Almost a decade later: Genocide deal talks not yet finalised
Hertta-Maria Amutenja
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says Namibia and Germany have not yet reached a final agreement on genocide reparations, nearly ten years after formal negotiations began.
She made the remarks on Friday during the 63rd anniversary of Pan African Women’s Day at the Independence Arena in Windhoek.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said talks with Germany are ongoing with the aim of reaching common ground.
In April, during her State of the Nation Address (Sona), Nandi-Ndaitwah said progress had been made in discussions over the 1904–1908 genocide committed against the Nama and Ovaherero communities.
That same month, in an interview with Al Jazeera, she said she hoped to resume final negotiations with Germany’s new administration, led by chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz.
Earlier this year, analysts told the Windhoek Observer that Merz’s election may slow down or shift Germany’s stance.
They warned that even symbolic gestures, such as a joint declaration against genocide, might not materialise under the new leadership.
At the commemoration event, Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted the work done over nearly two decades.
“A process that Namibia has started 19 years ago when the Namibian parliament passed a motion calling on Germany to accept that they have committed genocide in Namibia, whereby they have to apologise and pay reparations,” she said.
She added that in 2015, the government began formal engagement with Germany on genocide, apology, and reparations in consultation with the descendants of the victims.
“It is hoped that a common ground would be reached between the two parties on the subject matter.”
Parliament passed the motion in 2006, officially recognising the mass killings of Nama and Ovaherero by German colonial forces as genocide. At least 80,000 people were killed.
Since 2015, Namibia has appointed special envoys and formed technical teams to lead the talks.
A joint declaration was reached in 2021, but it has not been signed or implemented.
Descendant groups have, however, rejected Germany’s proposed €1.1 billion (approximately N$22.0 billion) in development aid over 30 years, saying it does not amount to proper reparations.
Nandi-Ndaitwah did not provide new details on the current status of the declaration but confirmed that talks are ongoing despite delays and criticism.
She also did not provide further details on when the talks with Germany might be finalised.
She linked the calls for reparations to broader struggles for justice and equality.
The event was held under the theme “Advancing Social and Economic Justice for African Women through Reparation.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the African Union’s 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” reinforces these efforts.
“This theme also calls for the restoration of justice in Africa through reparations,” she said.
“The wounds that were inflicted by the colonial oppression, land dispossession, gender-based violence, and economic exclusion should never be forgotten. Rather, they should shape our present realities and harden our resolve to stand up against injustices everywhere.”
She warned of shifting global dynamics.
“We should be alert against neocolonialism, particularly now that the geopolitics is changing very fast.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah urged Namibian women to continue the fight for justice.
“We must ensure that our voices are heard, that we advocate relentlessly for the rights of women and girls, and that we drive forward the agenda of social and economic justice,” she said.
She paid tribute to the founding members of the Pan African Women’s Organisation (PAWO), including Meekulu Putuse Appolus, Jeanne Martin Cissé, and Ruth Neto.
“It is because of them that we, the African women, can stand tall having made a meaningful contribution to the liberation of the motherland, Africa,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also reaffirmed Namibia’s support for the independence of Western Sahara.
“Except for the people of Saharawi, who are still to gain their independence and self-determination, the SWAPO Party and the people of Namibia continue to call on the international community, in particular the UN, to ensure that UN-relevant resolutions to Saharawi’s independence are implemented.”
