Germany responds to Special Rapporteurs

The German and the Namibian government have answered to criticism from seven UN Special Rapporteurs. On February 23, they had sent a letter to the German Federal Government and the government of Namibia, pointing out serious deficiencies in the so-called “joint declaration” between the two states. “In its answer, the German Federal Government now revealed how little it is interested in international law. Apparently, the aim is primarily to get the problematic topic of the genocide against the Herero and the Nama off the table,” criticized Roman Kühn, Director of the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) on Friday in Berlin. “It will not be possible to keep up this attitude. An agreement that was negotiated without the descendants of the victims is unsalvageable. Now, the entire process will have to be started over – based on the legal criteria mentioned by the Special Rapporteurs, as the STP has been demanding for years.”

Sima Luipert, Secretary for International Affairs at the Nama Traditional Leaders Association, added: “The answer of the German Federal Government clearly indicates that Germany is still denying the responsibility for the atrocities committed during the colonial rule. It even seems as if Germany is continuing its mission of civilization, which was started during the colonial era. The Special Rapporteurs are reminding Germany of its legal obligations – and of the fact that development aid does not qualify as compensation. Instead of considering the very concrete concerns and questions, Germany is getting caught up in a delusional dance of self-glorification about how friendly Namibia has been treated since becoming independent – as if trying to hypnotize the Special Rapporteurs into the German legal doctrine.”

Nandiuasora Mazeingo, Leader of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation, rejects the answers of the German and the Namibian government as “pathetic documents full of ambiguity and outright lies”, condemning the notion that the victims had been compensated sufficiently. The invitation had only been sent to persons who were “connected” to the victims’ organizations, but not to actual members of the organizations. “We said no to the contract back then, and we still stand by this today. The whole thing was never about us being involved in a process that essentially concerns us. The two governments are shamelessly claiming to have invited our respective leaders to the negotiating table – and it is purported that we declined. We never have and will not participate in such a sham exercise.”