The Berlin-based writer and winner of this year’s Ingeborg Bachmann Prize talks about the prize, German society, the Black experience in Europe and the role of writers in the struggle for a more inclusive society, among other issues.

Turkish Airlines’ interest in Africa shows no sign of abating. The Star Alliance carrier, which serves 46 destinations and has grown by 32 per cent in the past two years in the continent, considers Africa a priority market, its CEO, Dr Temel Kotil, said in a recent interview with the aviation online news site anna.aero. “Anybody serving Africa has a …

WASHINGTON, 25 October 2016 – Sub-Saharan Africa economies carried out a record number of reforms in the past year to improve the business climate for local entrepreneurs, says the World Bank Group’s annual ease of doing business report. “Doing Business 2017: Equal Opportunity for All,” released today, finds that 37 of the region’s 48 economies adopted 80 reforms in the …

A series of events, including exhibitions, conferences and workshops, dedicated to the mining industry in Nigeria takes place in the capital city Abuja from 25-27 October. Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, will deliver the welcome address at the inaugural Nigeria Mining Week. Mining is being reactivated by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to play a …

Descendants of the victims of genocide have marched in Berlin to demand their direct involvement in reparations talks.

Tunisair, founded as a state-owned airline in 1948, has a fleet of about 30 aircraft. Most of them are of the A320 family as well as the Boeing 737 type. Recently, the company expanded their fleet through the delivery of two new A330s which are serving routes with more than four hours flying time. Chokri Wallani (53) is the country director of Tunisair …

During his visit to Berlin last week, President Muhammadu Buhari spoke in an exclusive interview with Deutsche Welle’s Phil Gayle. The Nigerian leader talked about the Niger Delta millitants, corruption, the judiciary and the fate of the remaining Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. He also said his wife should stay out of politics. DW: First of all, congratulations on …

On Friday 14 October, Rwandan President Paul Kagame launched the world’s first national drone delivery service during a ceremony in the country’s centrally located Muhanga District. The Rwandan government will begin using drones to make up to 150 on-demand, emergency deliveries per day of life-saving blood to 21 transfusing facilities located in the western half of the country. The drones …

During an official state visit to Germany, President Muhammadu Buhari called for closer economic ties. But faced with an economic downturn in Nigeria, German companies point to major hurdles to investment, reports Naomi Conrad. In the end, it took two attempts: As Chancellor Angela Merkel struggled to pronounce Muhammadu Buhari’s name at a joint press conference in Berlin, the Nigerian …

The youth empowerment initiative to promote educational achievement in the African community in Germany holds its annual award ceremony in Hamburg on 15 October 2016 in the historic building of the city’s Chamber of Commerce. The annual African Youth Education (AYE) Awards aim to motivate young people of African origin in Germany to seek excellence in school. The scheme was …

  President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria begins a three-day (13-15 October) official visit to Germany today. He is expected to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel on issues of shared interests between Nigeria and Germany, including co-operation on security, the humanitarian situation of internally displaced persons and rehabilitation of the North-East ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency, as well as trade …

German chancellor Angela Merkel and her foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier have been visiting Africa at the same time. Top of their agendas were migration, security and investment. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described Nigeria as the “powerhouse” of Africa as he embarked on his one day trip to the country. Nigeria was not only rich in natural resources, but also the most …

Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel has called on African leaders to stop migration to Europe and fight back against Islamic extremism. She vowed to help with development aid and military equipment to ensure peace and prosperity in Africa. Germany will also make Africa a priority of Germany’s G20 presidency in 2017. Merkel visited Mali, Niger and Ethiopia during a three-day tour, …

Nelly Sarpong, Berlin-based Ghanaian-born writer, bemoans human trafficking and what we as individuals can do to combat this modern-day slavery. Imagine going to a supermarket and seeing human beings on the stands with barcodes on them, being sold and resold as commodities. Imagine human beings being auctioned to the highest bidder. Imagine human beings as puppets being at the mercy …

Habte Hadgu (61), a travel agent, is the proprietor of Red Sea Travel & Tours, Heidelberg. “I came to Germany in 1978 to study. Previously, I was studying at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. One of my fellow students who later became very famous was Meles Zenawi (the late Prime Minister of Ethiopia). He was in his second year while …

Amid the gloom of recession and a tightening of belts in the homeland, Nigerian academics, business people and other professionals met with German companies to discuss ways of forging ahead in Hamburg, reports Michael Nnaji. Nigerians living in Germany gathered in the port city of Hamburg recently to parley on what the great Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe once described as …

A $3.4 billion Chinese-built railway linking the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the port city of Djibouti has opened, a boost to both African countries’ economies and an important milestone for Chinese investments in Africa. The new 750-km line, which completely replaces a long-defunct French line built in the early 20th century, will reduce travel time between the two cities …

Under US pressure, the UN refuses to lift an embargo against the tiny nation of Eritrea, while ignoring constant aggressions by its huge neighbour, Ethiopia, writes Dr Fikrejesus Amahazion. The UN has abrogated its responsibility to uphold international law – and, instead, coddles Washington’s military ally, he argues. During one of his debates with Socrates, Thrasymachus alleges that “justice is …

“There are examples of villages with several mosques but the Christians have to worship in school classrooms. Christians are not allowed to acquire land to build churches.”

Under the theme Restorative Justice after Genocide, the German NGO community meets descendants of the victims of the Ovaherero and Nama genocides 1904-1908 from all over the world on 14-16 October in Berlin. The conference is organised by Berlin Postkolonial in cooperation with AfricAvenir International, the Ovaherero/Ovambanderu Genocide Foundation (OGF), the Nama Technical Committee on Genocide, the Association of the …