Politics

Namibia asks Germany to renegotiate colonial-era genocide deal reached last year

Published

2 years ago

October 28, 2022

The Namibian government on Friday, has asked Germany to renegotiate a colonial-era genocide agreement reached last year between the two governments, without giving details on the changes being sought for.

The German government in 2021, had
acknowledged that it had committed genocide when it was Namibia’s colonial masters and had promised to compensate the southern African country with more than one billion dollars in financial support for descendants of the victims.

In May 2021, after more than five years of negotiations, Germany had finally announced that it recognised that it’s officials had committed genocide in Namibian territory which it colonised between 1884 and 1915.

It offered to pay the country $1.1 billion in developmental aid spread over 30 years to benefit descendants of the indigenous Herero and Nama ethnic groups, stressing that the aid would be paid on a voluntary basis and that the agreement was not comparable to reparations.

Since the agreement was signed, the Namibian government has been under intense pressure from opposition figures who claimed the deal was flawed.

Many Namibians also rejected the agreement, saying that the descendants of the Herero and Nama had not been sufficiently involved in the negotiations.

The request to review the deal was first made in July following discussions in the Namibian National Assembly.

“Technical committees of Namibia and Germany discussed the issue and proposed that amendments be made to the joint declaration in the form of an addendum which was submitted to the German government,” Vice President Nangolo Mbumba announced at a meeting of traditional leaders in the capital Windhoek.

“The government of Namibia is awaiting a response from the German side on what we have proposed,” he said.

Politics

Mauritius’ Prime Minister to double as Finance Minister

Published

12 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In an effort to maintain a tight eye on the economy, Mauritius’ Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, who took office this month following a resounding election victory, said on Friday that he would retain the position of finance minister for himself.

“We are doing an audit of the economy to see to what extent the outgoing government has destroyed it,” Ramgoolam told reporters in the capital Port Louis after he presided over the swearing-in of other ministers.

Ten years after he stepped down as prime minister, the seasoned politician returned to the position when his Alliance du Changement (ADC) alliance won 60 of the 62 seats in the national legislature.

The 77-year-old Ramgoolam said earlier this week that he would be auditing governmental finances. Before this, he was prime minister from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014.

Ramgoolam started a campaign in 2006 to streamline taxes and reduce bureaucracy to diversify the $10 billion economy beyond exports of sugar, textiles, and tourism.

Since then, the 1.3 million-person nation, which positions itself as a bridge between Africa and Asia, has developed into a major offshore financial hub and has been rated by the World Bank as the easiest location to do business in Africa regularly.

Politics

Mali’s junta names spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga new Prime Minister

Published

1 day ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

A day after dismissing Choguel Maiga for criticising the government, Mali’s governing junta named its spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, as Prime Minister on Thursday, according to state broadcaster, ORTM.

A source close to Choguel Maiga told Reuters that the ruling generals were incensed by Maiga’s remarks over the weekend denouncing the junta’s inability to hold elections within the 24-month timeframe given for the return to democracy.

After promising to hold elections in February, the military authorities, who took control in two separate coups in 2020 and 2021, have put off the poll indefinitely, citing technological difficulties.

Choguel Maiga’s firing coincides with indications of growing discontent and disarray among Mali politicians, even those who first supported the coup and collaborated with the junta.

As the wait for elections continues, Choguel Maiga, a civilian prime minister who was installed by the military junta in 2021, is the most recent to lose support.

He was cited on Saturday as claiming he learnt of the junta’s decision via the media and that there had been no discussion regarding the delay of the elections inside the cabinet.

“It’s all happening in total secrecy, without the prime minister’s knowledge,” Choguel Maiga told reporters.

Before then, he had frequently stood up for Mali’s junta against criticism from foreign friends and neighbours in West Africa who denounced its repeated election delays and military collaboration with Russian mercenaries.

As government spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, the new prime minister, has also made strong public remarks against France, the previous colonial master. One such speech was demanding French President Emmanuel Macron to stop his “neocolonial” and “condescending” behaviour.

Abdoulaye Maiga and Assimi Goita, the leaders of the junta, announced they had kept all of the important cabinet ministers in their portfolios in the new administration in a statement that was broadcast on state television ORTM.

The announcement said that Abdoulaye Maiga will remain minister of territory administration.