Namibia slams Germany's support to Israel in genocide case

Namibia said late Saturday that Germany committed the first genocide of the 20th century on Namibian soil and "is yet to fully atone for the genocide."

Namibia rejected Germany's support to Israel's attacks in Gaza, the presidency of Namibia said in a statement on X.

President of Namibia, Hage Geingob, expressed "deep concern with the shocking decision communicated by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany yesterday, 12 January 2024, in which it rejected the morally upright indictment brought forward by South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza."

The statement stressed concern, stating, "Ignoring the violent deaths of over 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza and various United Nations reports disturbingly highlighting the internal displacement of 85 percent of civilians in Gaza amid acute shortages of food and essential services..."

Germany "has chosen to defend in the ICJ the genocidal and gruesome acts of the Israeli Government against innocent civilians in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories," it added.

'Chillingly' determined

"Germany cannot morally express commitment to the United Nations Convention against genocide, including atonement for the genocide in Namibia, whilst supporting the equivalent of a holocaust and genocide in Gaza," the statement pointed out.

Several global entities, including Human Rights Watch, have "chillingly" determined that Israel is engaging in war crimes within Gaza, it highlighted.

Emphasising the president's call on 31 December 2023, it said: "Geingob appeals to the German Government to reconsider its untimely decision to intervene as a third-party in defence and support of the genocidal acts of Israel before the ICJ."

Earlier, President Gaigob stated, "No peace-loving human being can ignore the carnage waged against Palestinians in Gaza."

German colonial forces carried out the Namibian genocide against the indigenous Herero and Nama peoples between 1904 and 1908.

During the target of populations resisting colonial forces, at least 65,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama lost their lives.

As a result of the genocide, the Herero population decreased by at least 70 percent, and the Nama population decreased by at least 50 percent.

While Germany acknowledged the crimes committed in Namibia as genocide in 2021, it refused to accept responsibility for reparations.