The German state admitted the genocide in Namibia 120 years later
For the first time in 120 years, the German government acknowledged that the 1904-1908 massacre, in which more than 60,000 Nama and Herero were killed, should be classified as genocide. German imperialism, which took action to compete with other colonial rivals under Kayzer Wilhelm, caught the eye of West Africa and sent colonies to a number of regions, especially Namibia.
With a joint declaration, the two governments agreed that the massacres would be classified as genocide 'by today's standards'. Grandchildren of the affected communities, on the other hand, say that Germany should call it genocide during negotiations.
In 2021, Mutjinde Katjiua, secretary general of the Ovaherero Traditional Management, and Deodat Dirkse, secretary general of the Association of Traditional Leaders of Nama, said that this means that they do not recognize any compensation obligations in the current settlement agreement, as Germany has stated that it recognizes the genocide “from today's point of view”.
'This acceptance reflected the denial that it was a crime against the Ovaherero and Nama peoples in 1904 and 1905, respectively,' the leaders said.
German Embassy Spokesperson Gundula Perry told The Namibian yesterday that Germany accepted that what happened was a genocide.
'The German government describes the persecution committed by German troops against Ovaherero and the Namas as a genocide and accepts its moral and historical responsibility,' Perry said.
U-turn from Berlin
This is described as a U-turn from Germany's decision to call it genocide in the 'perspective of today'. Germany was criticized in this regard and said that it did not want to be fully held accountable for its atrocities.
In a statement to The Namibian, Perry told The Namibian that their position was consolidated when German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested that Germany should apologize unconditionally and mentioned it in a speech at the funeral of former president Hage Geingob.
“Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in his speech at the funeral of the late President of the Republic of Namibia, Hage Geingob, made it clear that it is 'time' for the people of Namibia to apologize to the people of Namibia and hope that he can return to Namibia very soon for this purpose,” Perry said.
German zigzags are the subject of criticism in Namibia
McHenry Venaani, leader of the Democratic People's Movement (PDM), said that Germany is 'taking over' on terminology, whereas it was a genocide.
Venaani said, “People should not want us to let go of this because geopolitical conditions do not work in our favor. When we started this business, when we pioneered the path of genocide, we knew it was genocide, and now we know that it is genocide.”
Venaani emphasized that the same Germany today paid compensation to the Jewish community and committed large amounts of money.
The ODM leader said, “In the same way, they denied that there was no genocide. Today they say it's genocide. They need to determine a respectable quantity. The correction they are doing now is not venerable,” he said.
Is compensation possible?
Freddy Nguvauva, a member of the technical committee on genocide compensations, said the current German government is more open to accepting a compensation deal.
Nguvauva therefore stated that the Namibian government was pushing to speed up the signing of the agreement, because it is not possible for the negotiations to proceed if the right-wingers to take control of the government in Germany, and said, “Because these people are people who completely deny the genocide of their ancestors.”
Nguvauva said the Germans shifted their focus to the energy crisis and the conflicts supported by the Germans.
Berlin hides deal from its own public
It is noteworthy that Jürgen Zimmerer, a historian of German origin, said that the details of the agreement between Germany and Namibia were discussed in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and that German civil society was not aware of this.
Zimmerer stressed that 'reconciliation and atonement should be an issue that concerns the whole society.'
The historian said, “It is a good thing that (Germany) has removed their reservations, but they still have not accepted the obligation to pay compensation. Whatever it is, whatever the name of the funds, I am concerned that they do not make public the procedure in which the new amount is determined. They need to accept a structured consultation process with all stakeholders,” he said.
Zimmerer says that the German government has not made any statement regarding the amendments obtained, while noting that the agreement on the recognition of genocide without any characterization from its point of view is an important step.
'If an agreement has been reached, why not announce it?' The historian, who asked, said, 'If not, the Herero and the people of Nama are at the mercy of the German government.'
Behind the Germans' recognition of the genocide is 'green energy'
From hydrogen production converted into ammonia for transportation to the 'green' products associated with it, Namibia has started several collaborations to shape a supply chain that will place itself at the forefront of developing 'clean technology'.
Europe, on the other hand, is looking for ways to advance green transformation and strengthen energy security after losing the natural gas it received from Russia, and Namibia and Africa seem to be an important target here.
For example, the European Investment Bank (EIB) pledged a €500 million loan for the development of green hydrogen in Namibia, while the Netherlands' Invest International company contributed to the planned $1 billion in Namibian hydrogen fund.
Cleanergy, an initiative between Antwerp-based shipping company Compagnie Maritime Belge SA (CMB) and local firm Ohlthaver & List Group, will be Namibia's first commercial green hydrogen plant.
Built at a cost of $30 million, partially funded by a $10 million loan from the German government, this facility is just the beginning: the CMB plans to raise $3.5 billion to build an ammonia facility that will be connected to a new storage and export facility planned by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
According to a study by the World Bank, the southwest African country has the best solar energy potential in the world and its large land is largely owned by the state, which supports the development of the sector.
German investments in Namibia are increasing
The South West African People's Organization's rule of the country since gaining independence from South Africa in 1990 gives investors political stability.
The genocide talks are also accompanied by the $10 billion Hyphen project invested by the German Enertrag SE. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock hailed this project as 'it will give even more momentum to our cooperation on hydrogen, which is the fuel of the future'.
In March, the government said it plans to give Hyphen 'strategically important' status, thus paving the way for further state support.
The Hyphen facility will be powered by 3.5 gigawatts of wind and solar power projects in the first phase, which equates to more than half the capacity of large renewable power plants built in South Africa, the continent's most industrialized country.
The target of Berlin's 'hydrogen market' is West Africa
Germany is working to bring a hydrogen market to the world by paying 3 billion euros directly subsidies to 'green' steel producers and launching a major funding program to encourage demand in Europe's largest economy.
On May 29, the cabinet passed a bill to accelerate hydrogen projects, including facilitating the establishment of infrastructure for import and storage, under the auspices of Economy Minister Robert Habeck.
The German government and Europe care about Namibia to reduce hydrogen production costs at the same time, as the European Union impose stricter rules on the use of fossil fuels that power industries such as the chemical sector around Antwerp and Germany's Ruhr region.