The Forum of German-Speaking Namibians, in its message in remembrance of the 120th anniversary of the 1904 genocide extermination order against the Ovaherero, called on the Namibian and German governments to formulate a new and inclusive joint declaration.
Yesterday, 2 October, officially marked 120 years since the commander of imperial German troops, general Lothar von Trotha, issued an extermination order.
The bloody battles between the Herero and German troops culminated in the issuing of an extermination order by Von Trotha in 1904, which stated that all Herero men and women with or without guns, with or without cattle within the then-German South West Africa territory were to be shot, and that no more Herero prisoners would be taken.
The order was ruthlessly carried out, and resulted in the extermination of nearly 90% of the Ovaherero.
Those century-old atrocities committed by German colonial troops against indigenous Namibians are what today remains a thorny issue in Namibia and Germany’s political and diplomatic relations.
It is equally those 120-year-old genocidal events that forced the two governments in May 2021 to come up with a joint declaration, which sought to address historical injustices, and map out a new shared future between the two peoples.
But that joint declaration was overwhelmingly rejected by all pockets of Namibian society, and talks between the two governments have since seemingly stalled. In the rejected joint declaration of 2021, Germany offered 1.1 billion Euros or about N$18 billion for developmental projects in seven identified regions as reparations for genocide committed between 1904/08, which is a far cry from Namibia’s N$1.1 trillion demand.
From the perspective of Namibians, the latter figure considers enormous loss of life, dispossession of land and displacement, amongst others.
Another issue that does not sit well with the local affected communities, the Namibian government and opposition parties, is the fact that Germany proposed to pay the N$18 billion over 30 years.
Local Germans
Members of the Forum of German-speaking Namibians, which was founded in 2021, yesterday called on the two governments to rubbish the old joint declaration and come up with a more inclusive and comprehensive joint document that speaks to the future.
“We recall 2 October 1904 when lieutenant general Lothar von Trotha issued an extermination order against all Ovaherero in German-South West Africa, with the resulting devastating consequences and traumatic events which are haunting and shaping independent Namibia until today. We recognise the human suffering and loss of life, land, homeland, property, cultural heritage and dignity suffered by the Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Nama ethnic groups during the colonial period of 1884 to 1915, especially in the years from 1904…”
“We see the so-called joint declaration as initialled in May 2021 by Germany and Namibia as the beginning of a process of addressing and understanding injustice and its consequences in order to ultimately promote national identity and solidarity among the various ethnic groups in Namibia, and thus maintain social peace in the long-term. The forum appeals to all stakeholders involved in constructive and peaceful cooperation to work towards a comprehensive reconciliation agreement in the sense of one Namibia, one Nation,” reads the statement.
-ohembapu@nepc.com.na