HARARE, June 24 /TASS/. Namibia has secured the return of the first batch of cultural artifacts removed from the country 120 years ago by German colonial authorities - the collection, regarded as part of the nation's cultural heritage, had been held in Switzerland, NBC reported.

The handover ceremony took place at a museum in the town of Usakos. The returned items include household objects and tools used by the Nama, Herero, Ovambo, San, Himba, and Khoikhoi peoples, who were used as slave labor to build the Swakopmund-Windhoek railway between 1903 and 1905.

Speaking at the ceremony, Erongo Region Governor Natalia Goagoses described the return as a milestone in the pursuit of historical justice and the restitution of lost cultural treasures. "It is with immense pride, deep humility and a profound sense of historical duty that I stand before you today, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Namibia and the people of the Erongo Region, to officially receive this first batch of repatriated artefacts that belong to us, that have always belonged to us, and that have finally found their way home," NBC quoted her as saying.

This year, Namibia for the first time officially observed May 28 as a national day of mourning - the Day of Remembrance for the 1904-1908 genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples. During Germany's colonial expansion at the turn of the 20th century, its forces sought to seize indigenous lands and nearly wiped out both communities. By 1908, 80% of the Herero and 50% of the Nama population had perished at the hands of colonial troops or from starvation and thirst in concentration camps. In total, about 100,000 people were killed.

On June 19, the International Conference on Reparations and Compensation for African Countries Affected by Colonialism concluded in Accra, Ghana. Participants adopted a global strategy aimed at advancing reparatory justice. Among other measures, it calls for accelerating the return of displaced cultural artifacts, human remains, archives, and other heritage items to their countries of origin.

On March 25, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the enslavement of Africans as one of the gravest crimes against humanity.