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‘Betrayal’: Namibian opposition lawmakers denounce German genocide deal

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The prime minister has called for unity in tough parliamentary sessions, but opposition MPs accuse the government of marginalizing them and directly affected communities.

Namibian opposition politicians denounce government deal with Germany when Windhoek lawmakers start debating
he envisaged a reconciliation agreement. Accordingly, Berlin officially opened the twentieth century of colonial troops. he approved the genocide at the turn of the century and agreed to a $ 1.3 billion deal.

The funds, which would be used for development projects, are set to be distributed over a period of 30 years.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila opened a tumultuous parliamentary debate on Tuesday by explaining the details of the deal.

“This issue is sensitive,” he said, interrupting calls for unity among members of parliament.

“It is important not to be divided on this issue, but to remain united as a nation until its logical conclusion,” he said.

But opposition politicians have in turn denounced the deal, accusing the government of negotiating a deal last month that sidelined them and the communities directly affected by the genocide.

“The community, the Namibian groups … have been excluded, it is apartheid practiced by the government,” said Edson Isaacks of the opposition Landless People’s Movement Namibia (LPM), describing the outcome of the negotiation process as a “ruleless agreement”.

Another MP from Utaara Mootu LPM told Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, “You sold us.”

“You don’t allow equal participation based on human rights policies. You have not given us the opportunity to recount the economic trauma caused by the genocide, ”he added.

The agreement must be ratified by the Namibian and German parliaments, which will then be signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries.

Josef Kauandenge, the leader of another opposition party, NUDO (National Unity Democratic Organization), said: “We will not be the signatory parties for things we did not participate in.”

“This agreement can be signed between the German and Namibian governments, but the vast majority of Nama and Ovahereros will reject the contempt it deserves,” Kauandeng said.

The Prime Minister stressed that the affected communities were “fully consulted” during the negotiations.

However, descendants of the affected communities said so it is not included in the process. They have demanded that reparations be paid directly to their communities.

Last week, Namibian Vice President Nangolo Mbumba said that the development budget offered by Germany as compensation for the genocide was “not enough” but would be reviewed as funding expanded.

The German Empire now conquered all of Namibia and used it as a colony between 1884 and 1915, treating the wild population.

The government of the South African country began negotiations with the former German colonizer in 2015 over the massacres of the towns of Herero and Nama in 1904-1908 for rebelling against their authorities.

Historians say that about 65,000 of the 85,000 heralds and at least 10,000 of the 20,000 names who lived there at the time died.

After years of going back, the parties reached a major agreement last month that Germany officially recognized the killings as genocide.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the German government had agreed to “give unconditional apology to the affected communities” and the entire country for the genocide.

The apology will be given by the German president to the National Assembly on a date yet to be determined.



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