WINDHOEK: Namibia has condemned the actions of Sven Tritschler, deputy leader of the Alternative fr Deutschland (AfD) parliamentary faction from North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany, after he laid a wreath on a grave site of an officer from the notorious ‘Schutztruppe.’
The Schutztruppe was a colonial military force responsible for atrocities during German colonial rule, including the genocide against the Herero and Nama people.
Tritschler, as part of a parliamentary delegation, laid the wreath while on a recent visit to Namibia designed to assist the German team in understanding Namibia’s current circumstances, historical injustices from colonial periods, and potential initiatives Germany may take to remedy its colonial past.
However, the Namibian government believes that laying a wreath at the grave of a Schutztruppe officer shows a lack of knowledge and respect for the victims of the genocide.
Penda Naanda, Executive Director in the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, in a statement o
n Thursday described the actions as revolting, saying the situation was exacerbated by Tritschler publishing a photo on social networking platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
‘The post included a caption suggesting that the narrative of the ‘innocent’ Herero and Nama populations, who were victims of German soldiers, was historically untenable,’ he said, noting that the Namibian government saw this as an attempt to restore revisionist colonial beliefs, which it deemed inflammatory and undesirable.
Naanda further said the act and the social media post have sparked condemnation from numerous Namibian groups and officials, adding that Tritschler’s actions not only undermine efforts to reconcile, but also cause anguish and suffering for the victims and their descendants.
‘While the German government is yet to fully atone for the genocide it committed on the Namibian soil, this act is nothing short of despicable and dishonourable but also evokes unequalled pain and suffering for the victims and derides all att
empts of the current negotiations working towards reconciliation,’ he said.
This reveals utter ignorance and moral failure on the side of Tritschler and his colleague and should resolutely be condemned and denounced unreservedly, the statement said.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency