Staff Reporter
THE Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musayi, has called on the global community to work together to create a legal framework that holds those responsible for colonial wrongs accountable and addresses the lasting impact of colonialism.
“Historically, international law and international criminal justice have been blind to colonial crimes. Major legal instruments governing international crimes, such as crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, have excluded colonial crimes from their ambit, treating them as distant events and rendering them almost invisible. The resulting ‘accountability gap’ is glaring and unacceptable. To address this gap, we must identify and develop legal norms and techniques for framing and articulating colonial crimes and demanding justice in the form of appropriate remedies,” Ashipala-Musayi said.
A CALL FOR JUSTICE: Scenes from the International Conference on the Crimes of Colonialism in Africa, held in Algiers, Algeria. Photos: Ministry of International Relations and Trade.
The Minister delivered these remarks at the International Conference on the Crimes of Colonialism in Africa, held in Algiers, Algeria. The conference, endorsed by the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State through its Decision 903 in February 2025, is part of efforts to consolidate a united African stance on seeking justice and reparations for the atrocities committed during the colonial era.
Ashipala-Musayi highlighted Western Sahara’s ongoing fight for self-determination as a key reason why these discussions remain imperative, emphasising that decolonisation is the only lawful path.
“For Namibia, the question of Western Sahara legally and morally, remains unambiguous. International law recognises the Sahrawi people as possessing an inalienable right to self-determination and independence. We firmly believe that removing independence from consideration and redefining self-determination is tantamount to the ratification of annexation through the United Nations system. Namibia continues to stand with Western Sahara in their quest for self-determination, and we maintain that decolonisation remains the only lawful path for the people of Western Sahara,” she said.
Ashipala-Musayi also cited Namibia’s own history as an example of the profound and lasting impact of colonialism, particularly the genocide of the Ovaherero and Nama peoples. She emphasised that Namibia’s call for African reparations is therefore not a recent development.
“It is said that history is the compass of the present and the future. In our quest for independence, Namibia endured colonialism, the 1904–1908 genocide against the Ovaherero and Nama (the first of the 20th century), and apartheid. The relentless and systematic killing of the Herero and Nama led to the loss of approximately 80 percent of the Herero population and 50 percent of the Nama. These Namibian communities were also stripped of prime arable land, resulting in economic and cultural losses that continue to be felt throughout Namibia to this day,” Ashipala-Musayi said.
She emphasised that the suffering endured by the Herero and Nama peoples of Namibia during the genocide, and by the generations that followed, serves as a reminder of the deep physical and psychological wounds caused by colonial violence and exploitation.
The Minister stressed that Namibia believes international law must confront colonial crimes and legacies if it is to truly uphold the principles of universality, equality, and justice.
“There is no humane colonialism. As a collective, we were all victims. International governance and financial institutions are remnants or semblance of colonialism. Hence we advocate for the reform of the UN Security Council and global financial institutions. Only by speaking and acting in unison shall we succeed in making colonialism a recognized crime,” she added.
