable,' she said, urging activists to keep speaking out until there is a meaningful response.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- General
- Russia Today
African state remembers first genocide of 20th century
Namibia will never forget the brutal massacre of thousands of its people by German soldiers during colonial rule, the Southern African country's president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has declared. President Nandi-Ndaitwah made the remarks in an emotional speech on Wednesday, the country's first Genocide Remembrance Day. German colonial forces massacred an estimated 100,000 OvaHerero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908 in what was then known as German South West Africa. Launched in response to a series of uprisings against German rule, the killings are recognized by the UN as the first genocide of the 20th century. 'Many people from the two communities were forced into concentration camps where they were starved to death and their skulls were taken to Germany for so-called scientific research,' Nandi-Ndaitwah said at the commemoration event held at Parliament Gardens in Windhoek, the capital. She said while Namibia is now free and focused on building the nation, it 'shall never forget the emotional, psychological, economic, and cultural scars' left by the colonial-era atrocities. In 2021, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier apologized for the colonial-era crime and pledged €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in development aid to Namibia. This offer, however, fell short of the reparations demanded by leaders of the affected communities. President Nandi-Ndaitwah noted that while Berlin's response may not fully satisfy the demands for justice, its formal admission of having perpetrated the genocide is a meaningful and necessary step forward. 'We may not agree on the final quantum, but that is part of the complex negotiations we have been engaged in with the German Government since 2013. We must remain committed that as a nation, we shall soldier until the ultimate conclusion is reached,' she said. In a statement released ahead of the Windhoek event, Berlin described the 'crimes of German colonial rule' as the 'darkest chapter' in German–Namibian relations. 'The German government acknowledges Germany's moral and political responsibility and emphasizes the importance of reconciliation,' it stated on Wednesday.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Namibia honours victims of colonial genocide as reparation calls grow
Namibia honoured the victims of mass killings during German colonial rule with an inaugural memorial day on Wednesday, as politicians and affected communities voiced fresh calls for reparations from Berlin. German soldiers killed some 65,000 OvaHerero and 10,000 Nama people in 1904-1908 in what historians and the UN have long called the first genocide of the 20th century. In 2021 Germany officially described the massacre as a genocide for the first time, agreeing to fund development projects worth €1.1bn (R22.24bn) in the Southern African country, but stopping short of paying reparations. Namibian officials and representatives of the OvaHerero and Nama people say that is not enough. "We should find a degree of comfort in the fact that the German government has agreed that German troops committed a genocide," Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told a solemn memorial event in the parliament gardens. "We may not agree on the final quantum, but that is part of the complex negotiations we have been engaged in with the German government since 2013," she said. A spokesperson for the German embassy in Windhoek in response to an e-mail request for comment referred Reuters to a statement the German government published on the memorial day. "The federal government acknowledges Germany's moral and political responsibility [for the killings] and emphasises the importance of reconciliation," the statement said. Namibia's government chose to mark Genocide Remembrance Day on May 28 because it was on that date that German colonial authorities ordered the closure of concentration camps. Charles Kakomee Tjela, a descendant of genocide victims who attended the event in the parliament gardens, told Reuters the genocide should feature more prominently in school curricula. Hoze Riruako, an OvaHerero chief, said the colonial-era atrocities were a prelude to the Holocaust but "people are not aware of what has happened here to the same level". Some representatives of the OvaHerero community boycotted memorial proceedings because they think the agreement for Germany to fund development projects over 30 years does not address their grievances. Nandi-Ndaitwah said on Wednesday negotiations with Germany would continue and that any final agreement should be "satisfactory, particularly for the directly affected communities". McHenry Venaani, an opposition leader, agreed Germany's initial offer was insufficient. "We are demanding a fair deal," Venaani said. Reuters
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Namibia marks Genocide Remembrance Day recalling victims of German rule
Windhoek: Namibia marked its first Genocide Remembrance Day on Wednesday, recalling the victims of German colonial rule with a ceremony attended by thousands in the gardens of the parliament building in Windhoek. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah referred to a day of remembrance and of common pain. 'We will never forget the emotional, psychological, economical and cultural scars that were left,' she said in an address to the nation. More than 100 years ago, on May 28, 1907, the German colonial authorities ordered the closure of concentration camps in the colony in response to international criticism of brutal conditions and high death rates in them. South West Africa, as Namibia was known at the time, was a German colony from 1884 until 1915. An uprising by the Herero and Nama population was brutally repressed during a war between 1904 and 1908. (DPA)
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Namibia pushes for German reparations on first genocide remembrance day
Namibia has observed its first genocide remembrance day, honouring the estimated 75,000 victims who were massacred by soldiers or forced into concentration camps during German colonial rule. Between 1904 and 1908, an estimated 65,000 Herero people and 10,000 Nama people were killed when the groups rejected colonial rule. It amounted to 80% and 50% of their respective populations at the time. Some of their skulls were taken to Germany for racist experiments and were stored in German hospitals, museums and universities for decades. Namibia's president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, told a memorial event in the parliament's gardens on Wednesday that the government would continue to push for reparations from Germany. She said: 'We should find a degree of comfort in the fact that the German government has agreed that German troops committed a genocide against the … people of our land. 'We may not agree on the final quantum, but that is part of the complex negotiations we have been engaged in with the German government since 2013 … We must remain committed that as a nation, we shall soldier on until the ultimate conclusion is reached.' In 2021, Germany officially recognised the atrocities as a genocide and agreed to pay Namibia €1.1bn (then £940m) to fund development for the Herero and Nama. It said this was a gesture of 'reconciliation', but not compensation or reparations. Germany returned the skulls and other human remains to Namibia in 2011 and 2018. Descendants of genocide victims said this was not enough and called on the German government to negotiate with them directly. Germany ruled Namibia, then known as South West Africa, from 1884 to 1915, when it was taken over by South Africa during the first world war. It became independent in 1990. Between 1904 and 1908, German troops shot, tortured or drove tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people into the Kalahari desert to starve, after they rebelled against colonial rule. Their descendants are now politically marginalised. Germany's ambassador to Namibia, Thorsten Hutter, said in a speech at the memorial: 'It is a stark reminder of the pain and suffering that was inflicted by German imperial troops during the colonial era … We cannot change the past, but as the people who are living today, it is our responsibility to remember those atrocities that were committed.' He told the local newspaper the Namibian: 'I believe we are on a very good path to forge forward, which includes the issues of reconciliation.' Herero and Nama representatives said more people in Namibia and worldwide should learn about the genocide. Hoze Riruako, a Herero chief, said it was a precursor to the Holocaust, but 'people are not aware of what has happened here to the same level.' Last year, Namibia declared 28 May would be a genocide remembrance day and a public holiday. It was chosen as it was the day in 1907 when Germany decided to close its concentration camps after an international outcry. Agence France-Presse and Reuters contributed to this story
