Namibia’s Repatriation of Human Skulls from Germany

Wɔatwerɛ nsɛm wei wɔ Asante Twi mu

Namibia dwumadie a wɔde rebɛsan de nnipa nnompe afiri Germany aba no yɛ bere titire wɔ wiase nyinaa a wɔresan akeka wɔn ho wɔ atirimɔdensɛm a wɔyɛe wɔ wɔn nniso ase no ho. Wɔfaa saa nnompe yi, titire nnipa ti ne nnompe no fa bi, wɔ Germany nnisoɔ a na ɛyɛ atirimɔdensɛm a na ɛwɔ German South West Africa (1884 - 1915) no mu. Wɔsii wɔn ti mu pii wɔ Herero ne Nama nnipa a wɔkunkum wɔn wɔ 1904 ne 1908 ntam no akyi, na wɔde kɔmaa Germanfoɔ adwumayɛbea ahodoɔ de yɛɛ mmusuo ho nyansapɛ mu nhwehwɛmu - a na ɛyɛ biribi a na ɛyɛ hu wɔ Nasi nnisoɔ no ahoteɛ nhyehyɛeɛ mu^[1].

Abakɔsɛm

Germany nniso a wɔde dii Namibia so no de afeha a ɛto so 20 no mu awudi a edi kan no mu biako bae. Bere a Hererofo ne Namafo sɔre tiaa Germany nniso no, Ɔsahene Lothar von Trotha de Vernichtungsbefehl a agye din ("ɔsɛeɛ ho ahyɛdeɛ") maeɛ wɔ afe 1904 mu, na ɛmaa wɔkunkum nnipa mpempem pii na wɔmaa wɔn ani wui wɔ ɔkɔm mu. Wɔde Hererofoɔ a wɔnyaa wɔn tiri didii mu no kɔɔ serɛ so ne nneduaban mu, na wɔyɛɛ Namafo ɔnso basabasa saa ara.

Wɔtwaa awufoɔ mpempem pii ti, na wɔde wɔn tiboa kɔɔ Germany kɔyɛɛ nnipa mu nhwehwɛmu wɔ mmeae bi te sɛ Charité Aduruyɛ Suapɔn ne Berlin Antropology, Ethnology, ne Prehistory Kuw no mu. Wɔtwerɛ saa nkotodwe yi mu na wɔde dii dwuma de kyerɛe sɛ Afrikafo yɛ nnipa a wɔn ho nni mfasoɔ^[2].

Ɔkwan a wɔfaa so san kɔɔ wɔn asase so

Namibia firii ase srɛe sɛ wɔnsan mfa nnipa nnompe no mma wɔn wɔ afe 2000 mfiase mu, sɛ ɛyɛ ade a ɛboa ma wɔgye nnipakuw no tom na wɔtua ka no. Amanamanmufo akuw, amammerɛ mu atumfoɔ, ne Namibia aban no hyɛɛ saa nsrɛ yi mu den, titiriw bere a nhwehwɛmu a wɔyɛeɛ wɔ baabi a ɛfiri bae no ma wohunuu Namibiafoɔ tiboa ɔhaha pii wɔ Germany mmeaeɛ ahodoɔ no.

Wɔ afe 2011 mu no, Germany san de ti kɔnkora 20 a ɛdi kan no brɛɛ yɛn wɔ afahyɛ bi a wɔyɛe wɔ Berlin ase. Afei wɔ afe 2014 mu no, mpataa foforɔ 35 dii wɔn akyi. Wɔhunuu sɛ saa nnompe yi firi nnommumfoɔ asraafoɔ a wɔfaa wɔn nnommum mu ne German nneduaban mu, a Shark Island ka ho, a na ɛyɛ nneduaban a edi kan a Hererofo ne Namafoɔ pii wuwuiɛ wɔ hɔ no mu baako^[3].

