Berlin: The German government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has announced its decision to address the historical atrocities committed during German colonial rule without offering financial compensation. This decision comes in response to an inquiry made by the opposition Green Party.

According to Deutsche Welle, the government stated that the concept of reparations in international law is applicable only when there is a violation of an international obligation, which, they emphasized, did not exist at the time the colonial atrocities were committed. Therefore, the government concluded that reparations are not applicable in the context of Germany’s colonial past.

The German colonial empire, which lasted from 1884 to 1920, included territories that are now known as Togo, Cameroon, Namibia, Burundi, Ghana, Rwanda, and Tanzania. In 2021, Germany had offered Namibia 1.1 billion pounds ($1.28 billion) in compensation over 30 years for the genocide of the Herero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908, where approximately 80,000 indigenous Herero, or around 75% of their population at that time, perished.

The government’s recent stance on reparations reflects an ongoing debate within Germany on how to reconcile with its colonial past. The decision not to provide financial compensation has sparked discussions about the appropriate measures needed to acknowledge and address the historical injustices committed.