Genocide in Namibia: Germany's stance on Gaza reopens 120-year-old wounds
Sylvia Chebet | Germany's backing of Israel against genocide charges at the International Court of Justice has infuriated Namibia, whose indigenous people bore the brunt of German soldiers' bloodlust 120 years ago. | The remains of an estimated 70,000 Namibians who perished in what is considered the first genocide of the 20th century lie under the dunes of the sprawling Namib Desert. Many others were washed into the depths of the ice-cold waters of the South Atlantic Ocean. This colonial-era genocide of numbing proportions was perpetrated by German forces on the indigenous Herero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908. [...] In 2021, after years of negotiations, Germany formally acknowledged the blot on its colonial history as "a genocide". By way of reparation, the European nation agreed to fund projects in Namibia worth US $1.3 billion over 30 years for its role in the mass killings. ● But even before the dust could settle on the injustices of 120 years ago, Germany made a decision that shocked Namibia and reopened old wounds. The German government pledged to intervene on Israel's behalf in the case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague over what is widely regarded as a "genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza.