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Namibia votes Today

Southern Africa’s sparsely populated desert nation of Namibia holds presidential and legislative elections on Wednesday.

Here are five things to know about the uranium-rich country:

First 20th-century genocide

Around 20 years after Germany colonised the territory, its forces carried out what many historians consider the first genocide of the 20th century.

Imperial German troops killed around 70,000 men, women and children of the Indigenous Herero and Nama peoples, who rebelled against colonial rule between 1904 and 1908.

In 2021, Germany recognised the genocide and pledged more than one billion euros ($1 billion) in development aid over 30 years. The offer was rejected and Namibia has asked for reparations.

Liberation party dominance

The South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) led Namibia to independence from South Africa in 1990 and has been the dominant party since, although it did lose ground in the last elections in 2019.

The current president, 83-year-old Nangolo Mbumba, came to power in February following the death of his predecessor Hage Geingob at the age of 82.