ECOWAS suspends Mali over coup, but no new sanctions

ACCRA, Ghana

West African regional bloc ECOWAS on Sunday suspended Mali's membership in response to last week's coup and said authorities must stick to a timetable for a return to democracy, but stopped short of imposing new sanctions.

Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of Malian military junta, attends the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) consultative meeting in Accra, Ghana September 15, 2020.

Leaders of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States held an emergency summit in Ghana's capital Accra to agree a response to the Malian military's ouster of a president and prime minister for the second time in nine months.

Mali's neighbours and international powers fear the latest revolt will jeopardise a commitment to hold a presidential election next February, and undermine a regional fight against Islamist militants.

In a communique after the summit, ECOWAS said Mali's membership in the bloc was suspended with immediate effect.

However it did not announce sanctions like those it imposed after the coup last August, which saw members temporarily close their borders with landlocked Mali and halt financial transactions.

It also did not call for new interim President Assimi Goita to step down. The army colonel, who led the August coup and last week's revolt, was declared president on Friday. 

Instead, ECOWAS said a new civilian prime minister should be nominated and a new inclusive government formed to proceed with the transition programme.

"The date of 27th February 2022 already announced for the presidential election should be absolutely maintained," the leaders' communique said.

There was no immediate response from Goita, who attended the summit.

Goita, a 38-year-old special forces commander, was one of several colonels who overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita last year.

He ordered the arrests last Monday of interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane. Both resigned on Wednesday while still in detention. They were later released.

ECOWAS and Western powers including France and the United States worry the political crisis could exacerbate instability in northern and central Mali, a home base for regional affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State.

At least 55 killed in eastern Congo massacres - U.N.

NORTH KIVU, DR Congo

At least 55 people were killed overnight in two attacks on villages in eastern Congo, the United Nations said on Monday, in potentially the worst night of violence the area has seen in at least four years.

The army and a local civil rights group blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist armed group, for raiding the village of Tchabi and a camp for displaced people near Boga, another village. Both are close to the border of Uganda.

Houses were burned and civilians abducted, the U.N. office for humanitarian affairs said in a statement.

Albert Basegu, the head of a civil rights group in Boga, told reporters that he had been alerted to the attack by the sound of cries at a neighbour's house.

"When I got there I found that the attackers had already killed an Anglican pastor and his daughter was also seriously wounded," Basegu said.

The Kivu Security Tracker (KST), which has mapped unrest in restive eastern Congo since June 2017, said on Twitter the wife of a local chief was among the dead. It did not attribute blame for the killings.

"It's the deadliest day ever recorded by the KST," said Pierre Boisselet, the research group's coordinator.

The ADF is believed to have killed more than 850 people in 2020, according to the United Nations, in a spate of reprisal attacks on civilians after the army began operations against it the year before.

In March the United States labelled the ADF a foreign terrorist organisation. The group has in the past proclaimed allegiance to Islamic State, although the United Nations says evidence linking it to other Islamist militant networks is scant.

President Felix Tshisekedi declared a state of siege in Congo's North Kivu and Ituri provinces on May 1 in an attempt to curb increasing attacks by militant groups. 

Uganda announced earlier this month that it had agreed to share intelligence and coordinate operations against the rebels but that it would not be deploying troops in Congo.

WHO chief urges all countries to support pandemic treaty

GENEVA, Switzerland

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom on Monday called upon all countries to support a proposed pandemic preparedness treaty, warning that it would be a “monumental error” to think the danger of COVID-19 has passed.

Tedros made the call in his closing remarks at the World Health Assembly, noting that “this is an idea whose time has come.”

“…the one recommendation that I believe will do most to strengthen both WHO and global health security is the recommendation for a treaty on pandemic preparedness and response; that could also improve, as I said earlier, the relationship between Member States, and fosters cooperation,” the WHO chief said.

He noted that the world needs a lasting commitment whose sustainability is embedded in a formal treaty.

“At present, pathogens have greater power than WHO. They are emerging more frequently in a planet out of balance,” said Tedros.

“They exploit our interconnectedness and expose our inequities and divisions. The safety of the world’s people cannot rely solely on the goodwill of governments.”

