In a significant step toward healing historical wounds, Namibia has inaugurated its first Genocide Remembrance Day, witnessed on May 28. This day commemorates the genocide perpetrated against the Ovaherero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908 by German colonial forces, an event often dubbed "Germany's forgotten genocide."
With over 70,000 Africans systematically murdered, this tragic chapter is recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century. The observance comes after prolonged advocacy from affected communities and marks a pivotal moment in Namibia’s journey toward reconciliation. A minute's silence and candlelight vigils will be held annually outside the parliament in Windhoek to honor those who lost their lives.
The date was meticulously chosen to align with the closure of concentration camps in 1907, which faced significant international criticism at that time. Germany’s colonial rule over South West Africa was dismantled following World War One, and for decades, a formal recognition of the atrocities was absent from discourse in Germany.
In 2019, the German government admitted to the genocide and offered €1.1 billion in development aid to Namibia, though it stopped short of calling it reparations or compensation. The proposal was met with disappointment, described by Namibians as insufficient without a formal apology and acknowledgment of land rights. Ethnic Ovaherero descendent Uahimisa Kaapehi expressed frustration, asserting, "We want our land. Money is nothing."
Activists representing the victims' families denounced the offer as evidence of a continued colonial mentality and have called for the return of ancestral lands now owned by German-speaking communities. A forthcoming draft agreement between Namibia and Germany may include a formal apology and an increase in pledged funds, yet many view it skeptically — feeling they were sidelined in negotiations.
The history of the genocide reflects a brutal campaign, initiated by an extermination order that mandated the killing of all individuals associated with resistance against colonization, including women and children. Historians have noted that many victims perished in concentration camps designed for forced labor and torture, with records indicating preemptive death certificates prepared for those who would undoubtedly succumb to exhaustion.
Moreover, the repatriation of ancestral remains, which were sent to Germany for debunked studies of racial superiority, has gained attention. Namibia’s leadership, including past President Hage Geingob, has emphasized that Germany has yet to fully account for its colonial transgressions.
As Namibia observes the pain of its past, the establishment of Genocide Remembrance Day signifies a critical step in the struggle for justice and acknowledgment, as indigenous communities continue to assert their rights and the need for restorative measures.
