Henning Melber: „Colonialism, Genocide and Reparations: The German-Namibian Case“
A new article by Henning Melber
First published: 02 July 2024
ABSTRACT
In 2015 the German government acknowledged that the Empire committed genocide in its colony South West Africa, known since its independence as Namibia. This acknowledgement marked a new reference point in how to engage with colonial crimes. Since then, Germany has fallen short of bearing full and unconditional responsibility for and recognition of the crime in terms of restorative justice. While Germany deserves credit for its commemoration and remorse over the Holocaust during World War II, victims of other forms of extermination with the intent to destroy still crave adequate recognition, commemoration and compensation in the form of reparations. This article presents the Namibian case to illustrate the contradictions and limitations that emerge when general notions are tested and undermined by asymmetric power relations of Realpolitik.
Read the full article here: Colonialism, Genocide and Reparations: The German‐Namibian Case – Melber – Development and Change – Wiley Online Library
Henning Melber (Henning.Melber@nai.uu.se) is Extraordinary Professor at the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, and the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies, University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa; Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Commonwealth Studies, University of London, UK; and Associate at the Nordic Africa Institute in Uppsala, Sweden.