The pandemic preparedness treaty was first fronted in March with the aim of obligating all countries to unite in the fight against any future pandemics, alienating nationalistic tendencies that prompt nations to seek singular responses to the crises.

The proposal was supported by more than 20 global leaders and officials from across Europe, Africa, South Africa and Asia, including Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Tunisia’s President, Kais Saied, Senegalese President Macky Sall, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

WHO has been vocal on the need to unite globally to defeat the virus. From synchronizing national strategies to sharing critical scientific data, the agency’s Director-General has repeatedly called upon all nations to dovetail their responses to global strategies.

By Monday, the number of COVID-19 infections had surpassed the 170.4 million mark with the deaths exceeding 3.5 million, according to figures from the Johns Hopkins University.

Rich nations vaccinating people 30 times faster than poor countries - U.N chief

NEW YORK, US

Wealthy countries are vaccinating their populations 30 times faster than poor countries, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday.

The U.N. chief has been vocal against vaccine inequality, which he says is dragging the global war against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This vaccination gap is not just unfair; it threatens everyone,” said Guterres. “Only together can we vaccinate the world, end the pandemic, and kick-start a strong recovery.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 28 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Africa, which represents less than two doses administered per 100 people on the continent. Globally, 1.5 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered.

In contrast, the United States has administered more than 294 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far.

In France, more than 25 million doses have been administered while Germany has administered some 21 million doses. Millions more have been administered across Europe.

African countries are however facing a challenge obtaining the life-saving jabs, partly due to the upurge in infections and deaths in other parts of the world.

Other than Guterres, other leaders, including WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom, have also called out the vaccine disparity.

The leaders have thrown their weights behind a proposal by South Africa and India for a vaccine patent waiver, which they say would help boost production and make them more available.

South Africa faces third COVID wave, returns to stricter lockdown

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa is to reimpose stricter measures against COVID-19 fearing the whole country will soon face a third wave of the pandemic.

Four of the nation’s nine provinces, including Gauteng which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria and has the biggest population, are already battling a third wave of infections, Ramaphosa said on Sunday.

“It may only be a matter of time before the country as a whole will have entered a third wave,” he said.

South Africa is officially the worst-hit country on the continent with more than 1.65 million cases and 56,363 deaths.

“The number of infections has begun to rise sharply in several parts of the country,” the president said as hospital entries also climb.

“Delaying the spread of the virus is especially important now to allow as many people as possible to be vaccinated before the third wave reaches its peak,” he added.

The country recorded 4,515 new cases over the past 24 hours and Ramaphosa said the “positivity rate” among tests conducted was now “a cause for concern”.

The restrictions, starting on Monday, will force non-essential establishments like restaurants, bars and fitness centres to close by 10pm local time (20:00 GMT) as the curfew will be extended by an hour to start at 11pm and end at 4am.

Gatherings, including political and faith events, will be limited to 250 people outdoors and 100 indoors.

Authorities did stop short of reimposing some strict measures, such as limits on people’s movements during the day and a ban on the sales of alcohol and tobacco products, that were in place at times last year.

South Africa has seen two previous surges in infections, the first in the middle of last year and a second, much worse wave in December and January when the emergence of a variant pushed infections and deaths to higher levels than the first surge.

The virus was currently following “the same trajectory” as those waves, Ramaphosa said.

Experts have warned that this wave, arriving with the Southern Hemisphere winter, might be even worse.

The surge in cases also cast more attention on South Africa’s lagging vaccine rollout. Only about 1.5 percent of the country’s 60 million people have received a vaccine.

The government, under fire for failing to buy vaccines quickly, says it has paid for doses to cover 40 million of the 59 million South Africans – or enough to reach herd immunity.

Ramaphosa has repeatedly condemned “vaccine apartheid” with rich countries buying up most of the vaccine doses.

“As the African continent we are pushing ahead with efforts to expand our vaccine manufacturing capacity with a view to being self-sufficient in vaccine production,” he said.

South Africa and India are campaigning for an end to patent rights on coronavirus vaccines to help every country to manufacture its own supplies.

The G7 summit of rich nations will discuss the issue at a summit in the United Kingdom next month.

Burundi President arrives in Kenya for Madaraka Day celebrations

By Our Correspondent, KISUMU Kenya

President of Burundi General Evariste Ndayishimiye has arrived in Kenya for a two-day state visit.

