Germany to return back century-old human remains to Namibian government delegation on Wednesday during a solemn church service in Berlin. The nineteen skulls, one scalp and several bones are of indigenous people who were slaughtered under German colonial rule.
Meanwhile, representatives of the slaughtered descendants are still waiting for an apology and they have criticized the ceremony saying heal of wounds is insufficient.
Called as the first genocide of the 20th century, the Germans killed tens and thousands of Herero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908.
Chairwoman of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation, Esther Utjiua, said Wednesday’s ceremony would be the perfect opportunity for Berlin to apologize officially, but attitude of the government is shocking.
Amid ongoing talks between both the countries for long Berlin said in 2016 that issuing a formal apology is in their plan, but so far there has been no direct reparations by the German government. The colony was then called as South West Africa and it separated from South Africa in 1990, when Namibia gained independence.
Berlin argues since 1990 aid worth hundreds of millions of euros had been sanctioned for the benefit of all Namibians.
The Hereros first revolted in 1904 after finding German settlers have been stealing their land, cattle and even women. More than 100 German civilians were killed and in 1905 the Nama people too joined the uprising.
General Lothar von Trotha emerged with an “extermination order” to overcome the rebellion and this lead to deaths of about 60,000 Hereros and 10,000 Nama people. Most of them were murdered while others died out of hunger in prison camps. Several were beheaded and the skulls were sent to Germany for research work, proving racial superiority of white Europeans.
