Germany Has Apologized for the Namibia Genocide. Descendants Say It Is Not Enough as Reparations Push Gains Ground ‎

Windhoek/Berlin. Germany acknowledged its colonial-era atrocities in Namibia as genocide in 2021, but many descendants say the apology and aid package fall short of justice. The dispute is back on the agenda after a fresh debate in the German Bundestag this week.

Germany ruled Namibia from 1884 to 1915. Between 1904 and 1908 its forces waged campaigns against the OvaHerero and Nama, killing an estimated 65,000 OvaHerero and 10,000 Nama through killings, starvation, thirst, displacement and detention camps.

In 2021 Germany recognized the events as genocide and offered an apology with over $1.1 billion for development projects. The money is meant to be spent over 30 years on land reform, agriculture, rural infrastructure, water and vocational training. Berlin stopped short of accepting a legal obligation to pay compensation.

That distinction is at the heart of the grievance. Herero and Nama leaders criticized the deal for lacking direct reparations and for excluding their representatives from the negotiations. Amnesty International says Germany still denies a legal duty to provide reparations.

Pressure is now building on both sides. On October 14 the Bundestag debated motions from the Left Party and the Greens and referred both to its Foreign Affairs Committee. The Left wants Germany to accept legal liability and pay reparations directly to descendants. The Greens want an official apology and the return of artefacts and human remains. An AfD lawmaker dismissed the proposals as "German self-hatred." Neither motion has been adopted, and Germany has made no new commitment to pay direct reparations.

In Namibia, the Genocide Reparations Advocacy Forum urged German civil society before the debate to oppose the 2021 joint declaration. It called the declaration a development package that should not be considered reparations, and asked both governments to abandon it. One opinion writer says the declaration is at its final stages and expected to be signed before year's end, and that a High Court challenge to it is pending.

The case is also becoming part of a wider African demand. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has linked Namibia's talks with Germany to growing African demands for accountability over colonial injustices. The returns of sacred artefacts to Gabon and royal treasures to Ghana show how restitution is reshaping ties between African states and institutions abroad.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/Science communicator, Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,United States Institute of Peace (USIP), [email protected] +233555275880

Sources
Africa Briefing, "German MPs demand Namibia genocide reparations" (Oct 15, 2026): https://africabriefing.com/german-mps-demand-namibia-genocide-reparations/
Anadolu, Bundestag debate (Oct 15, 2026): https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/german-lawmakers-debate-recognition-of-colonial-era-genocide-in-namibia-reparations-for-victims-descendants/4089129
The Namibian, "Genocide reparations forum asks Germany not to pursue joint declaration" (Oct 10, 2026): https://www.namibian.com.na/genocide-reparations-forum-asks-germany-not-to-pursue-joint-declaration/
Genocide Watch: https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/genocide-reparations-forum-asks-germany-not-to-pursue
New Era opinion: https://neweralive.na/opinion-the-forlorn-ovaherero-nama-generations-struggle-for-genocide-reparations/
Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/10/namibia-germany-must-deliver-reparatory-justice-for-its-brutal-colonial-past/
Background on the 2021 deal: https://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/herero-and-nama