Namibia’s Herero people have filed a lawsuit in the US against Germany over a genocide in the early 20th century. The case, to be heard on Tuesday, shows how Germany is still struggling with its colonial past.
“We Germans acknowledge our historical, political, moral and ethical responsibility and the guilt that Germans brought upon themselves,” said Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul during a visit to Namibia back in 2004. Speaking at the Waterberg, where Emperor Wilhelm II’s troops had mercilessly put down a rebellion against German colonial rule a hundred years earlier, the then German minister for development aid was close to tears.
Tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people were killed by the so-called “protective troops” or died in concentration camps in the years after the 1904 battle. It was the first genocide of the 20th century, historians say.
Namibia had waited a long time for such words, but the German government of the time backed off, saying Wieczorek-Zeul had spoken as a private person. The backpedaling fitted a decades-old pattern: No matter what government happened to be in power, the country won international respect for coming to terms with the Holocaust, while at the same time its colonial past was ignored.
Government pledges to deal with colonial past
Finally, however, a cautious change of heart seems to be on the horizon.
A look at the current government’s coalition agreement shows “a willingness that has not previously been publicly declared in this form” by the government to devote itself to the colonial issues, says colonialism expert Henning Melber, a senior adviser at the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation.
For the first time, the German government has pledged a willingness to deal with its colonial past. “We want to build a bridge from the past via the present to the future,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas promised in May on a visit to Tanzania.
The remark is a reflexive response given that the public discussion about colonial heritage has gained in importance, says Jürgen Zimmerer, Professor of African History at the University of Hamburg. “On the other hand, it has become clear that we need to deal with our colonial history just like we did with East German history and National Socialism.”
The debate about the German colonial era and its consequences has become louder in recent years. Heated discussions have led an increasing number of museums and archives to check whether objects from the former colonies have entered their collections legally or illegally. The most prominent example: a gigantic brachiosaurus skeleton in Berlin’s Museum of Natural History that was brought to Berlin in colonial times from what is now Tanzania. Tanzanian activists demand its return; Tanzania’s government does not.
There is also an ongoing emotional debate about thousands of human bones stored in museums and archives, brought to Germany from its past colonies for questionable research. Some of the institutions are planning to return the items. And activists are critical of the planned Humboldt Forum ethnological collection, a prestigious federal government project scheduled to open in Berlin next year.
Germany ‘feels like the sorcerer’s apprentice’
Additional pressure has come from abroad. Namibia’s Herero and Nama have long demanded an official apology from the German government for the colonial-era genocide. Individual groups and politicians from Tanzania, once German East Africa, are also demanding compensation — 100,000 to 250,000 people are said to have died in the 1905-1907 Maji Maji Rebellion against German colonial rule.
The German government has also come under indirect pressure from French President Emmanuel Macron, who in November 2017 pledged to return all stolen cultural treasures to France’s ex-colonies within five years. Many Germans say Germany should follow his example.
But Germany’s colonial heritage comprises far more than stolen cultural assets, Zimmerer told DW. “It’s also about the other colonial-era crimes: the armed conflicts, the land expropriations and the genocide in Namibia,” he argues.
But the coalition agreement doesn’t mention the genocide in Namibia, even though an official German apology for that genocide was once regarded as a German government prestige project. Since 2014, Berlin has been negotiating with the Namibian government, and an apology was to have been made before last year’s general elections.
But the two sides could not agree. And while the German government continues to claim that it wants an agreement, frustration is on the rise in Namibia.
As a consequence, various Herero and Nama representatives in 2017 filed a suit in a district court in New York. They want to negotiate compensation directly with the German government. The court has not yet decided whether it has jurisdiction in this case. For a long time, the German government refused to appear in court at all. Now, Berlin has filed a motion to dismiss the action. The court hears the case on Tuesday.
But the mere existence of the lawsuit has clearly increased the pressure on Berlin. “The government probably feels like the proverbial sorcerer’s apprentice, unable to banish the spirits it called,” says Melber. “It has started something and now doesn’t know how to end it in a way that is acceptable for the Namibian side as well.”
Amends but no reparations
Germany is remaining firm regarding compensation. “The German government considers that the use of the term ‘genocide’ does not entail any legal obligation to reparations, but rather political and moral obligations to heal the wounds. We’re sticking to that position,” Ruprecht Polenz, the German negotiator in the Namibia talks, told DW two years ago — and it is unlikely that stance has changed.
There are other means of support than reparations, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas recently said while on a visit to Tanzania in response to calls for compensation coming from that country.
The German government is concerned about creating a precedent if it officially agrees to pay compensation. “Germany was only one colonial power among several and not the only one that wasn’t squeamish when it came to suppressing the people in the colonies,” says Melber. “Other former colonial powers are watching negotiations between Germany and Namibia with great concern; they fear Germany will agree to something that would open the door wide to demands on the other colonial powers.”
Indirectly, the German government has actually been making reparations for years: Namibia has received major development aid payments since independence and Germany has promised additional projects for the Herero and Nama regions. But the plaintiffs, at least, are still not satisfied.