Wɔ Ɔsanaa bosome wɔ afe 2018 mu no, Germany de nnipakuo a ɛto so mmiiɛsa a emu nnipa ti, nnompe, ne nnipa nkae foforɔ 27 mae wɔ badwam dwumadie bi a emu yɛ den mu. Namibia mpanyimfo atitire, a na Herero ne Nama akannifoɔ a wɔyɛ amammerɛ mufoɔ ka ho, kɔɔ bi. Wɔde ne nnompe no kɔtoo National Museum a ɛwɔ Windhoek no, na wɔsan siee no wɔ n'agyanom asase so.

Sɛdeɛ Germany Gye Toom

Berɛ a Germany agye nnipakuo no awudisɛm no atom no, wɔannyaeɛ sɛ wɔde mmara kwan so bɛtua ka. Wɔ Ɔbɛnem bosome wɔ afe 2021 mu no, Germany kaa no nokorɛ sɛ wɔadi atirimɔdensɛm wɔ Namibia, na wɔhyɛɛ bɔ sɛ wɔde €1.1 billion bɛboa ma ɔman no anya nkɔso wɔ mfe 30 mu. Nanso, Herero ne Nama asefo pii poo saa nhyehyɛe yi, na wɔkaa ho asɛm sɛ ɛyɛ "mpapahwekwa nhyehyɛeɛ" a na wɔnte wɔn ho ase koraa, na na ɛnsɔ atɛntrenee gyinapɛn ahodoɔ^[4].

Saa berɛ no, Heiko Maas a na ɔyɛ Germany amannɔne nsɛm ho ɔmansin sohwɛfoɔ no gye toom sɛ:

"Seesei yɛbɛka nsɛm a esisii yi ho asɛm wɔ ɔkwan a ɛfata so sɛ: nnipakuo a wɔtɔre wɔn ase".

Nanso, wɔn a wɔkasa tia no kyerɛ sɛ, sɛ wɔamfa akatua biara amma wɔn, na aban no amfa wɔn kyɛw, na wɔamfa nkae ne amammerɛ ho nneɛma biara ansan amma wɔn a, mmɔden a wɔrebɔ no yɛ ahintasɛm ara kwa^[5].

Sɛdeɛ ɛho hia wɔ amammerɛ ne honhom fam

Wɔ Herero ne Nama gyidie nhyehyɛeɛ mu no, nananom a wɔawuwu nkaeɛ no wɔ honhom fam tumi. Sɛ wɔhyɛ nkurɔfoɔ ma woyi nnompe ne aboda firi wɔn adamoa mu a, ɛnyɛ honam fam ahohorabɔ nko na ɛyɛ, na mmom ɛyɛ honhom fam mpaapaemu. Sɛ wɔsan de saa nnompe yi kɔ hɔ a, ɛma wɔn ho tɔ wɔn yie, na ɛma mmusua no tumi yɛ wɔn amanne ahorow a ɛfa ayiyɛ ho no, na ɛma wɔne wɔn nananom nya abusuabɔ kronkron bio.

Sɛnea Herero panyin Vekuii Rukoro kyerɛ no,

"Ɛnyɛ nnompe nkutoo na yɛreboaboa ano. Yɛreboaboa yɛn nkurɔfo a wɔabɔ wɔn ahohora na wɔde yɛɛ nhwehwɛmu no akra ano".

Atɛntenenee ho mpae a ɛkɔ so

Ɛmfa ho sɛ wɔsan de nnipa no kɔɔ wɔn kurom mpɛn pii no, nnipa a aka no mu ɔhaha pii da so wɔ Germany tete nnoɔma akorae ne sukuupɔn ahodoɔ mu. Nnwumakuo bi te sɛ Charité a ɛwɔ Berlin, Humboldt Suapɔn, ne Freiburg Suapɔn no da so ara reyɛ nhwehwɛmu a ɛbɛma wɔahunu baabi a wɔtetee awufoɔ no ne baabi a wɔfiri baeɛ.

Namibia adwumayɛfo kɔ so frɛ sɛ:

Wɔma nnipa a wɔaka wɔ Namibia no dodoɔ ne baabi a wɔaka wɔn no ho ada hɔ koraa.

