EVENT REVIEW: ELISE FONTENAILLE- NDIAYE
On the 9th of July a ceremonial reading of an atrocity book was staged at the Houses of Parliament. Robert Murtfeld explains more:
"The atrocity book that is called colloquially the Blue Book carries the full title of Report On The Natives Of South-West Africa And Their Treatment By Germany and was published in 1918 to document for British parliamentarians what is understood today as the genocide of the Herero and Nama. As part of the centenary end of German rule in Namibia, the ceremonial reading in Westminster was one event of a series engagements that were held in both Berlin and London throughout the course of the week.
A delegation of Herero and Nama people travelled to London for the events and attended the reading at parliament in traditional attire. The delegation was made up of chiefs and chairs of the political committees that were set up to address questions on the genocide. The story of the Herero and Nama is one of a very violent atrocity and possibly singular in its genocidal make-up and separate from other colonial atrocities. Largely unknown in France as history, Elise Fontenaille-NDiaye has brought the story of the Herero and Nama genocide to the forefront through her publications Blue Book and Eben ou les yeux de la nuit."
More information about the book can be found here and a video interview with Elise Fontenaille-NDiaye (in French) is available here. An article with further information about the Hereros and the Namas is online here.