Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (R) speaks at a commemoration event marking the Genocide Remembrance Day in Windhoek, Namibia, on May 28, 2025. Namibia on Wednesday marked its first-ever Genocide Remembrance Day to honor more than 100,000 Ovaherero and Nama people who were systematically killed by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908. (Photo by Sharon Kavhu/Xinhua)
WINDHOEK, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Namibia on Wednesday marked its first-ever Genocide Remembrance Day to honor more than 100,000 Ovaherero and Nama people who were systematically killed by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908.
Speaking at the commemoration event in Windhoek, the country's capital, Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah recounted the atrocities committed by the German colonial government under its policy of extermination and genocide.
She noted that many Ovaherero and Nama people were forced into concentration camps, where they were starved to death, and their skulls were taken to Germany for so-called scientific research.
She encouraged the affected communities to continue working with the government to find a long-lasting solution to the reparations negotiations with Germany.
Meanwhile, Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged the German government's agreement to offer a public apology for the genocide.
"We should also find a degree of comfort in the fact that the German government has agreed to offer an apology to the affected communities and the Namibian people in general. We may not agree on the final quantum, but that is part of the complex negotiations we have been engaged in with the German Government since 2013," she said.
Genocide Remembrance Day was established following a motion introduced in the National Assembly in 2016, which led to a nationwide consultation process between 2017 and 2020.
The date of May 28 holds deep historical significance, marking the day in 1907 when the German colonial authorities ordered the closure of concentration camps, which brought an end to the systematic and brutal killings.
Wednesday's event was attended by hundreds of people, including members of the Namibian government and the diplomatic community. ■
Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (C) speaks at a commemoration event marking the Genocide Remembrance Day in Windhoek, Namibia, on May 28, 2025. Namibia on Wednesday marked its first-ever Genocide Remembrance Day to honor more than 100,000 Ovaherero and Nama people who were systematically killed by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908. (Photo by Sharon Kavhu/Xinhua)
Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (L, Front) lights a candle at a commemoration event marking the Genocide Remembrance Day in Windhoek, Namibia, on May 28, 2025. Namibia on Wednesday marked its first-ever Genocide Remembrance Day to honor more than 100,000 Ovaherero and Nama people who were systematically killed by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908. (Photo by Sharon Kavhu/Xinhua)
Ovaherero people take part in a commemoration event marking the Genocide Remembrance Day in Windhoek, Namibia, on May 28, 2025. Namibia on Wednesday marked its first-ever Genocide Remembrance Day to honor more than 100,000 Ovaherero and Nama people who were systematically killed by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908. (Photo by Sharon Kavhu/Xinhua)