What is more, in the years to come, other ex-colonies could become more vocal in their calls for compensation. Dealing with the colonial past has really only just begun in Berlin — and is likely to take a very long time.
Watu wa kabila la Herero nchini Namibia wamewasilisha kesi dhidi ya Ujerumani kwa sababu ya mauaji ya kimbari yaliyofanyika mapema karne ya 20. Kesi hiyo, ambayo itasikilizwa Jumanne, inaonyesha jinsi Ujerumani bado inavyopambana na zamani zake za kikoloni. "Wagiriki wa Ujerumani wanakubaliwa na wajibu wetu wa kihistoria, kisiasa, kiadili na maadili na hatia ambayo Wajerumani walileta juu yao wenyewe,"" alisema Heidemarie Wijkhoek-Zeul wakati wa ziara ya Namibia nyuma katika 2004. """ Katika hotuba yake huko Waterberg, ambapo majeshi ya Maliki Wilhelm II yalikuwa yamepiga vita dhidi ya utawala wa kikoloni wa Ujerumani miaka mia moja mapema, waziri wa Ujerumani wa wakati huo wa misaada ya maendeleo alikuwa karibu kulia. Maelfu ya watu wa kabila la Herero na Nama waliuawa na wanajeshi wa ulinzi au waliuawa katika kambi za mateso katika miaka ya baada ya vita vya 1904. "Hiyo ndiyo iliyokuwa ""mauaji ya kimbari"" ya kwanza ya karne ya 20, kulingana na wanahistoria." Namibia ilikuwa imesubiri kwa muda mrefu maneno kama hayo, lakini serikali ya Ujerumani ya wakati huo ilirudi nyuma, ikisema Wieczorek-Zeul alikuwa amezungumza kama mtu binafsi. "Hiyo ilikuwa ni mfano wa miaka mingi: ""Haijalishi serikali ilikuwa na mamlaka gani, nchi ilipata heshima ya kimataifa kwa kukubali Holocaust, wakati wakati huo huo zamani yake ya kikoloni ilipuuzwa.""" Serikali ya Marekani imehakikishia kukabiliana na hali ya ukoloni ya zamani, lakini kwa sasa inaonekana kuwa na mabadiliko ya moyo. "Mtazamo wa makubaliano ya muungano wa serikali ya sasa unaonyesha ""utaka ambao haujawahi kutangazwa hadharani katika fomu hii"" na serikali kujitolea kwa masuala ya kikoloni, anasema mtaalamu wa kikoloni Henning Melber, mshauri mwandamizi katika Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation." Kwa mara ya kwanza, serikali ya Ujerumani imeahidi kuwa tayari kushughulika na wakati wake uliopita wa ukoloni. "Tunataka kujenga daraja kutoka zamani kupitia sasa hadi siku zijazo", Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Ujerumani Heiko Maas aliahidi mwezi Mei katika ziara yake nchini Tanzania. "Hiyo ni jibu la kujibu kwa kuzingatia kwamba majadiliano ya umma juu ya urithi wa kikoloni yamepata umuhimu, ""anasema Jürgen Zimmerer, Profesa wa Historia ya Afrika katika Chuo Kikuu cha Hamburg." "Kwa upande mwingine, imekuwa wazi kwamba tunahitaji kushughulika na historia yetu ya kikoloni kama tulivyofanya na historia ya Ujerumani Mashariki na National Socialism. ""Mjadala juu ya enzi ya kikoloni ya Ujerumani na matokeo yake umekuwa mkali zaidi katika miaka ya hivi karibuni. """ Mjadala mkali umeongoza idadi inayoongezeka ya makumbusho na kumbukumbu kuangalia ikiwa vitu kutoka koloni za zamani vimeingia kwenye makusanyo yao kisheria au kinyume cha sheria. Mfano maarufu ni mifupa ya Brachiosaurus iliyopatikana katika Jumba la Makumbusho la Historia ya Asili la Berlin, ambayo ililetwa Berlin katika enzi za ukoloni kutoka Tanzania. Wanaharakati wa Tanzania wanadai kurudishwa kwake; serikali ya Tanzania haifanyi hivyo. Pia kuna mjadala wa hisia kuhusu maelfu ya mifupa ya binadamu iliyohifadhiwa katika majumba ya makumbusho na kumbukumbu, iliyoletwa Ujerumani kutoka koloni zake za zamani kwa ajili ya utafiti wenye kutiliwa shaka. Baadhi ya taasisi hizo zinapanga kurudisha vitu hivyo. Humboldt Forum ni mradi wa serikali ya Ujerumani unaopangwa kufunguliwa mwaka ujao. Ujerumani 'inahisi kama mwanafunzi wa mchawi' Shinikizo la ziada limekuja kutoka nje ya nchi. Herero na Nama wa Namibia wamekuwa wakidai kwa