President Ndayishimiye, who landed in Kisumu on Monday morning, was accompanied by his wife Burundi First Lady Angeline Ndayubaha Ndayishimiye.

“The visiting Burundi Head of State and the First Lady will be received later today by their hosts, President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta at State Lodge, Kisumu,” State House said in a statement.

The Burundi President was received at the airport by Kenya's former Prime Minister and Chief opposition leader, Raila Odinga and Defence Cabinet Secretary Rachel Omamo.

President Ndayishimiye will be the guest of honour at the Madaraka Day celebrations to be held in Kisumu tomorrow.

President Ndayishimiye’s visit to Kenya will be his fifth outing since he assumed office. His first visit was on September 19, 2020, when he met with the late Tanzanian president John Pombe Magufuli in Kigoma, Tanzania.

In November 2020, he made a five-day state visit to Equatorial Guinea and this year he has travelled to Congo Brazzaville and Uganda.

His visit to Tanzania resulted in the two countries agreeing to build a railway to transport minerals from the capital Gitega to the port city of Dar es Salaam. 

The line is expected to run from Uvinza in western Tanzania to Gitega through Musongati, where the largest deposits of nickel are found.

The European Union and US imposed sanctions on Nkurunziza’s government after reports of human rights violations were documented by the UN.

The country is steadily getting back to international diplomacy and Burundi’s Foreign Affairs minister Albert Shingiro quoted saying that the withdrawal of the country from the agenda of the Security Council, lifting of sanctions by certain international organisations, the resumption of dialogue with the EU, the thawing of relations with regional countries have put Gitega back on the right track.

A statement from State House said that Kenya and Burundi co-operate in various areas of socioeconomic and political development anchored on the Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation signed in May 2008, as the main framework of bilateral co-operation.

Kenya to get $750 million World Bank loan

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenya, in the next two weeks, will receive a loan of $750 million from the World Bank that was approved in 2019, the country’s central bank governor Patrick Njoroge said this weekend.

In May 2019, the World Bank approved the $750 million credit from International Development Association, the World Bank arm that helps the world’s poorest countries, to support the country’s reforms in agriculture, housing, digital technology and fiscal management.

Njoroge told a virtual press conference that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to complete the first review of a 38-month financing package under the Extended Fund Facility and Extended Credit Facility arrangements in June, which will lead to the disbursement of 410 million U.S. dollars.

Njoroge noted that the African Development Bank (AfDB) will also provide concessional financing to support Kenya in its COVID-19 response program.

According to the official, the external financing will help the East African nation reduce its current account deficit, which is expected to stand at 5.2 percent of the gross domestic product in 2021.

Chad Accuses Central African Republic Troops of War Crime

By Alessandra Prentice, DAKAR Senegal 

Chad's defence ministry on Sunday said troops of neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) had attacked a Chadian military post, killed one soldier, and kidnapped and executed five others - actions it said amounted to a war crime.

The heavily armed assailants struck in the early hours of Sunday, attacking a post manned by 12 Chadian soldiers near Chad's 1,000-km border with CAR, the ministry said in a statement.

Chad's embassy in the CAR capital of Bangui was told by the head of CAR's military police to collect the bodies of the five soldiers executed by CAR forces, it said.

"This extremely serious war crime and this premeditated murderous attack, planned and carried out within Chad ... cannot go unpunished," it said.

There was no immediate response to the allegations from the Central African Republic, which has been wracked by instability since a 2013 rebellion ousted former President Francois Bozize.

Chad is the dominant military force in the region. 

For a time it played a central role in African efforts to stabilise CAR, but withdrew its forces in 2014. 

At the time, Chadian troops were accused by many in CAR of siding with the mainly Muslim Seleka rebels.

Macron threatens to pull troops from Mali if ‘radical Islamism’ takes hold

PARIS, France 

French President Emmanuel Macron warned in comments published Sunday that France would pull its troops out of Mali if it lurches towards radical Islamism following the second coup in nine months.

France has around 5,100 troops in the region under its so-called Barkhane operation which spans five countries in the Sahel.

The mission, headquartered in Chad, was launched after France intervened to fend off a jihadist advance in Mali in 2013.

