Namibia Marks Century-Old Massacre Amid Calls for German Compensation

Namibia Marks Century-Old Massacre Amid Calls for German Compensation
The New York Times
August 12, 2004
By REUTERS

BERLIN, Aug. 11 – A German minister left for Namibia on Wednesday amid calls by Namibia’s government and human rights advocates for Germany to pay compensation for a massacre of Herero tribesmen in 1904 by its colonial troops.

Germany’s development minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, will attend a ceremony in Okakarara on Saturday marking the 100th anniversary of a revolt by the Herero people in southwest Africa against Kaiser Wilhelm’s troops in which 65,000 of the 80,000 Hereros died.

About 10,000 members of the Nama tribe were also killed in the massacre, which some historians call the first genocide of the 20th century.

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