Germany says committed genocide in Namibia

Germany for the first time yesterday recognised it had committed genocide in Namibia during its colonial occupation, with Berlin promising financial support worth more than one billion euros to aid projects in the African nation.  

"We will now officially refer to these events as what they are from today's perspective: genocide," said Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in a statement welcomed as a "first step" by Windhoek.

The agreement came after more than five years of negotiations between the two countries over events in the territory held by Berlin from 1884 to 1915.

German colonial settlers killed tens of thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people in 1904-1908 massacres -- labelled the first genocide of the 20th century by historians.

"The acceptance on the part of Germany that a genocide was committed is the first step in the right direction," Namibian President Hage Geingob's spokesman Alfredo Hengari told AFP. "It is the basis for the second step, which is an apology, to be followed by reparations," he added.

Tensions boiled over in 1904 when the Herero -- deprived of their livestock and land -- rose up, followed shortly after by the Nama, in an insurrection crushed by German imperial troops.

In the Battle of Waterberg in August 1904, around 80,000 Herero, including women and children, fled and were pursued by German troops across what is now known as the Kalahari Desert. Only 15,000 survived.

German General Lothar von Trotha, sent to put down the rebellion. At least 60,000 Herero and around 10,000 Nama were killed between 1904 and 1908.