The UCCSA has issued a statement as a response to Germany’s decision to defend Israel’s military actions in Gaza before the International Court of Justice where South Africa filed an application instituting proceedings against Israel concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”) in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The statement was written against the backdrop Namibia’s painful history inflicted by German colonial oppression and genocide against the Herero and Nama peoples, a coloured past that casts doubt on German authenticity in adjudicating matters related to genocide.
The five-page document wrote, “Namibia’s rejection of Germany’s involvement extends beyond a local dispute. It serves as a warning to the international community about the dangers of allowing a nation with a murky historical record to influence matters of justice.”
“If the world succumbs to Germany’s sway, the consequences for global justice could be dire… [and] compromise the pursuit of justice, especially in Namibia’s resolute rejection of Germany’s involvement [in] the genocidal horrors inflicted upon the Herero and Nama peoples during the German colonial era… casting a damning light on Germany’s claim to any moral authority in discussions surrounding genocide.”
The strongly worded statement further puts forth the charge that Germany’s “propensity for genocide denial appears deeply ingrained in the German identity… that for Germany, confronting and acknowledging historical atrocities seems to be an insurmountable challenge.”
Mincing no words on the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, the UCCSA condemned, “The ongoing Israeli campaign of violence, resulting in the tragic loss of over twenty-three thousand Palestinian lives, demands urgent attention and condemnation. It is a call to action for the global community to advocate for an immediate end to the suffering of innocent civilians, including women, children, the elderly, and those living with disabilities.”
Commending South Africa’s decision to bring charges against Israel’s brutal military response in the Gaza Strip, the UCCSA reiterated its stance in its continued drive to challenge powerful alliances to support the weak and that genocide, under no circumstances, should be justified.
UCCSA concluded its statement with its continued call for an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s disproportionate violent retributive reaction against Palestinians and an appeal for an earnest and active pursuit towards a two-State solution involving the Palestinians. The UCCSA also called out the State of Israel for its war crimes and crimes against humanity that are being perpetrated in Gaza.