• Namibian President Hage G. Geingob strongly criticizes Germany’s defense of Israel at the ICJ, pointing to historical grievances related to Germany’s perpetration of genocide in Namibia (Herero and Namaqua genocide).
• President Geingob questions Germany’s moral commitment to the UN Convention against genocide emphasizing the inconsistency of supporting Israel in light of Germany’s own historical genocide in Namibia.
Namibian President Hage G. Geingob has strongly criticized Germany for defending Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Geingob’s condemnation comes in the context of historical grievances, pointing to Germany’s perpetration of genocide in Namibia between the years of 1904 and 1908, known as the Herero and Namaqua genocide.
The Herero and Namaqua genocide involved German colonizers invading Namibia and slaughtering around 100,000 Herero people and 10,000 Nama people. The atrocities also included widespread rape of Namibian women, and a German doctor, Eugene Fischer, conducted disturbing medical experiments on children born from these rapes, later inspiring Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele during the Holocaust.
Geingob’s office released a statement and said, “The German Government is yet to fully atone for the genocide it committed on Namibian soil. Therefore, in light of Germany’s inability to draw lessons from its horrific history, President Geingob expresses deep concern with the shocking decision communicated by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany yesterday, 12 January 2024, in which it rejected the morally upright indictment brought forward by South Africa before the #InternationalCourtofJustice that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in #Gaza.” The indictment accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a claim that Israel vehemently denies even after killing over 24,000 innocent civilians.
Namibia described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocidal and gruesome,” citing reports from Human Rights Watch and other advocacy groups that have concluded that Israel is committing war crimes. Geingob urged Germany to reconsider its decision to intervene in the ICJ case as a third party in defense and support of Israel’s alleged genocidal acts.
Namibia’s statement questioned Germany’s moral commitment to the United Nations Convention against genocide, emphasizing the inconsistency of supporting Israel in light of Germany’s own historical genocide in Namibia.
The ongoing ICJ case involves South Africa accusing Israel of genocidal acts in Gaza. During a two-day public hearing, South Africa argued that Israel’s offensive in Gaza aimed to bring about the destruction of the population. In response, Israel denied the accusation, describing South Africa’s perspective as “distorted” and rejecting claims of a state-led genocide campaign.
The ICJ is expected to present provisional measures in the coming days, but a final verdict is anticipated to take years. The case has garnered international attention, with several countries and organizations backing South Africa, while the United States, a key ally of Israel, has supported the latter. Human Rights Watch and other entities have concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute war crimes.
“President Geingob reiterates his call made on 31 December 2023, ‘No peace-loving human being can ignore the carnage waged against Palestinians in Gaza.’”
