The presidents of Germany and Tanzania announced on Tuesday that discussions will be initiated regarding the legacy of Germany’s three decades of colonial rule in the East African nation.
For quite some time, Tanzanian politicians and activists have been advocating for reparations and the repatriation of human remains from their country, which are currently on display in German museums.
“We have discussed this in detail and we are ready to open negotiations to see how we are going to agree on the German colonial legacy,” Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said at a news conference with her German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
“I know there are families that are waiting for the remains of their relatives which are in several museums in Germany. The negotiations will guide us on how to do this well,” she said.
It is believed that these remains were acquired by researchers for the purpose of conducting pseudoscientific studies.
Steinmeier, who is currently on an official visit to Tanzania, expressed his intention to meet with individuals impacted by the 1905-1907 Maji Maji rebellion against German colonial rule.
“It is important that we agree on doing more research and adding more knowledge on what happened during the colonial period so that we can see how to turn a new page,” he said.
Germany governed mainland Tanzania, formerly known as Tanganyika, from the 1880s until 1918 when British forces seized control during World War One.
During the Maji Maji rebellion, tens of thousands of individuals lost their lives, primarily due to starvation, as German troops disrupted the local population’s access to food sources.
In 2021, Germany issued an apology for the genocide that occurred in Namibia, Southern Africa, resulting in the slaughter of approximately 75,000 tribespeople. As part of this acknowledgment, Germany committed to supporting projects in Namibia valued at over one billion euros.
Britain’s King Charles is presently on a visit to Kenya, the neighboring country to Tanzania. During his visit, activists are urging him to issue an apology and pledge reparations for the abuses that occurred during Britain’s colonial rule in Kenya.
