Both the Namibian government and the Herero and Nama peoples have spoken before the United Nations, and suits have been brought in the United States courts by Namibia and members of the Diaspora. The dissension between the tribes and the government, however, hinder legal recourse. The Germans are attempting to deal with the government, but not the indigenous people. The attempt at negotiating reparations has thus failed.

It was not until 2015 that the German government officially used the word "genocide" to describe what had happened to the Ovaherero and Nama people in the years 1904 to 1908. The term was also used in the draft joint declaration of the Namibian and German governments that was agreed upon in a preliminary way in 2021. However the language there showed some hedging: “The German Government acknowledges that the abominable atrocities committed during periods of the colonial war culminated in events that, from today’s perspective, would be called genocide.” That phrase "from today's perspective" implies some level of excuse-making for the perpetrators of the genocide.

As a politically relevant side-note, some oppose the use of the word "genocide" to refer to Germans' colonial history in Africa and oppose any kind of connections being drawn between German tactics there and what subsequently took place in the Holocaust. Such connections are seen as a "levelling" that does not take seriously enough placing the Holocaust/Shoah in its own category of horror, one that cannot be compared to anything else. This "politics of memory" that has taken hold so forcefully in Germany has been one of many bumps in the road toward Germany recognizing the full harms of its colonial past.

Those harms were perpetrated over decades, but culminated in 1904-1908, in response to a revolt of the Ovaherero and Nama people to colonial rule. The revolt was crushed, and the people were forced into concentration camps or driven into the Omaheke desert, to die of thirst. By 1908, 80% of the Ovaherero and 50% of the Nama had died. Famously, the German

Thousands of acres of land (and countless cattle) were taken from the indigenous communities and given to German settlers. Even today, “German Namibians make up 2 percent of Namibia’s 2.5 million population but own about 70 percent of the country’s land” (Shola Lawal, Al-Jazeera, Dec 2023). Germany economically exploited the land and its people in other ways as well, particularly once it discovered diamonds there in 1908.

Demands for reparation include a 2017 case brought by descendants of the genocide victims to the U.S. court system, filing a class action lawsuit and invoking the Alien Tort Statute of 1789. That effort failed. Previously, in 2016, the group "Restorative Justice after Genocide" held public protests in Berlin demanding restorations. This group included Herero and Nama representatives as well as German activists.

But most significant (and controversial) have been the meetings between representatives of the Namibian and German governments that led to the draft declaration of 2021 mentioned above. While claiming to have included Ovaherero and Nama representatives, these were not recognized by the relevant communities as leaders who represent their interests. The political divisions in Namibia have complicated matters. Furthermore, the German government has explicitly refused to accept any legal obligation to Namibia or to those impacted by the genocide and has also refused the language of “reparations,” preferring instead to frame everything in “voluntary” terms. Many activist groups associated with the Ovaherero and Nama have protested the agreement and have filed suit in Namibia to prevent Namibia from receiving the promised funds from Germany.

These funds – around one billion euros over thirty years – pale in comparison to the money Germany has given to Israel in recognition of the harms of the Holocaust or the money it has put towards remembrance and memorial of Holocaust victims.

It is unclear how this agreement will fare, but the Ovaherero and Nama people continue to seek international attention to and recognition of the historical harms of colonialism and seek to redress the significant gaps in the language of the draft agreement as well as its terms.

https://www.iwgia.org/en/news/4538-reconciliation-between-germany-and-namibia-towards-reparation-of-the-first-genocide-of-the-20th-century.html

https://www.theholocaustexplained.org/what-was-the-holocaust/what-was-genocide/the-herero-and-namaqua-genocide/

Various demands for reparation have been put forth regarding the Benin Bronzes, primarily by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in Nigeria and representatives of the Benin Royal Palace. These requests stem from the historical harm caused by the looting and removal of the Benin Bronzes from Benin City during the British military expedition of 1897. The objects were seized as spoils of war and have since been housed in various European museums, including the British Museum.

These demands have been raised through diplomatic channels, public statements, and within the framework of the Benin Dialogue Group. The Nigerian government officially requested the return of Nigerian antiquities, including the Benin Bronzes, from the British Museum in October 2021. Additionally, representatives of the Benin Royal Palace have consistently called for the return of the Benin collections, most recently during the Benin Dialogue Group meeting hosted by the British Museum in October 2021.

Discussions regarding the repatriation of the Benin Bronzes are ongoing between the British Museum and Nigerian institutions, including the Benin Royal Palace and the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). Positive relationships exist between the British Museum and these entities, and there is active engagement in dialogues concerning the Benin collections. While acknowledging the cultural significance of the objects internationally, there is also a commitment to pursuing initiatives for the potential return of the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. This includes participation in the Benin Dialogue Group and efforts to facilitate permanent displays of Benin works of art in Benin City, as well as digital initiatives aimed at reuniting historical objects and documents related to the Benin Kingdom.

Mary Perez

- By whom: Mau Mau freedom fighters 

- For what historical harms: anti-colonial rebellion that took place in the 1950s 

- In what arenas demands have been made: Mau Mau Original Trust lobby group - Joseph Ngacha Karani is the chairman of this group

- How these demands have fared: It has been rather difficult, as the British have been hesitant to listen to the demands of the Mau Mau fighters.