Human Rights Organisation calls for more support of land reform by the German government

The Society for Threatened Peoples, one of Germany’s leading human rights organisations, has called on the German government to make an extra-effort during this crucial year of commemoration of the genocide to support the land reform programme in Namibia. Acknowledging the German contribution to land reform funding, the human rights organisation has appealed to Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to prevent a failure of the land reform programme by making a special contribution in 2004 with regard to the genocide.

The Society for Threatened Peoples has strongly criticized Germany’s handling of the genocide and has urged an official apology for the crimes, which have been committed in the name of Germany. "It’s a shame, that the German government is still refusing an official apology for the genocide with regard to the compensation claims of Herero in U.S. courts”, declared the Africa desk officer Ulrich Delius. The human rights organisation has confirmed the characterization of the crimes as genocide in a report of 30 pages, which has been published last Wednesday. After a crucial analysis of the Herero reparation claim’s legal aspects, the human rights organisation draws the conclusion that the claims will not have any results as they lack the legal basis in international law. Unfortunately most international conventions on genocide and the warfare against rebellions have been coming into effect only after the Herero and Nama genocides had been accomplished. Regarding the lack of consistent legal claims the Society for Threatened Peoples has urged the German government to stop using the compensation claims as an excuse not to deliver a formal apology. "Germany still has a moral responsibility for the crimes committed between 1904 and 1907. An official apology could open a new debate on the genocide in Germany and Namibia and could contribute to reconciliation between the different groups of the Namibian society”, declared Delius. "The remarks of regret, which have been expressed by former German President Roman Herzog in 1998, are not sufficient with regard to the huge dimension of Herero genocide”, states the human rights organisation.