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The German government has acknowledged it committed genocide against the people in Namibia more than a century ago during its colonial occupation of the southern African nation and has offered a $1.3 reparations package. However, many people have been skeptical of the German efforts to right a historical tragedy.
A Tragic Past: Europeans first arrived in Namibia with the Portuguese explorations of Diogo Cão and Bartolomeu Dias in 1485 and 1486, respectively, but the territory remained free of foreign intervention until Germany annexed it as a colony in 1884, at a time when the European powers began to recreate the map of Africa to reflect their imperialist expansionism.
Germany Has Officially Recognized Colonial-Era Atrocities in Namibia But For Some, Reconciliation Is a Long Way Off
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Germany Has Officially Recognized Colonial-Era Atrocities in Namibia But For Some, Reconciliation Is a Long Way Off
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BBC News
By Tim Whewell
image copyrightGetty Images
A deal that could set a precedent for former colonies all around the world is being thrashed out between Germany and Namibia, to heal the wounds of what s now widely regarded as a genocide by colonial forces. But how do you make up for destroying an entire society? In Namibia, descendants of both victims and colonisers are arguing fiercely about the talks. Along this whole beach, there was a concentration camp, says Laidlaw Peringanda. The barbed wire ran where you see the car park today.
The artist and social activist is pointing past a row of open-air cafes and a children s playground on the promenade in Swakopmund, Namibia s main seaside resort, where the cold breakers of the Atlantic crash against the edge of the Namib Desert.