Namibia on Wednesday held its first national commemoration for the victims of mass killings carried out by German colonial forces, an event marking what is widely recognised as the first genocide of the 20th century but overshadowed by a dispute with organisations representing descendants of the victims.
The government recently declared May 28 a national holiday, known as Genocide Remembrance Day, to commemorate tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people killed by German colonial troops between 1904 and 1908.
However, several organisations representing descendants of the victims declined to participate in the official ceremony, arguing that they had not been adequately consulted over the choice of date for the commemoration.
The dispute has highlighted broader tensions over how Namibia remembers one of the darkest chapters of its colonial history and longstanding demands for greater recognition and reparations.
A commemorative ceremony in the gardens of Namibia’s parliament in Windhoek included a candlelit vigil and a minute of silence, with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah delivering an address.
German forces massacred tens of thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people after they rebelled against colonial rule. Historians estimate that about 60,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama people were killed during the campaign.
Germany ruled what was then known as German South West Africa from 1884 until 1915. The territory later came under South African administration following World War I.
While Germany has acknowledged the atrocities, the issue of reparations remains a source of controversy, with descendants of the victims and other groups continuing to demand greater recognition and compensation for the crimes committed during the colonial era.
The inaugural commemoration represents a significant step in Namibia’s efforts to formally recognise the genocide, even as disagreements persist over the process of remembrance and Germany’s responsibility for the atrocities.