muda mrefu kuomba msamaha rasmi kutoka kwa serikali ya Ujerumani kwa mauaji ya kimbari ya enzi ya kikoloni. "Watu wa Tanzania, ambao wakati mmoja walikuwa sehemu ya Afrika Mashariki ya Ujerumani, wanadai kuwa ""watu 100,000 hadi 250,000 waliuawa katika uasi wa Maji Maji wa 1905-1907 dhidi ya utawala wa kikoloni wa Ujerumani.""" Serikali ya Ujerumani pia imekabiliwa na shinikizo la moja kwa moja kutoka kwa Rais wa Ufaransa Emmanuel Macron, ambaye mnamo Novemba 2017 aliahidi kurudisha hazina zote za kitamaduni zilizokuwa zimeibiwa kwa koloni za zamani za Ufaransa ndani ya miaka mitano. Wajerumani wengi wanasema Ujerumani inapaswa kufuata mfano wake. Lakini urithi wa kikoloni wa Ujerumani unajumuisha mengi zaidi ya mali za kitamaduni zilizoibiwa, Zimmerer aliambia DW. "Ni pia kuhusu uhalifu mwingine wa enzi ya ukoloni: migogoro ya silaha, unyakua ardhi na mauaji ya kimbari nchini Namibia", anasema. Lakini makubaliano ya muungano hayataji mauaji ya kimbari nchini Namibia, ingawa ombi la msamaha rasmi la Ujerumani kwa mauaji hayo ya kimbari wakati mmoja lilionwa kama mradi wa heshima wa serikali ya Ujerumani. Berlin imekuwa ikijadiliana na serikali ya Namibia tangu mwaka 2014, na ilitakiwa kuomba msamaha kabla ya uchaguzi mkuu wa mwaka jana. Lakini pande hizo mbili hazikuweza kukubaliana. Wakati serikali ya Ujerumani inadai kwamba inataka makubaliano, kukata tamaa kunaongezeka nchini Namibia. Wawakilishi wa Herero na Nama waliwasilisha kesi katika mahakama ya wilaya ya New York. Wanataka kujadili fidia moja kwa moja na serikali ya Ujerumani. Mahakama bado haijaamua kama ina mamlaka katika kesi hii. Kwa muda mrefu, serikali ya Ujerumani ilikataa kuonekana mahakamani hata kidogo. Sasa, Berlin imewasilisha ombi la kukataa kesi hiyo. Mahakama itasikia kesi hiyo siku ya Jumanne. Lakini kuwepo tu kwa kesi hiyo kwa wazi kumeongeza shinikizo juu ya Berlin. "Huenda serikali inahisi kama mwanafunzi wa mchawi wa msemo, haiwezi kuondoa roho ambazo iliita", anasema Melber. <unk>Imeanza kitu na sasa haijui jinsi ya kukomesha kwa njia inayokubalika kwa upande wa Namibia pia.<unk> Marekebisho lakini hakuna fidia Ujerumani inabaki imara kuhusu fidia. <unk> Serikali ya Ujerumani inachukulia kwamba matumizi ya neno <unk>mauaji ya kimbari<unk> hayana jukumu lolote la kisheria la fidia, lakini badala yake majukumu ya kisiasa na ya kimaadili ya kuponya majeraha. "Tunashikilia msimamo huo,"" Ruprecht Polenz, msaidizi wa Ujerumani katika mazungumzo ya Namibia, aliambia DW miaka miwili iliyopita ""na haiwezekani msimamo huo umebadilika". "Kama ilivyoelezwa na waziri wa mambo ya nje wa Ujerumani Heiko Maas, ""Kuna njia nyingine za msaada kuliko malipo ya uharibifu,"" alisema wakati wa ziara yake nchini Tanzania, akijibu wito wa nchi hiyo wa kutoa fidia." Serikali ya Ujerumani ina wasiwasi juu ya kuunda mfano ikiwa inakubali rasmi kulipa fidia. "Ujerumani ilikuwa tu moja ya nguvu ya kikoloni miongoni mwa kadhaa na si moja tu ambayo haikuwa squeamish wakati ilikuja kukandamiza watu katika koloni", anasema Melber. "Nchi nyingine za ukoloni zinaangalia mazungumzo kati ya Ujerumani na Namibia kwa wasiwasi mkubwa; wanaogopa Ujerumani itakubali kitu ambacho kitafungua mlango kwa mahitaji ya mataifa mengine ya ukoloni. ""Kwa njia isiyo ya moja kwa moja, serikali ya Ujerumani imekuwa ikirudisha malipo kwa miaka mingi: Namibia imepokea malipo makubwa ya misaada ya maendeleo tangu uhuru na Ujerumani imeahidi miradi ya ziada kwa mikoa ya Herero na Nama." Lakini walalamikaji, angalau, bado hawajafurahishwa. Zaidi ya hayo, katika miaka ijayo, koloni nyingine za zamani zinaweza kuwa na sauti zaidi katika wito wao wa fidia. Kushughulika na zamani ya kikoloni kwa kweli imeanza tu katika Berlin <unk> na inawezekana kuchukua muda mrefu sana.