During an official visit to Tanzania on Wednesday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued an apology for atrocities committed by German forces in the East African nation during the colonial era. Speaking at the Maji Maji Museum in Songea, where he met with descendants of the local hero Songea Mbano, Steinmeier expressed deep regret for the actions of German soldiers, who violently suppressed uprisings in the early 20th century.
“As the President of Germany, I want to ask for forgiveness for what Germans did to your ancestors here,” Steinmeier said, addressing the Mbano family and Tanzanian officials. Songea Mbano, a leader in the Maji Maji Rebellion against German colonization, was hanged and beheaded, alongside many of his supporters, by German colonial forces. The uprising, which took place between 1905 and 1907, claimed an estimated 300,000 lives—about a third of Tanzania’s indigenous population at the time.
“This brutal legacy has cast a long shadow across generations,” Steinmeier said, acknowledging the suffering caused by German forces. “I am ashamed of what German colonial soldiers did to your forefather and his fellow fighters,” he added, though his remarks did not include a mention of reparations.
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Tanzanians responded to Steinmeier’s apology with mixed reactions, with some taking to social media to demand reparations. “Apologizing isn’t enough,” one user commented. “Germany has to pay reparation.”
Germany has previously acknowledged its colonial abuses across Africa. In 2021, the German government committed €1.1 billion ($1.3 billion) in support for the descendants of the Herero and Nama ethnic groups in Namibia, where Germany acknowledged genocide during its colonial rule over a century ago.
Steinmeier also pledged that Germany would work with Tanzania to locate Mbano’s remains, which may have been taken to Europe by colonial forces. “Many remains from East Africa were taken to Germany and placed in museums and anthropological collections,” he noted. “Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of skulls. I promise that we will work together with you to find Chief Songea’s remains.”
The visit marks Steinmeier’s first trip to Tanzania, a nation that, following German rule, was governed by Britain until gaining independence in 1961. His visit underscores Germany’s commitment to acknowledging its colonial history and seeking reconciliation with affected communities.
Steinmeier’s East Africa trip coincides with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent tour of West Africa, during which Scholz visited Nigeria and Ghana for bilateral talks aimed at strengthening partnerships.