Wɔresan de nnompe a wɔde asie wɔ Germany mmeaeɛ no nyinaa akɔ ɔman no mu.

Hererofo ne Namafo akannifo a wɔbɛka wɔn ho wɔ nkɔmmɔ no nyinaa mu.

Mmara mu nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛkyerɛ sɛ wɔbɛgye nnipakum adi na wɔahyɛ sɛ wɔntua ka.

Wɔsan de amammerɛ mu nneɛma a wɔayi afi hɔ wɔ nniso ase no bae.

Mmoano

Nkataboa a Namibia de fi Germany abrɛ wɔn no yɛ adanse kɛseɛ a ɛkyerɛ sɛ Hererofoɔ ne Namafoɔ wɔ akokoduro, na wɔda so ara rebɔ mmɔden sɛ wɔbɛnya atɛntenenee wɔ abakɔsɛm mu. Saa nnompe yi a wɔbɛsan de aba no nyɛ mmara mu anaa amanyɔsɛm mu adeyɛ kɛkɛ - ɛyɛ amammerɛ ne honhom fam ayaresa ho adeyɛ a emu dɔ. Berɛ a Namibia kɔ so yɛ n'adwuma no, ɛboa ma wiase nyinaa hunu sɛ basabasayɛ a ɛkɔɔ so wɔ nnisoɔ ase ne dwuma a nnwumakuo ne nyansapɛ di wɔ nnipa mu nyiyim a ɛrekɔ so no ho hia.

Baabi menyaa mmoa firiiɛ

↑ Jürgen Zimmerer (2008), "Colonial Genocide: The Herero and Nama War (1904–8) in German South West Africa and Its Significance", The Historiography of Genocide, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 323–343, ISBN 978-0-230-27955-1, retrieved 2025-07-18
↑ Peter Curson (2012-12), "The Kaiser's Holocaust: Germany's Forgotten Genocide and the Colonial Roots of Nazism", Politikon, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 414–415, doi:10.1080/02589346.2012.746191, ISSN 0258-9346, retrieved 2025-07-18 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
↑ "The Saga of the Skulls:", Namibia and Germany: Negotiating the Past, University of Namibia Press, pp. 273–316, 2015-08-12, retrieved 2025-07-18
↑ Nicholas Westcott (2021-10-26), "Interpreting Africa: Imperialism and independence in African Affairs", African Affairs (in English), vol. 120, no. 481, pp. 645–674, doi:10.1093/afraf/adab029, ISSN 0001-9909, retrieved 2025-07-18
↑ Jocelyn Alexander (2021-08-11), "The Noisy Silence of Gukurahundi: Truth, Recognition and Belonging", Journal of Southern African Studies, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 763–785, doi:10.1080/03057070.2021.1954356, ISSN 0305-7070, retrieved 2025-07-18

[1] Jürgen Zimmerer (2008), "Colonial Genocide: The Herero and Nama War (1904–8) in German South West Africa and Its Significance", The Historiography of Genocide, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 323–343, ISBN 978-0-230-27955-1, retrieved 2025-07-18

[2] Peter Curson (2012-12), "The Kaiser's Holocaust: Germany's Forgotten Genocide and the Colonial Roots of Nazism", Politikon, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 414–415, doi:10.1080/02589346.2012.746191, ISSN 0258-9346, retrieved 2025-07-18 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[3] "The Saga of the Skulls:", Namibia and Germany: Negotiating the Past, University of Namibia Press, pp. 273–316, 2015-08-12, retrieved 2025-07-18

[4] Nicholas Westcott (2021-10-26), "Interpreting Africa: Imperialism and independence in African Affairs", African Affairs (in English), vol. 120, no. 481, pp. 645–674, doi:10.1093/afraf/adab029, ISSN 0001-9909, retrieved 2025-07-18

[5] Jocelyn Alexander (2021-08-11), "The Noisy Silence of Gukurahundi: Truth, Recognition and Belonging", Journal of Southern African Studies, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 763–785, doi:10.1080/03057070.2021.1954356, ISSN 0305-7070, retrieved 2025-07-18

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