On Tuesday France and the European Union denounced an ‘unacceptable coup d’etat’ after Mali’s interim president Bah Ndaw and prime minister Moctar Ouane were detained and stripped of their powers in what is being seen as the country’s second coup in less than a year.

Macron said he had told Ndaw that France would withdraw its troops if Mali turns towards radical Islamism.

“Radical Islamism in Mali with our soldiers there? Never,” he told the weekly newspaper The Journal du Dimanche.

“There is this temptation today in Mali. But if it goes in that direction, I will withdraw,” he warned in comments made during a trip to Rwanda and South Africa.

The French president added that he had given a message to West African leaders that they could not back a country “where there is no longer democratic legitimacy or transition.

"The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has invited Mali’s junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita to Ghana’s capital Accra for “consultations” ahead of an extraordinary summit on Sunday devoted to Mali.

Goita flew to Accra on Saturday, military and airport sources said.

DR Congo reaffirms country’s candidacy for UN Security Council

KINSHASA, DR Congo 

Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi has reaffirmed the country’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

Tshisekedi announced this as he met ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Kinshasa at the Palais de la Nationale.

The Head of State and President-in-Office of the African Union unveiled his program of action which emphasizes the promotion of peace, security, environment and development.

“We presented our candidacy in 2019 and we are fully committed to this important adventure. Being aware of the important geostrategic role that it plays for the maintenance of international peace and security, it is with humility and determination that the Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo reminds the world that it is located in the heart of Central Africa and at the junction of four Africa, North, South, East and West,” the President said.

The DRC has already sat as a non-permanent member in the UN Security council in 1982-1983 and 1990-1991.

The Security Council consists of ten elected members, and five permanent members: China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation.

The ten non-permanent members are elected by the General meeting for a period of two years.

One of the missions of the council is to maintain international peace and security, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Tanzania gets $140 million AfDB loan for hydropower project

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania

Tanzania on Friday signed loan agreements with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) totalling $140 million to finance power generation and electricity connectivity.

The agreements cover a $120 million sovereign loan from the Bank and $20 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), administered by the Bank.

The funds will be used to construct the 50-megawatt Malagarasi hydropower plant in western Tanzania and an evacuation transmission line, as well as to add 4,250 rural electrification connections.

The project aims at providing reliable renewable energy to households, schools, clinics and small and medium-sized enterprises in the Kigoma Region.

Emmanuel Tutuba, the Tanzanian permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and Nnenna Nwabufo, the director general of the Bank Group’s East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office, signed the agreements.

“I would like to re-affirm the government’s commitment to working closely with the Bank in efforts to realise our national and international development aspirations. The government will take all necessary measures to ensure successful implementation of this project as planned.” Said Tutuba.

He lauded Tanzania’s cordial relationship with AfDB that goes all the way back to 1964. He noted that the country was a proud founding shareholder that regards the Bank as a “development partner of choice.”

The hydropower project is one of Tanzania’s priorities under its Second Five-Year Development Plan and will advance the objectives of the country’s Vision 2025.

It also aligns with two of the Bank’s High Five strategic priorities, namely, Light up and Power Africa and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.

“The signing of the loan agreements is another testimony of our joint commitment to working together to support Tanzania’s development aspirations. Malagarasi Hydropower is one of the flagship projects in Tanzania’s Second Five-Year Plan. We appreciate the trust the Government has put in the African Development Bank and we are committed to remaining a privileged and trusted partner of choice.” Said Nwabufo.

The project is one of six transformative infrastructure projects, with a total value of $1.12 billion, which the AfDB has approved in Tanzania over the last three years.

The Bank Group’s total ongoing commitment in Tanzania, about $2.33 billion in value, covers the key sectors of transport, energy, water supply and sanitation, agriculture, governance and finance.

The Africa Growing Together Fund is a facility sponsored by the People’s Bank of China and administered by the African Development Bank.

Presidents Ramaphosa and Macron condemn instability, security issues in Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa 

President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa and his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron, have condemned the instability and security issues on the continent.

Macron arrived in South Africa on Friday to hold talks with Ramaphosa on the COVID-19 pandemic, trade and the worsening conflict in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province.

The French president arrived in South Africa from a historic visit to Rwanda, where he acknowledged French responsibility in the 1994 genocide and pleaded for forgiveness.

