‘Germany must show more remorse for genocide’

DAMARA King Justus //Garoëb at the recent launch of a research paper by his daughter Tsukhoe //Garoës, said the German government should do more to show their remorse for the 1904 to 1908 genocide.

//Garoës’ paper, which was launched at Khorixas on 16 December, is titled ‘A Forgotten Case of the Nukhoen/ Damara Added to the Colonial German Genocidal Crimes in Namibia: We Cannot Fight Lightning During the Rain’.

While recognising that any death is a painful loss, the number of losses suffered by the country’s indigenous communities is unbelievable, //Garoëb said.

//Garoës’ paper states that the period between 1903 and 1915 saw the greatest loss of population in German South West Africa, of the Herero, Namas and Damaras.

“These are mass atrocities and consequences of the brutal killings by colonial Germans in Namibia, with or without the extermination order of the colonial German governor general Lothar von Trotha.

“The German government must first recognise these facts, and show remorse and apologise to all the affected communities so that they can heal from psychological trauma, which will foster true reconciliation,” //Garoëb said.

He said all the affected indigenous communities, such as the Damara and San people, should be included in the negotiations between the German and Namibian governments.

“The paper on the forgotten case of the Damara should be added to genocide reparations, and provides the needed information to rightly regard the Damara and San as rightful equals in the reparation talks,” //Garoëb said.

The paper is available on www.futurepasts.net.