Namibian communities demand return of land in dispute over German genocide legacy

In Namibia, communities that were victims of massacres and property seizures by German colonial forces over a century ago are now calling for new negotiations with Berlin to secure the return of ancestral land.

Recently, Germany agreed to fund projects worth 1.1 billion euros over 30 years as compensation for the property seizures and killings carried out by German forces between 1904 and 1908, in response to uprisings by local tribes.

Germany also offered a formal apology for its role in the events, acknowledging the massacre of around 65,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama people as genocide for the first time.

However, critics argue that the apology should have been directed towards the descendants of the affected communities rather than the Namibian state, which did not exist at the time of the atrocities.

Mutjinde Katjiua, a leader within the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, expressed disappointment at the exclusion of descendants from the negotiations, noting that a 2006 resolution stated that talks should involve these communities and the responsible government.

The communities also raised concerns about the lack of emphasis on land ownership in the 2021 agreement, highlighting that the ancestral land taken by German forces has not been returned.

“What we have now is a bilateral agreement for development aid. It’s not reparations related to the genocide,” Katjiua emphasized. He urged Germany to engage in discussions with the Herero and Nama communities to reach a mutually agreeable solution for repairing the harm caused.

Should negotiations fail, Katjiua hinted that reclaiming the land would be a last resort, as the communities have detailed knowledge of the territories that were seized.

While Germany was once a major colonial power, its colonial history was overshadowed by the focus on Nazi crimes such as the Holocaust following World War II. This left the legacy of its colonial past largely ignored until recent efforts to address historical injustices.

The joint declaration between Namibia and Germany requires parliamentary ratification, but discussions have been slowed down as the two governments consider amending the document. Suggestions include shortening the 30-year compensation period to five or ten years.

Harald Hecht, from the Forum of German-speaking Namibians, acknowledged that the proposed agreement may not fully represent reparations but sees it as a step in the right direction. He emphasized the need to support the offer until a better solution is found.

The German foreign ministry has yet to comment on the matter, while Ambassador Tonateni Intenge-Envula, leading Namibia’s technical committee on genocide, stated that all affected parties have been invited to participate in the negotiations.

In Namibia, a small white minority controls a vast majority of prime agricultural land, highlighting existing disparities in land ownership within the country.

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(Additional reporting by Alexander Ratz in Berlin; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, William Maclean)