President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says Africa is not seeking revenge for centuries of slavery and colonial oppression but justice for wounds that have never healed.
Addressing a High-Level Consultative Conference on the Next Steps for the Landmark UN Resolution A/RES/80/250 in Accra yesterday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the adoption of the resolution recognising the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as a crime against humanity marked the beginning of the struggle for truth, healing and restorative justice.
“Africa is not seeking to reopen old wounds. Africa is seeking to heal wounds that were never healed,” Nandi-Ndaitwah told delegates.
She continued: “The struggle for restorative justice is not driven by bitterness. It is driven by the belief that genuine reconciliation can only be achieved when truth is acknowledged, dignity is restored and history is confronted with honesty.”
Genocide
Nandi-Ndaitwah linked the discussion on slavery reparations to Namibia’s own struggle for justice following the genocide committed against the Ovaherero and Nama by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908.
She recalled that Namibia’s parliament adopted a motion on genocide, apology and reparations in 2006, paving the way for engagement with Germany.
“Justice is rarely a straight road. It is often slow and uncomfortable. We remain engaged, as a solution has to be found,” she said.
The president said Namibia has learnt that lasting reconciliation can only be built on truth, acknowledgement and mutual respect.
She also highlighted the country’s decision to declare 28 May as Genocide Remembrance Day, saying the annual commemoration serves as an important step towards national healing. “For many Namibians, the genocide did not end in 1908. Its echoes continue to this day,” she said.
In 2023, the United Nations’ special rapporteurs criticised both Namibia and Germany for allegedly violating the rights of the Ovaherero and Nama ethnic minorities by excluding them from talks over reparations for colonial crimes against their ancestors.
The UN representatives called on Germany to take full responsibility for all its colonial crimes in Namibia, including for mass murder. Meanwhile, affected communities have expressed their dismay over what they believe are talks that have seemingly hit a stalemate.
As it stands, Germany has offered Namibia 1.1 billion euros (or just over N$18 billion) for developmental projects in seven identified regions as reparations for genocide, which is a far cry from Namibia’s reported demand of N$1.1 trillion. The latter figure considers loss of life and dispossession of land and displacement. Another issue that does not sit well with affected communities, the Namibian government and opposition parties is that the proposed N$18 billion is to be paid over 30 years.
The Ovaherero and Nama genocide was a campaign of ethnic extermination by the German colonial regime. It was the first genocide of the 20th century, and occurred between 1904 and 1908. Over 100 000 Ovaherero and Namas died in the genocide. The first phase of the genocide was characterised by widespread death, from starvation and dehydration due to the prevention of the Ovaherero from leaving the Kalahari Desert by German forces.
Once defeated, thousands of Ovahereros and Namas were imprisoned in concentration camps, where the majority died from diseases, abuse and exhaustion.
Reflecting on the significance of hosting the conference in Ghana, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the country remains one of the strongest reminders of the suffering endured by millions of Africans who passed through the infamous slave castles before being shipped across the Atlantic. “One can only imagine the fear, uncertainty and heartbreak of those who passed through the Doors of No Return. As they took their final steps on African soil, not knowing where they were going and not knowing if they would ever see their families again,” she said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah urged Africans and people of African descent to remain united in pursuing restorative justice, warning that divisions have historically weakened the continent.
She further stressed the importance of strengthening ties between Africa and its diaspora, noting that the African Union formally recognised the diaspora as Africa’s sixth region in 2003.
Resolution
Chairperson of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, described the UN resolution as the product of centuries of resistance and demands for justice by Africans and their descendants.
Beckles said enslaved Africans had repeatedly petitioned European governments for reparations after emancipation but were ignored. “They demanded it. They petitioned the parliaments of Europe, asking, ‘If you are giving reparations to the enslavers, why are we, the enslaved, not receiving reparations?’ he said.
According to Beckles, the newly adopted resolution was the result of what he termed a “global revolution in African consciousness”.
Also addressing the same gathering, Nobel Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka challenged delegates not to view slavery as a chapter that belongs solely to the past.
“The slave trade is not over, but it is indeed very active,” Soyinka said.
He pointed to human trafficking, child abductions and modern-day slave markets as evidence that exploitation continues in different forms. –[email protected]
