Germany officially recognises colonial-era Namibia genocide

2021-05-28 15:47:05

Germany has officially acknowledged committing genocide during its colonial occupation of Namibia, and announced financial aid worth more than €1.1bn (£940m; $1.34bn). German colonisers killed tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people there in early 20th Century massacres. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said his country was asking Namibia and victims' descendants for forgiveness. But activists say the aid is not enough to address the suffering inflicted. The money will apparently be paid out over 30 years through spending on infrastructure, healthcare and training programmes benefiting the impacted communities. "We will now officially refer to these events as what they are from today's perspective: genocide," Mr Maas said, adding that colonial-era actions should be discussed "without sparing or glossing over". A spokesman for the Namibian government told AFP news agency Germany's recognition was "a first step in the right direction".