LWF takes no stand on genocide

STAFF REPORTER A week after a call was made for the Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to publicly apologise for its alleged complicity and continued silence about Swapo's human rights violations in exile before independence, the assembly released a public statement on the issue.In its 15 May statement, “with respect to the genocide in Namibia”, the LWF said that they “have rejoiced in their journey of liberation and independence. LWF is humbled to be acknowledged for its contributions to this journey through actions of accompaniment, support and solidarity. That accompaniment continues today.”The Federation admitted that there were “painful events” in Namibia’s history, which it said “clouded the memory of Namibians”. It added that these memories can only go away if they are addressed and hence, they encouraged both the Namibian and German governments to further pursue the dialogue process.“The LWF has come to understand the uniqueness of this specific process. There are no standard, ready-made solutions to be applied from other similar processes in the world, nor models to be simply transferred and adopted. We are grateful for the role of churches and civil society groups that have promoted and continue supporting processes of reconciliation and healing of memories.”However, the Federation took no particular stance, passing the buck to the two governments in question and saying that they need to identify and agree on how the history will be told, how justice will be done, and how reconciliation will be promoted.“As a communion with a passion for justice, peace and reconciliation, the process among Namibians and Germans is at the heart of its vocation.”Early last week, the two human rights organisations said that the LWF should facilitate and fund a national truth and reconciliation process in Namibia.NamRights and FFF say there is substantial documentary evidence demonstrating that the LWF was fully informed and aware that the Swapo leadership was involved in war crimes, especially in Angola and Zambia.Swapo is accused of widespread and systematic planned torture, enforced disappearance, summary executions, prolonged arbitrary detentions and other war crimes against fellow Namibians between 1966 and 1989.The late Reverend Siegfried Groth and late Reverend Salatiel Ailonga, as well as the Committee of Parents and the Parents Committee of Namibia, are said to have warned LWF's office in Geneva that a “dangerous situation” was unfolding in Swapo in exile and asked it to act before it was too late.“Yet the LWF failed to act,” the human rights organisations say. “Had they acted, the violations would have stopped or would have occurred to a lesser extent.”Former Swapo president Sam Nujoma reportedly visited the LWF in Geneva in 1987 to seek humanitarian assistance. There, he denied all allegations of the widespread violations in Swapo camps and claimed it was a smear campaign orchestrated by the apartheid South African regime.Nujoma then invited the LWF to Angola on a fact-finding mission. The LWF dispatched six people – Dr Ishmael Noko, Reverend Ruth Blazer, Olle Eriksson, Hanne Sophie Greve, Reverend Helmut Jehle, and Bodil Solling – in December 1987 to visit a Swapo refugee settlement in Angola.NamRights and FFF say the LWF delegation allowed itself “to be taken for a ride” by the Swapo leadership while Swapo-held detainees were languishing in dungeons at Lubango in southern Angola.“The fact is that President Nujoma had intentionally misinformed the LWF in Geneva about human rights abuses by Swapo in Angola. He also connived to invite and mislead the LWF delegation to Angola. This all had caused the delegation to compile a false report,” said FFF and NamRights.NamRights and FFF said after the LWF delegation's report, more than 130 Lubango detainees were killed or disappeared between 1987 and 1989, before the return of Namibians from exile.NamRights executive director Phil Ya Nangoloh said it was a moral issue for the LWF to respond to the appeal.“They owe the Namibian people an apology; it is not too late. They must repent. But I will not forgive them until they ask for forgiveness. All people make mistakes but better people apologise,” said Ya Nangoloh.Organisations such as the joint committee of the Committee of Parents and Truth and Justice Committee, as well as individuals, signed an appeal to the LWF Assembly which will be hand-delivered and electronically sent to the Assembly.

LWF takes no stand on genocide

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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LWF takes no stand on genocide

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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