US judge defers ruling in Namibia genocide case

A US judge last week heard arguments from lawyers representing the German Government and indigenous groups from Namibia but deferred a decision on whether to hear a lawsuit demanding reparations for colonial genocide. US District Judge Laura Taylor Swain presided over the one-hour hearing in a New York federal court but concluded the session by saying that she would not rule immediately. A report on the News24 site notes that the German Government wants the lawsuit dismissed on the grounds of state immunity from prosecution. The Herero and Nama groups are seeking reparations for the genocide of their peoples under German colonial rule. The report notes that tens of thousands of Hereros and around 10 000 Nama people were killed between 1903 and 1908 after rising up against German colonial rule in South West Africa, which is today Namibia.

Full Fin24 report