Occasional Papers

This section lists papers commissioned by AfricAvenir or authored by AfricAvenir members and its affiliates and friends. Some of the papers listed here may have previously appeared in other AfricAvenir publications, e.g. if they were published in the framework of a specific project or book. A complete listing of all papers can be found in the |+| Download Section

Peter H. Katjavivi: The significance of the repatriation of Namibian human skulls

Former Namibian Ambassador to Germany, Prof. Peter H. Katjavivi, who was instrumental in getting the repatriation process with Charité started, calls upon both Namibians and Germans to confront the past honestly as part of the process of recovering human... |+| read article

Kwame Opoku: Return of stolen skulls by Germany to Namibia: Closure of a horrible chapter?

Refuting in detail the arguments proffered by Germany on the questions of apology and compensation for the genocide of the Herero and the Nama, Dr Kwame Opoku notes that the Namibia-Germany case is being keenly observed by other African peoples and states... |+| read article

Casper W. Erichsen: Skullduggery and necrophilia in colonial Namibia

Names, dates, statistics, records, photographs – Namibia-based historian, Casper W. Erichsen, explains some of the factual evidence of the multiple atrocities that were part of the genocide in Namibia. At the end of the 19th century the rediscovery of... |+| read article

Horst Kleinschmidt: The absence of reconciliation

Namibian-born Horst Kleinschmidt provides challenging observations and personal family history linked to the colonial era. Urging both Germany and German-speaking Namibians to confront their past honestly, he offers examples of apologies made in similar... |+| read article

Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari: The return of the Herero and Nama skulls: Coming to terms with a difficult history

In his analysis of the failure over more than two decades to deal with the genocide, Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari looks at the changing attitudes of Namibia’s SWAPO-led government and the role of the Namibian media as well as Germany’s evasive political... |+| read article