Germany wants to pay for its violent colonial past in Africa that left some 80,000 people dead in what is now Namibia—considered by many historians to be the first genocide of the 20th century. 
On May 28, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas formally recognized Germany's orchestrated killing of tens of thousands of ethnic Herero and Nama people from 1904 to 1908 in what was then known as German South West Africa.
Starting in 1904, German troops slaughtered the area's Indigenous people after they revolted against colonial forces over land and livestock seizures.
Working with the Namibian government, Germany says it will pledge $1.3B over 30 years to fund development, infrastructure, and health care projects benefiting those who have been affected by the genocide.
‘The acknowledgement of our guilt and our request for forgiveness is an important step to come to terms with the crimes and to shape the future together,’ said Maas.
However, victim groups have reportedly rejected Germany’s funding deal. Paramount chief of the Herero people Vekuii Rukoro says the agreement is a ‘sellout job by the Namibian government.’
Descendants of the survivors have called for direct monetary reparations for the atrocities the German government committed. Sima Luipert, a 52-year-old Nama woman, told Reuters the real apology should be directed to the Nama and Herero people, not the Namibian government.
'Germany must come to the Nama people, and to the Herero people, and to ask for forgiveness. It is up to us to decide if that apology is genuine or not. This is not about money, it is about the restoration of human dignity.'
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