We call on the Federal Republic of Germany, the Government of the Republic of Namibia, and the United Nations General Assembly to reject the German-Namibian Joint Declaration and support true genocide reparations for the Herero and Nama peoples.

We, the descendants of the victims of the 1904–1908 genocide, along with global sympathizers and defenders of human rights, reject this bilateral agreement because it was negotiated without placing the affected communities at the center. True restorative justice cannot be decided over the heads of the people who have carried this loss across generations.

We also reject any attempt to describe the financial package as development aid instead of legally binding reparations. That language avoids real accountability and falls short of justice. The Joint Declaration should not be treated as a final answer. It must be set aside until a fair process is in place.

Our demands are clear. The Ovaherero and Nama peoples must have direct negotiation rights, with their traditional authorities at the forefront of all talks. Germany must openly acknowledge that it committed genocide against the Herero and Nama peoples between 1904 and 1908, without vague qualifiers. Germany must also issue a direct and formal apology to the descendant communities of the Herero and Nama peoples, delivered at the highest level of state.

We further demand N$17 Trillion in true reparations for the lives destroyed, ancestral lands stolen, cattle confiscated, forced labor endured, and the long harm passed down through generations. These reparations must be paid directly to the descendants of the victims as cash payments, and the descendant communities alone must decide how those funds are used.

Justice delayed has gone on long enough. The world must stand with the Herero and Nama peoples and insist on reparatory justice that is honest, direct, and complete.