20th century – 20th century
Southern Namibia
The Peace of Ukamas, also called the Peace of Heirachabis, was a negotiated settlement between German colonial authorities and the Bondelswarts in December 1906. It followed prolonged guerrilla resistance and British pressure for a political solution. The treaty restored the Bondelswarts to part of their former lands and provided livestock and water access, but also imposed disarmament, wage labour, and pass controls. German authorities formally declared peace on 31 March 1907.
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The Story
The settlement emerged after German forces failed to defeat Johannes Christian’s fighters despite numerous engagements. British authorities also pressed for a resolution, while German military commanders sought terms more lenient than those favoured by the colonial administration. The negotiations therefore reflected both the military resilience of the Bondelswarts and the political complications created by the colonial border.
The Peace of Ukamas/Heirachabis was agreed in December 1906 with the authority of Johannes Christian and, eventually, Abraham Morris. Under its terms, Bondelswart communities were resettled on part of their old lands and given access to three waterholes. They received loans of goats and cattle, while the kaptein received 300 sheep and a team of oxen.
The settlement was not an equal or fully voluntary peace. The Bondelswarts were disarmed, required to enter wage labour, and barred from leaving the newly defined location without passes. By April 1907, 769 members had returned from the Cape. German authorities declared peace on 31 March 1907, but the treaty’s coercive controls shaped the community’s postwar life.
20th century – 20th century
Southern Namibia
The Peace of Ukamas, also called the Peace of Heirachabis, was a negotiated settlement between German colonial authorities and the Bondelswarts in December 1906. It followed prolonged guerrilla resistance and British pressure for a political solution. The treaty restored the Bondelswarts to part of their former lands and provided livestock and water access, but also imposed disarmament, wage labour, and pass controls. German authorities formally declared peace on 31 March 1907.
Continue exploring
The Story
The settlement emerged after German forces failed to defeat Johannes Christian’s fighters despite numerous engagements. British authorities also pressed for a resolution, while German military commanders sought terms more lenient than those favoured by the colonial administration. The negotiations therefore reflected both the military resilience of the Bondelswarts and the political complications created by the colonial border.
The Peace of Ukamas/Heirachabis was agreed in December 1906 with the authority of Johannes Christian and, eventually, Abraham Morris. Under its terms, Bondelswart communities were resettled on part of their old lands and given access to three waterholes. They received loans of goats and cattle, while the kaptein received 300 sheep and a team of oxen.
The settlement was not an equal or fully voluntary peace. The Bondelswarts were disarmed, required to enter wage labour, and barred from leaving the newly defined location without passes. By April 1907, 769 members had returned from the Cape. German authorities declared peace on 31 March 1907, but the treaty’s coercive controls shaped the community’s postwar life.
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