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The skulls of herero and nama victims exposed in Berlin during a religious ceremony, Wednesday 29 August 2018. REUTERS / Christian Mang

In Berlin, a religious ceremony was held on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 to restore to a delegation from Namibia the bones of victims of the massacres perpetrated at the beginning of the twentieth century against the Hereros and Namas by the German colonial power.

With our correspondent in Berlin, Nathalie Versieux

The ceremony began at 10:30 in the French cathedral, on the most beautiful square in the city, Gendarmenmarkt , in the heart of Berlin. The trombones then sounded to accompany the procession.

The remains of the victims of the genocide, which the colonial power had repatriated to Germany for the purpose of dubious medical experiments, lie in a coffin covered with the national flag and surrounded by flowers.

The first ranks were occupied by the Namibian delegation . The women have donned their traditional outfit: large red skirt, embroidered black camisole, and red silk headdress.

Mass was led by two religious, Jocelyn Smith for Namibia, and Petra Bosse-Huber for Germany.

The thorny issue of repairs

Germany thus takes another step towards the official recognition of the genocide perpetrated between 1904 and 1908 in the former colony of German South West Africa.

On the side of the victims, the ceremony is criticized. The organizations representing the Hereros are asking Berlin for an official apology and reparations, in particular for the confiscation of the Hereros lands, now in the hands of the families or descendants of the white settlers.

This part is delicate. Berlin is currently negotiating with the Namibian government, but victim associations deemed too critical do not sit at the negotiating table.

And many Hereros do not recognize themselves in the current Namibian government, dominated by other ethnicities and that would not take into account their interests.

slideshow

  • Religious ceremony for the restitution of the remains of the victims hereros and namas to Namibia. berlin, this wednesday august 29th.
    REUTERS / Christian Mang

  • The Namibian delegation ranked first at the ceremony. Berlin, this Wednesday, August 29, 2018.
    REUTERS / Christian Mang

  • Other members of the Namibian delegation. Berlin, this Wednesday, August 29, 2018.
    REUTERS / Christian Mang

  • The skulls of herero and nama victims, exposed for the ceremony. Berlin, this Wednesday, August 29, 2018.
    REUTERS / Christian Mang

  • Berlin, this Wednesday, August 29, 2018.
    REUTERS / Christian Mang

  • Women of the Namibian delegation. Berlin, this Wednesday, August 29, 2018.
    REUTERS / Christian Mang

  • "A repair without an official excuse?" "What have we done?"; "The victims of solidarity genocide with German NGOs," can be read on these signs.
    REUTERS / Christian Mang

  • The rest of a victim of the genocide of Hereros and Namas. Berlin, this Wednesday, August 29, 2018.
    REUTERS / Christian Mang