Namibia asks to renegotiate genocide deal with Germany

Namibia wants Germany back at the negotiating table to discuss the genocide agreement reached last year between the two governments.

“Technical committees of Namibia and Germany discussed the issue and proposed that amendments be made to the joint declaration in the form of an addendum which was submitted to the German government,” Namibia’s vice president Mbumba told a meeting of traditional leaders in the capital Windhoek, on Thursday (Oct 27).

No details of the changes being sought were given. Namibia now awaits a response from Germany.

The request to review the deal was made in July following discussions in the Namibian National Assembly.

The government was coming under mounting criticism from the opposition.

Germany acknowledged in May last year that it had committed “genocide” in the southern African territory which it colonised between 1884 and 1915.

After over 5 years of negotiations, Germany offered about a billion dollar in development aid spread over 30 years to benefit descendants of the Herero and Nama ethnic groups. Stressing it would be paid on a “voluntary basis” and that the agreement was not comparable to “reparations”.

Many Namibians rejected the agreement, arguing that the descendants of the Herero and Nama had not been sufficiently involved in the talks.

At least 60,000 Hehero and about 10,000 Nama were killed between 1904 and 1908.

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