PM: German Parliament Must Apologise for Genocide in Namibia

01/10/2013. On the occasion of the 109th anniversary of the German extermination order to annihilate the Herero the nationwide campaign alliance that advocates for “No Amnesty on Genocide!” calls for commemoration of the victims inflicted by Germany’s colonial wars. We demand from Germany’s Bundestag to officially apologize for the war of extermination, which claimed tens of thousands of Herero, Nama, Damara and San casualties in the former colony of ‘German Southwest-Africa’.

SPD, the Greens and the Left Party have demanded this overdue apology, among other measures that would contribute to the reconciliation with the descendants of the victims, in two very congruent motions. The three parliamentary groups, as they now collectively constitute the majority in parliament, must stand by their demands of 2012 in a timely manner and expedite the reconciliation process actively via a joint motion.

Israel Kaunatjike, a Herero living in Berlin stresses: “The people of Namibia expect that Germany unequivocally admits its historical responsibility for the genocide and further commences a dialogue on pertinent measures for reparations for the losses incurred with the Namibian Government as well as with Namibia’s victim associations. In doing so, Germany must provide symbolic as well as material reparations, particularly as a large portion of the land taken from us then hasn’t been given back to us up to this day.”

Part of the demanded measures stated by the NGO-alliance and by the opposition parties has also been an intensive dialogue with respect to the return of human remains and cultural assets which were plundered during colonialism and were shipped to Germany and stored in depots of German collections for “scientific research purposes”.

Christian Kopp from Berlin postcolonial reaffirms: “After the undignified return of some Herero and Nama remains to the descendants in September 2011, Germany has not rendered possible any further returns. As such it is imperative to take action as Germany still retains numerous human remains and thousands of stolen cultural objects from Namibia and other parts of the world.”

The alliance “No Amnesty on Genocide!” will be commemorating on the victims of German colonialism on October 2nd at 6pm at the so called Namibia stone located at the Garnisonsfriedh of Columbiadamm in Berlin-Neukölln.

More informaton: http://www.restitution-namibia.de

Contact: buero(at)berlin-postkolonial.de
Phone: Israel Kaunatjike (+491731 035 605) and Christian Kopp (+491799 100 976)