Gaza: Namibian Germans want two-state solution
• Namas, Ovaherero blast presidency
More Namibian voices have entered the fray after President Hage Geingob tore into Germany's support of Israel at the weekend.
German-speaking Namibians have called for an immediate stop to the war in Gaza, urging a negotiated and permanent two-state solution days after Namibia slammed its former coloniser Germany’s decision to intervene as a third party in defence of Israel in a case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
On Friday, the German government said the accusation of genocide against Israel was completely unfounded and amounted to a "political instrumentalisation" of the United Nations' (UN) genocide convention. This has angered Namibia, which is backing South Africa’s case in The Hague, and which lost more than 70 000 Herero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908 at the hands of imperial Germany. Historians consider this to be the 20th century's first genocide.
President Hage Geingob said Germany could not "morally express commitment to the UN convention against genocide, including atonement for the genocide in Namibia" and at the same time support Israel.
Forum for German-Speaking Namibians chairperson Harald Hecht told Namibian Sun: “This war must stop immediately, aided by an international peace conference and a permanent, negotiated two-state solution to enable peace in that troubled region”.
Namas, Ovaherero spit fire
The Nama and Ovaherero traditional authorities issued a joint release on Sunday, in which they accused the Namibian government of a hypocritical approach to genocide.
They further rejected Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, which they described as “deliberately aimed at murder and the obstruction of Palestine's desire for a country and a national identity”.
According to the Nama and Ovaherero authorities, their ancestors were exposed to similar tactics during the German occupation of South West Africa, which later became Namibia upon independence. The Nama and Ovaherero were driven out to satisfy Germany's desire for land, "just as Zionist Israel is driven by a desire to drive Palestinians out of existence", the release read.
The traditional authorities accused the Namibian government of obstructing their own quest for justice.
"The same Namibia that is now condemning Israel and Germany has denied the Ovaherero and Nama people meaningful participation in genocide negotiations with Germany.
“The Namibian presidency is working on an addendum to a framework that considered our ancestors - during the time they were brutally murdered - as barbarians.”
Hypocrisy
According to the traditional authorities, seven special rapporteurs of the UN have declared that the German and Namibian governments are violating the very UN convention at issue in the ICJ case.
"The same Namibian government that is now condemning Israel and Germany is silencing the Nama and Ovaherero people," the release read, adding: "This is hypocrisy at its highest level".
The groups said Germany has not yet recognised the 1904 genocide, while the Namibian government refuses to drag Germany before the international court. It is difficult for Nama and Ovaherero people to understand how the Namibian government can protect Germany from its own citizens, the statement read.
The traditional authorities further called Germany's support for Namibia's green hydrogen development a return to colonial times, with land in Africa that must meet Germany's industrial energy needs.
Questions sent to the Namibian presidency remain unanswered, with Geingob's spokesperson Alfredo Hengari saying: "We are not taking follow-up questions about the statement" in reference to the president's rejection of Germany's contribution at the ICJ.
Israeli attacks in Gaza – sparked by a Hamas attack on Israeli soil on 7 October 2023 which killed 1 200 people - continue unabated. On Sunday night, 67 people were killed in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera. Israel’s retaliatory attacks have so far killed nearly 24 000 Gazans to date.
On Friday, the German government said the accusation of genocide against Israel was completely unfounded and amounted to a "political instrumentalisation" of the United Nations' (UN) genocide convention. This has angered Namibia, which is backing South Africa’s case in The Hague, and which lost more than 70 000 Herero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908 at the hands of imperial Germany. Historians consider this to be the 20th century's first genocide.
President Hage Geingob said Germany could not "morally express commitment to the UN convention against genocide, including atonement for the genocide in Namibia" and at the same time support Israel.
Forum for German-Speaking Namibians chairperson Harald Hecht told Namibian Sun: “This war must stop immediately, aided by an international peace conference and a permanent, negotiated two-state solution to enable peace in that troubled region”.
Namas, Ovaherero spit fire
The Nama and Ovaherero traditional authorities issued a joint release on Sunday, in which they accused the Namibian government of a hypocritical approach to genocide.
They further rejected Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, which they described as “deliberately aimed at murder and the obstruction of Palestine's desire for a country and a national identity”.
According to the Nama and Ovaherero authorities, their ancestors were exposed to similar tactics during the German occupation of South West Africa, which later became Namibia upon independence. The Nama and Ovaherero were driven out to satisfy Germany's desire for land, "just as Zionist Israel is driven by a desire to drive Palestinians out of existence", the release read.
The traditional authorities accused the Namibian government of obstructing their own quest for justice.
"The same Namibia that is now condemning Israel and Germany has denied the Ovaherero and Nama people meaningful participation in genocide negotiations with Germany.
“The Namibian presidency is working on an addendum to a framework that considered our ancestors - during the time they were brutally murdered - as barbarians.”
Hypocrisy
According to the traditional authorities, seven special rapporteurs of the UN have declared that the German and Namibian governments are violating the very UN convention at issue in the ICJ case.
"The same Namibian government that is now condemning Israel and Germany is silencing the Nama and Ovaherero people," the release read, adding: "This is hypocrisy at its highest level".
The groups said Germany has not yet recognised the 1904 genocide, while the Namibian government refuses to drag Germany before the international court. It is difficult for Nama and Ovaherero people to understand how the Namibian government can protect Germany from its own citizens, the statement read.
The traditional authorities further called Germany's support for Namibia's green hydrogen development a return to colonial times, with land in Africa that must meet Germany's industrial energy needs.
Questions sent to the Namibian presidency remain unanswered, with Geingob's spokesperson Alfredo Hengari saying: "We are not taking follow-up questions about the statement" in reference to the president's rejection of Germany's contribution at the ICJ.
Israeli attacks in Gaza – sparked by a Hamas attack on Israeli soil on 7 October 2023 which killed 1 200 people - continue unabated. On Sunday night, 67 people were killed in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera. Israel’s retaliatory attacks have so far killed nearly 24 000 Gazans to date.
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