Germany’s Forgotten Genocide: Namibia Demands Justice on First Remembrance Day

Namibia has commemorated its first Genocide Remembrance Day to honour the memory of tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people killed during German colonial rule in the early 20th century. The solemn ceremony, held on 28 May in the gardens of the National Parliament in Windhoek, marks a historic step in acknowledging one of Africa’s most horrific colonial atrocities.

Speaking at the event, Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah renewed calls for formal reparations from Germany for the atrocities committed between 1904 and 1908, when German troops massacred at least 70,000 Indigenous Herero and Nama people in what many historians regard as the first genocide of the 20th century.

“These horrendous acts are now part of our collective history of resistance and resilience,” President Nandi-Ndaitwah said. “We must remain committed as a nation, soldiering on until the ultimate conclusion is reached.”

Germany, which colonised Namibia from 1884 to 1915, officially recognised the genocide in 2021 and pledged €1.1 billion in development aid over 30 years. However, Germany has refused to label this financial commitment as reparations. Many Namibians, particularly descendants of the Herero and Nama, reject the offer as insufficient and lacking in justice.

Remembering the Victims

The commemoration began with a candle-lighting ceremony and a minute of silence, followed by traditional war cries and speeches by community leaders. About 1,000 people attended, including Germany’s ambassador to Namibia, Thorsten Hutter, and leaders from the Herero and Nama communities.

The date of 28 May was chosen to mark the closure of the concentration camps in 1907 after mounting international condemnation. These camps, under the brutal command of General Lothar von Trotha, were sites of forced labour, starvation, disease, and death.

Von Trotha’s infamous “extermination order” in October 1904 declared that any Herero person, regardless of age or status, found within German-occupied territory was to be killed. Between 1904 and 1908, approximately 80% of the Herero population and 50% of the Nama were murdered.

A Legacy of Injustice

Namibian historian Martha Akawa-Shikufa noted that people were “worked to death” in camps and that pre-printed death certificates listing “exhaustion” as the cause of death reflected the systemic nature of the killings.

In addition to the mass killings, hundreds of skulls and bones were transported to Germany for pseudoscientific racial experiments. These remains were only repatriated in 2011 and 2018, following persistent pressure from Namibian officials and activists.

Prominent Herero activist Israel Kaunatjike, who leads the “No Amnesty on Genocide” movement, called the lack of a formal memorial until now a “scandal.” He underscored the symbolic and emotional importance of the day but stressed that true justice requires land restitution and proper reparations.

“It is very important for us to remember those who lost their lives. But without land and reparations, this remembrance will be incomplete,” said Kaunatjike.

Ongoing Negotiations

Negotiations between Germany and Namibia over reparations have dragged on for over a decade, with no final agreement in sight. A draft deal proposed in 2021 was widely criticised by genocide descendants, who said they were excluded from the talks.

Critics of the draft agreement have described it as embodying a “racist mindset” and “neo-colonial subservience”, citing Germany’s failure to formally apologise and its reluctance to return stolen lands still held by German-speaking Namibians.

Uahimisa Kaapehi, a Herero councillor from Swakopmund, referred to the German offer as “the joke of the century,” saying: “Our wealth was taken – the farms, the cattle. We want our land.”

Our wealth was taken – the farms, the cattle. We want our land!

Historians have also pointed out that prior to the genocide, Germany forced the Herero and Nama to pay so-called reparations in the form of livestock after their rebellion—amounting to 12,000 cows, worth millions in today’s value. This has only sharpened calls for comprehensive redress.

A New National Holiday

The Genocide Remembrance Day, declared a national public holiday in 2024, is more than a moment of mourning; it is a call for justice and reflection. President Nandi-Ndaitwah described the day as “a symbol of unity and reflection” but reminded the nation of the “emotional, psychological, economic, and cultural scars” left by colonial violence.

Namibia’s struggle is emblematic of broader Pan-African demands for historical justice. As the continent continues to confront its colonial past, voices from Windhoek echo across Africa: remembrance must be matched by restorative justice, reparations, and dignity for the descendants of those who resisted imperial domination.