Namas also suffered severely under German colonial rule and were nearly wiped out, a Nama Traditional Chief said in a statement yesterday.

"Nama clans suffered severely and brutally at the hands of German imperial forces during the period and before; in a despicable and menacing move to exterminate Nama people and to rob them from their land and possessions," Chief Seth Kooitjie said as representative of the Nama Traditional Chiefs.

"Written and physical evidence of heinous atrocities committed against Nama clans are in our possession," Kooitjie said.

"The Nama Traditional Authorities affirm the standpoint of the Nama people on just compensation in relation to the sinister and systematic killing of Namibian people which resulted in Genocide being committed against them and other peoples of Namibia during years 1904 and 1907," the statement added.

The Nama Traditional Authorities held a consultative meeting on October 20 2006 in Windhoek to discuss the matter and to provide guidance on demands for reparations, as it affects the Nama people too.

"It is our concerted view therefore to enter into a meaningful dialogue through the existing bilateral and multilateral agreements between the Namibian and German governments about these heinous crimes in a responsible and constructive way, so that Nama communities adversely affected by genocide could be direct beneficiaries of developmental programmes which have the singular objective to change their socio-economic situation for the better."

The Nama traditional chiefs are convinced the human remains found near Luederitz recently belong to Nama people and other indigenous prisoners who died at Shark Island during 1906/1907.

They called on the Government to have the skeletons forensically analysed to determine their origin, and to closely liaise with the traditional authorities of the area to co-ordinate a mass burial.

The Nama chiefs will soon undertake a trip to the desert site.

"The purpose of the visit is to personally view the remains and to come up with collective decisions and proposals on practical measures for the burial of the remains," Chief Kooitjie stated.

The Nama Traditional Authorities present at the Windhoek meeting were: Chief Dawid Frederick of the !Aman Soromaas Traditional Authority (Bethanie), Chief Afrikaner of the Afrikaner Traditional Authority (Mariental), Chief Kooper of the Gei-//Khaun Traditional Authority (Hoachanas), Chief S.

Kooitjie of the #Aonin Traditional Authority (Walvis Bay), Chief D.

Luipert of the Swartbooi Traditional Authority (Fransfontein), Chief C.

Rooi of the /Khowesen Traditional Authority (Gibeon), Chief Titus of the //Hawoben Traditional Authority (Blouwes), Chief J.

Stephanus of the Vaalgras Traditional Authority (Vaalgras), and Councillor Christian of the !Gami-#Nun Bondelswart Traditional Authority (Warmbad).

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