Windhoek:Calls from Chief Hoze Riruako, representing a faction of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, for genocide-affected communities to join the Namibia-Germany Joint Declaration (JD) have been firmly rejected by the Okandjoze Chiefs Assembly and the Nama Traditional Leaders Authority (NTLA).

According to Namibia Press Agency , both traditional structures expressed their dissent in a Wednesday interview. They criticized the 2021 agreement, stating it fails to address their demands for Germany's legal responsibility for the 1904-1908 genocide and for direct reparations.

Chief Hoze Riruako made his appeal last week during a meeting with some affected community factions and members of the German-speaking community. He defended the JD process and urged dissenting groups not to let disagreements impede progress. Riruako emphasized that his participation aligns with Parliamentary resolutions and invited traditional authorities and descendants who have opted out of the negotiations to join.

NTLA technical adviser Maboss Johannes Ortmann and Okandjoze Chief Assembly spokesperson Chief Janee Mujahere rejected the invitation, arguing that the JD does not constitute genuine reparations and fails to meet the communities' demands. Ortmann criticized the agreement for excluding direct descendant communities and substituting development aid for legal reparations. Mujahere questioned Riruako's mandate and called for an all-inclusive national consultative conference or international mediation to ensure representation of the descendant communities before finalizing any agreement.

The Namibia-Germany Joint Declaration, initialled in 2021, aims to address the genocide through Germany's acknowledgment and apology, alongside a £1.1 billion development funding package over 30 years. However, the agreement remains contentious, with affected communities insisting that development assistance cannot replace legal reparations and Germany's accountability for the atrocities.