WHAT HAS HAPPENED?
Germany for the first time has recognised that it committed genocide against the Herero and Nama people in present-day Namibia during its colonial rule over a century ago. It also promised financial support of over a billion euros to the Southern African nation.
Between 1904 and 1908, German colonial settlers killed tens of thousands of men, women and children from the Herero and Nama tribes, After they rebelled against colonial rule in what was then called German South West Africa. While Germany has previously acknowledged the atrocities, they refused to pay direct reparations for many years.
After five years of negotiations between the two countries as they attempted to “heal the wounds”, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Friday announced a fund of €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) to help aid community projects in Namibia. “We will now officially refer to these events as what they are from today’s perspective: genocide,” he said.
WHAT WAS THE HERERO AND NAMA GENOCIDE?
Between 1884 and 1890, Germany formally colonised parts of presentday Namibia — a territory which was roughly twice as large as the European nation, but not as densely populated. By 1903, around 3,000 German settlers had occupied the central high ground of the region. Tensions quickly rose as local tribes saw the German settlers as a threat to their land and resources.
The conflict reached a boiling point in 1904, when the Herero nation — a primarily pastoral community — rebelled against the Germans, and were closely followed by the Nama tribe. The Herero, who by then had embraced some symbols of modernity such as guns and horses, laid siege on a German fort. Significantly outnumbered by the well-armed Hereros fighters, the military commander and governor of the colony at the time, Major Theodor Leutwein, decided to broker a settlement to end the conflict
But Berlin demanded a military solution.
Leutwein was replaced by Lieutenant General Lothar von Trotha, who opted for a far more aggressive military approach. He directed his troops to corner the Herero fighters, who had by then fled to the Waterberg plateau at the edge of the Kalahari desert. His strategy was to ruthlessly “annihilate” the Hereros when they least expected it. During the Battle of Waterberg, around 80,000 Herero, including women and children, were chased across the desert by German troops. A mere 15,000 survived.
Around this time, the southern Nama communities, too, had led an insurrection against German colonialism. But much like the Herero, they too were brutally suppressed. Around 10,000 of them were killed. Over the next 3 years, thousands of Nama & Herero men, women and children were exiled to the Kalahari desert where many died of thirst. Several others were sent to bleak concentration camps, and used for forced labour.
The Germans continued to rule the region till
1915, following which it fell under South
Africa’s control for 75 years. Namibia finally gained independence in 1990.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
A declaration will be signed in early June, following which it will be ratified by the parliaments of both countries.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is then expected to officially apologize for Germany’s crimes in front of the Namibian Parliament. Germany’s financial package worth 1.1 billion euros will be paid separately to existing aid programmes in the country over the next three decades.
Several members of the Herero and Nama tribes have criticised the latest deal, arguing thatit was a PR stunt by Germany
Q. Which African river crosses the equator two times?
A) Zaire River
B) Nile River
C) Senegal
D) Zambezi
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