“Germany Namibia genocide negotiation teams meet for last round
By Shelleygan Petersen
24 November 2024
The Presidency says Namibia and Germany will have the final round of negotiations for the 1904-1908 genocide reparations today.
This comes after 18 years since the parliament adopted a motion tabled by Ovaherero paramount chief Kuaima Riruako in 2006.
The motion tabled was unanimously adopted by the Namibian National Assembly for any negotiations and final agreements or settlement with the Germans on the genocide of the Nama and Ovaherero communities.
Press secretary Alfredo Hengari yesterday said,”The last phase of the talks on the joint declaration are ongoing and the two teams will meet in Namibia towards the end of the week.”
In July, negotiators said Germany’s reparations deal with Namibia will be an “uncapped” €1.1 billion (or N$21.4 billion) to mimic €1.2 billion reparations paid to Holocaust survivors. This means once the €1.1 billion is used up, there are additional funds that will be provided.
After this last round, the declaration and the accompanying agreements will go to Cabinet.
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Responding to these developments, Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani yesterday labelled it as shameful.
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“A deal must be for those affected, not for achieving bilateral relation ends,” he said.
The National Unity Democratic Organisation’s (Nudo) Joseph Kauandenge yesterday said it is news to them that the negotiations have been concluded.
“If this is indeed true, then we will reject this behind-the-door agreement between the two governments,” he said.
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“We reject any re-submission to the Cabinet without the input of the affected communities,” Kauandenge said.”
- Full report on the website of the Namibian (last checked in November 2024)
- See also the joint declaration by the governments of Germany and Namibia from May 2021