Namibia to hold first official commemoration of german clonial-era genocide

On May 28, 2025, Namibia will observe its first official Genocide Remembrance Day, marking the closure of German-run concentration camps in 1908.

This commemoration honors the victims of the Herero and Nama genocide, perpetrated by German colonial forces between 1904 and 1908. During this period, tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people were killed through mass executions, forced displacement, and starvation.

The Namibian government established May 28 as Genocide Day in 2024. However, some representatives of the Herero and Nama communities have expressed reservations about this date, noting that it lacks direct significance to the genocide's key events.

They advocate for October 2—the date in 1904 when German General Lothar von Trotha issued the extermination order against the Herero people—to be recognized instead.

Germany officially acknowledged the atrocities as genocide in 2016 and, in 2021, pledged €1.1 billion over 30 years for development aid in Namibia.

Despite this, the agreement has faced criticism for not including direct reparations to the descendants of the victims.