Hereros

The Hereros (to pronounce: héréros ) is a African Peuple of the linguistic group Bantou speaking the herero, currently made up of approximately: 120000 people. The majority of them live in Namibia, some groups with the Botswana and others in Angola, where they occupy of the little qualified uses of Ouvrier S agricultural for the rural ones, or of servants or salesmen of streets for the townsmen.

In 1904, Hereros were raised against the German colonization of their territory (the South-western African). They were then victims of a wild repression directed by the general Lothar von Trotha, author of an order of extermination in their opposition. Thus, between 1904 and 1911, the population herero of African South-west passed from 80 000 with 15 000 individuals .

History

The pre-colonial period

It is towards 1550 that the Bantou S Ovambo S, Kavango S and hereros cross the Cunene river and start to colonize African South-west.

As from the years 1824, the Oorlam S (“Hottentot S colonial” or small Namas) - Mongrel of namas and Afrikaner S - which fled the discriminatory laws of the Colonie of the Cape and the expansionism of the European colonists emigrate in the center of current Namibia and are made main of the area located between the river Orange and Swakop, driving out some German missionaries of the area. Forts of their organization as a military commando, they hardly have difficulties of being essential on the others Namas, Hereros and the Damaras (tiny rooms in Esclavage). In 1842, German missionaries, Hugo Hahn and Heinrich Kleinschmidt, are established with Winterhoek. They force Hereros to conclude an unequal peace with the Oorlam S.

In 1850, the conflict is again open between Hereros and Oorlams. Hereros are quickly reduced to the state of vassal. They are combined then with the Namas to try to reverse it the capacity of Jonker Afrikaner but without success. But after death in 1861 of Jonker Afrikaner, the coalition of Hereros and the Namas, armed by Swedish merchants, ends up coming to end from the Oorlam S.

In 1870, peace is finally signed between Hereros of the Maharero chief and Jan Jonker Afrikaner, the son junior by Jonker, devoting the new Suprématie of Hereros.

The colonial period

See also: Genocide of Hereros

In 1884, all the territory between the Cunene river and the Orange river are placed under German Protectorat at the time of the Partage of Africa by the western powers with the Conférence of Berlin in 1884. The proclamation is made on the spot by the German explorer Gustav Nachtigal.

In 1885, Heinrich Göring succeeds Nachtigal with the mission of representing the German order whereas it has only two assistants and any army at his disposal.

After the battle of Osana where Hereros inflict a cuisante demolished in Namas of Hendrik Witbooi, the Maharero chief just like signs its first treaty of protection with the German police chief Göring the Basters de Rehoboth (resulting from the unions between Boers and Namas at the 18th century).

In 1885, Hereros assert the grounds where the explorer William Worthington Jordaan founded with 45 families of Dorslandtrekkers the republic of Upingtonia in the area of Grootfontein and Otavi. The June 30th 1886, Jordaan is assassinated by Ovambo, putting fine at the transitory republic. The silent partner of the assassination remains unknown in spite of the calling into question of Maharéro. The grounds are then repurchased by a German company.

In 1889, the German government sends the captain Curt von François in African South-west to the head of a military quota. It unloads with twenty and one German soldiers with Walvis Bay where it finds the German high commissioner, Heinrich Göring, which had to be solved to place itself under British protection after the denunciation by Maharero of the treaty of protection. After having installed its districts with Otjimbingwe, von François conquers Tsaobis, then Heusis and renews the treaty of portection with Maharero.

Its successor, Samuel Maharero undertakes as of the following year a policy of Collaboration reinforced with the colonial troops and yields part of his grounds in exchange of European products. In 1890, von François makes build in Winterhoek, germanized in Windhuk, a fort (Alte Feste) intended to be the general headquarter of the colonial forces of Reich. The place is located between the territories namas and hereros.

In 1893, the chief nama Hendrik Witbooi revenue without success to form an alliance with Hereros against the Germans. As it finally agrees to place the namas under German suzerainty to become in particular of effective auxiliaries of the colonial army, Hereros which until had taken part there in the repression of any rebellion, start to move away from the colonial power, exasperated by the cattle plague, the exactions of the colonists and the stamping from their Serf S Damara S.

In 1903, first indigenous concerning Hereros is crééé.

The genocide of Hereros

thumb|200px|Hereros having survived after having flees through the arid desert of Omaheke.

In 1904, Hereros are victims of what much estimates to be the first Génocide 20th century , perpetrated by the German in their colony of the South-western African .

After tryhaving vainly tried to rejoin with its cause the chiefs of the close tribes, Samuel Maharero raises only his people against the German colonists. The stamping from the Damaras serfs would have been the leading cause of rising according to certain historians (Damaras will be auxiliary German army and will be rewarded by the granting for 6000 m ² for grounds for their contribution to repression for the revolt).

The January 10th 1904, it attacks a garrison based with Okahandja. Having six thousand rifles, they sabotage the ways of Railroad and set fire to the farms. Nearly sixty German colonists then still hundred twenty-three German civilians are killed initially. thumb|200px|left|Hereros connected at the time of the rebellion of 1904. The February 11th 1904, Theodor Leutwein seeks to negotiate with Maharero but he is repudiated by the German government. Leutwein warns the German command against all Politique of Extermination of Ovaherero whereas the German press, diffused in African South-west, does not cease calling with the dismantling of the indigenous structures, encouraging has contratio the tribes to gain the rebellion. Leutwein refuses the total destruction of a whole people and spoke about Fanatisme in connection with the partisans of the total annihilation of the rebellious tribes.

In May 1904, Leutwein still tries to find an peace agreement whereas the general Lothar von Trotha, named by the Kaiser Guillaume II to restore the order in the colony, is on the way with important troops of reinforcement from Germany to take the command of the colonial troop.

Leutwein makes print in Otjiherero a proclamation calling with a rendering of Hereros which would suffer only from one right punishment.

On its arrival, Von Trotha puts an end immediately to the negotiations in progress. Leutwein is raised of the command of Schutztruppe in June 1904 before yielding to the end of the year its function of governor of African South-west to the General von Trotha

The repression of Hereros is carried out by the general Lothar von Trotha who unloads with important troops of reinforcement. The war against Hereros has then made rage for five months.

In October 1904, at the time of the Battle of Waterberg, it makes encircle Hereros on three sides leaving them only one exit to flee: the Kalahari Desert . Whereas Hereros try to find refuge there, von Trotha makes poison the water points, draws up guardrooms to regular intervals with order to draw without summation with the sight of each Herero, man, woman or child. The official order of extermination ( Vernichtungsbefehl ) of the general von Trotha is: “Each Herero found inside the German borders, armed or not, in possession of cattle or not, will be cut down” .

In a few weeks Hereros die per tens of thousands of thirst and hunger in the desert Omaheke; according to Serge Bile, there is approximately: 60000 dead, but the most current fork locates this number between: 25000 and: 40000. There be also 10.000 Namas killed and 1.749 German (soldiers and civilians).

The survivors are locked up in Concentration camps inspired by those done by the British in South Africa against the Boers a few years earlier. Half of the prisoners died in captivity.

In 1911, it remains officially 15.130 Hereros in the country.

When the actions of von Trotha are known of the German public opinion, a movement of repulsion seizes the population what leads the chancellor Bernhard von Bülow to ask for the Kaiser Guillaume II of dislocate von Trotha of its command what was made the November 19th 1905.

The South-African period

In 1945, the usual chief of Hereros, Hosea Kutako, takes part with the chief Frederick Maharero in the creation of the tribal council herero to protest against the South-African policy in the South-western African. At the time, South Africa asks for the annexation of all the African South-west which it manages since 1920 under the terms of a Mandat of the Société of the nations.

In May 1959, Clemens Kapuuo of the council of the héréros chiefs takes part in the foundation of the " South West African National Union" (SWANU) but the chief of the council héréro, Hosea Kutako, fails to take the control of the party. The SWANU remains nevertheless dominated by the ethnos group herero and posts an ideology Socialiste not Marxist.

The September 25th 1964, the hereros Clemens Kapuuo (assistant chief of the council of Hereros), Mburumba Kerina and Hosea Kutako found the " National Unity Democratic Organization" (NUDO), of tendency traditionalist, marking the end of their membership to the SWANU. It is a question for them of proposing the installation of a federal state based on the old tribal areas of African South-west.

In 1968, pursuant to the policy of Apartheid and of the Commission Report Odendaal of 1964, the Bantustan of the Hereroland is created. It becomes autonomous the July 26th 1970.

The July 20th 1970, Clemens Kapuuo succeeds Hosea Kutako as a chief of Ovaherero.

In July 1975, the Minister for the administration bantou, M.C. Botha, puts an end to a project of delocalization of the Ovaherero tribes in the homeland of Hereroland Is. By doing this, Botha puts an end to the implementation conclusions of the Odendaal report and leads Kapuuo to join the constitutional talks to come from the Conférence of Turnhalle (announced since November 1974).

The November 5th 1977, the democratic Alliance of Turnhalle (DTA) is founded and chaired by Clemens Kapuuo and Dirk Mudge, a reforming white politician. The March 27th 1978, Clemens Kapuuo is assassinated by the unknown ones in Katutura in the suburbs of Windhoek there causing like in Okakarara of many confrontations between Ovambo S and Ovaherero. It is another herero, Kuaima Riruako, which succeeds to him the position of president of the DTA.

Hereroland east dissolves in May 1989 in the Namibian areas of Omaheke and Otjozondjupa.

At the time of the elections of November 1989 for the constituent assembly, the DTA collects 28% of the votes and the statute of official opposition vis-a-vis SWAPO triumphing over Sam Nujoma. By gaining nevertheless 14 of the 23 districts of the country, the DTA profits from the massive support of Hereros (66,4% in Hereroland).

Personalities hereros

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