Namibia gets ancestors back
As Germany hands over remains, it still refuses to pay reparations
Germany on Wednesday handed back human remains seized from Namibia a century ago after the slaughter of indigenous people under its colonial rule, but angry descendants slammed Berlin for failing to properly atone for the dark chapter. Herero chief Vekuii Rukoro, whose ancestors were among the tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people massacred between 1904 and 1908, said the handover ceremony should have taken place not in a Berlin church, but a German government building. He also accused Berlin of taking too long to formally apologise for what is often called the first genocide of the 20th century. "By trying not to acknowledge the past, the German government will continue to make serious mistakes as regards present and future policies," Rukoro told the church audience, which included government officials from both countries. "We are after all the direct descendants of these remains and we should not be ignored." A Namibian delegation formally received the remains, including 19 ...
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