Arthur Greene
Germany has agreed to pay Namibia over €1.1 billion (R18.5 billion), as it officially recognises the Herero-Nama genocide it committed at the beginning of the 20th century.
The agreement follows six years of negotiations, and the sum will be paid out to Namibian projects and the descendants of the Herero and Nama over a period of 30 years.
Between 1884-1915, Germany maintained an oppressive rule over Namibia, then called “German South West Africa.”
After 1915, Namibia was ruled by South Africa for 75 years, before it was granted independence in 1990.
Under German rule, the Herero and Nama had their livestock and lands taken away from them.
In 1904, the Herero rose up against their colonialist rulers, and the Nama followed shortly afterwards.
The insurrection was crushed by German troops.
In August 1904, around 80,000 Herero, including women and children, fled across the Kalahari Desert. They were pursued by German soldiers, and only 15,000 survived.
German General Lothar von Trotha was sent to put down the rebellion. He ordered the peoples’ extermination.
Between 1904 and 1908, at least 60,000 Hereros and 10,000 Namas were killed.
During this time, mass executions were carried out and brutal concentration camps were established, while thousands who fled across the desert died of thirst.
On Friday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas acknowledged these killings as genocide for the first time.
“In light of Germany’s historical and moral responsibility, we will ask Namibia and the descendants of the victims for forgiveness,” he said.
The sum of R18.5 billion will be spent on infrastructure, healthcare and training programmes, meant primarily to benefit the descendants of the impacted communities.
“We will now officially refer to these events as what they are from today’s perspective: genocide,” Maas said in Friday’s statement.
However, representatives of the affected communities in Namibia remain critical of the agreement between the two countries.
This is because Germany has refused to label the agreement as “reparations” or “compensation,” because they fear the language will set a legal precedent for other countries to make similar claims.
Image source: @washingtonpost