He also discussed the violent retaliation by insurgents in northern Mozambique where French energy giant, Total, withdrew its operations following deadly attacks which affected both South African and French nationals.

Macron said that France was willing to support diplomatic interventions if Mozambique requested it.

“On this matter, we are well aware that Mozambique is dealing with jihadist groups which are currently threatening the security of the region, in particular in Cabo Delgado. France is available but the heart of the answer, it should be an African response at the request of Mozambique and coordinated with the neighbouring countries,” Macron said.

Ramaphosa echoed the same sentiments, saying that the Mozambique region remained under observation by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) community.

“The SADC stands ready to assist Mozambique to ward off these insurgents. We also deliberated on Mozambique’s requirements as a sovereign state to get help from other parts of the world,” Ramaphosa said.

Chelsea beat Manchester City to win Champions League

PORTO, Portugal 

Chelsea clinched the Champions League title on Saturday after beating Manchester City 1-0 in the all-English final.

A first-half goal from summer signing Kai Havertz, the most expensive player in Chelsea's history, was enough to earn Thomas Tuchel's side victory in front of thousands of fans at Porto's Estadio Dragao in Portugal.

Meanwhile, Manchester City's wait for European glory continues after making its first final in this season's competition.

Chelsea, which last won the Champions League in 2012, was worthy of the win having executed a perfect game plan masterminded from Tuchel, who took over from club legend Frank Lampard in January.

The former boss of Paris Saint-Germain, who lost to Bayern Munich in the final last season, was an animated figure throughout, conducting the 16,500 fans present and urging his side to a famous win.

"They (the players) were determined to win this. We wanted to be a stone in their (Manchester City's) shoe," an emotional Tuchel told BT Sport after the game.

"We encouraged everybody to step up and step out, to be more brave and create dangerous counterattacks."

Both teams had chances throughout but it was Havertz who kept his calm, latching onto a wonderful through ball from Mason Mount to round the goalkeeper and pass into an open net moments before half-time.

Both sides lost key players during the final. Chelsea's veteran defender Thiago Silva picked up an injury in the first half and City captain Kevin De Bruyne had to be subbed off in the second half after colliding with Antonio Rüdiger.

But even before losing its talisman, City looked short of quality and couldn't cope with the constant pressure from Chelsea, led by man of the match N'Golo Kante.

Despite dominating domestically, the Champions League has been the thorn in Manchester City's side in recent years.

Manager Pep Guardiola, widely considered one of the greatest managers of all time, has not won the title since leaving Barcelona in 2012.

Three seasons came and went at Bayern Munich without European glory and he had failed to get past the quarterfinal stage during his first four years at City. 

He has sometimes been accused of overthinking his tactics when it comes to crunch time in the Champions League, often to the detriment of his own team, and it seems he suffered a similar fate on Saturday.

Guardiola opted for an attacking lineup without a single holding midfielder and his side failed to dominate proceedings as it normally does.

Despite the disappointment, City still finishes the season as the Premier League and League Cup champions.

"It has been an exceptional season for us. It was a tight game. We had chances," Guardiola told BT Sport after the match.

"We were brilliant in the second half, we were brave and we could not convert the chances as they were so strong. The players were exceptional. We come back maybe one day again!"

In truth, Chelsea could have scored more. Striker Timo Werner missed two glorious opportunities in the opening stages and Christian Pulisic shot wide in the second half.

Despite missing his chance, Pulisic made history. When he was subbed on for Werner in the second half, he became the first American male to play in a Champions League final and became the first American on a Champions League winner as well.

Chelsea's Edouard Mendy made history as well, becoming the first African goalkeeper to play in a Champion's League final.

Mendy's clean sheet is his ninth in 12 Champions League matches this season, the most ever in a single campaign.

The 22-year-old Mount, who came through the academy at the club, struggled to contain his emotions after the final whistle.

"To go all the way in the Champions League. We played some tough teams. We are in a final and we won it," he told BT Sport. "It's such a special occasion. At this moment in time, we're the best team in the world. You can't take that away from us."

Whilst Chelsea celebrated with fans inside the stadium, groups of supporters gathered back in London to watch their side win European football's biggest competition for a second time.

