Namibia Commemorates Forgotten Genocide by German Colonialists

The Namibian Genocide

• 💡 Historians describe the events between 1904 and 1908 as a forgotten genocide and a precursor to the Holocaust.
• 🎯 At least 70,000 indigenous Herrera and Nama people were killed by German colonialists in what is now Namibia.
• ⚠️ The genocide was a response to indigenous rebellions against German seizures of land and cattle, with the German general calling for their extermination.

German Acknowledgment and Aid

• ⏳ It took Germany over a century to acknowledge its guilt in the genocide.
• 🤝 In 2021, the German government pledged over €1.1 billion in financial aid over 30 years for infrastructure, health care, and training programs for impacted communities.
• 🚫 Germany stopped short of providing direct reparations, leading to demonstrations and arguments that the agreement was insufficient.

Ongoing Negotiations and Healing

• ⚖️ Discussions continue regarding restitution, focusing on returning individuals to their prior standing and addressing losses in land, property, identity, and culture.
• 🕊️ Namibia's government hopes the first annual national commemoration will mark the beginning of a national journey of healing.
• 🗓️ Wednesday marks the first annual national commemoration, declared a national holiday with a candlelight vigil and a minute of silence.