Kidnappers free 14 Nigerian students in northwest Kaduna state

KADUNA, Nigeria 

Kidnappers have released the remaining 14 students who had been held captive after being abducted last month from a northern Nigerian university, a senior member of the teaching staff said on Saturday.

Armed groups have repeatedly attacked schools and universities in northwest Nigeria in the last few months, abducting more than 700 students for ransom since December. 

The inability of security forces to crack down on kidnapping gangs has sparked protests against perceived government inaction.

Gunmen had stormed Greenfield University in the northwestern state of Kaduna on April 20. The kidnappers killed one person during the raid and, in the days after the attack, executed five of those they took. 

"Fourteen of the abducted students of the university have been freed," Simeon Nwakacha, pro-chancellor of Greenfield University, told Reuters by phone on Saturday. He said the 14 were the remaining students being held. 

Kaduna state's security commissioner, Samuel Aruwan, said in a statement 14 people taken from the university had been freed and had been found beside a road connecting Kaduna and the capital Abuja on Saturday at around 2 p.m. (1300 GMT). 

It was not immediately clear if the hostages were released in exchange for a ransom payment. 

Kidnap for ransom has become common in the last few years in many parts of Nigeria. 

President Muhammadu Buhari urged state governments in February to review their policy of "rewarding bandits with money and vehicles".

Germany admits to committing genocide as the colonial power in Namibia

BERLIN, Germany 

More than 100 years after the crimes were committed, Germany formally confessed on Friday to having committed genocide as the colonial power in what is now Namibia. 

After years of negotiations, the German government recognized the atrocities committed against the Herero and Nama ethnic groups as genocide and said reparations would be paid.

"As a gesture of recognition of the immeasurable suffering inflicted on the victims, we want to support Namibia and the descendants of the victims with a substantial program of 1.1 billion euros (about $1.3 billion) for reconstruction and development," said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. Germany also said it would officially seek forgiveness for the crimes. 

Earlier, delegations from both countries reached an agreement on a joint political declaration after nearly six years of negotiations. The German Empire was the colonial power in what is now Namibia from 1884 until 1915, and it brutally quashed repeated rebellions during that time.

Historians believe that German forces in what was then known as German Southwest Africa killed about 65,000 of the 80,000-strong Herero population, and at least half of the 20,000 Nama in the region.

The official request for forgiveness was reportedly to be made by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at a ceremony in the Namibian parliament.

The 1.1 billion euros are to be paid over a period of 30 years, primarily to support projects in the areas where most ethnic Herero and Nama people have settled. The projects will focus on land reform, agriculture, rural infrastructure, water supply and vocational training.

The German government emphasized, however, that its recognition of the genocide and the establishment of the aid fund do not stem from any legal claims for compensation, but rather a political and moral obligation.

"I am pleased and grateful that we have succeeded in reaching an agreement with Namibia on how to deal jointly with the darkest chapter of our common history," said Maas. "Our goal was and is to find a common path to genuine reconciliation in memory of the victims."

Maas stressed that Germany wasn't trying to draw a line under the country's past misdeeds to move on.

"Acknowledging the guilt and our request for an apology is, however, an important step in coming to terms with the crimes and shaping the future together," he said. The negotiations were conducted by officials from the two governments, but Herero and Nama representatives were closely involved.

Namibia's government welcomed Germany's recognition of its crimes. President Hage Geingob's spokesman Alfredo Hengari told the French news agency AFP that it was "the first step in the right direction."

Some members of the political opposition in Namibia, however, criticized the agreement. A representative of the south African nation's biggest opposition party, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), called it an "insult" to Namibia.

Germany's representatives had "not negotiated in good faith," the daily newspaper The Namibian quoted parliamentarian Inna Hengari as saying.

"If Namibia receives money from Germany, it should go to the traditional leaders of the affected communities instead of to the government," said a representative of the Landless People's Movement (LPM) party.

Opposition leader Mike Kavekotora of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) also accused President Geingob's government of "excluding" the Nama and Herero in the process, saying: "I don't think this is the best that Namibia's government could have gotten from Germany." 

Some parliamentarians called on the various opposition parties to unite and unanimously reject the deal between the two countries. They continue to argue for direct reparations to the descendants of genocide victims.