News

South African schools will teach Swahili alongside other non-African languages such as Mandarin, French and German. Proponents hope it may one day become a lingua franca for the African continent. Thuso Khumalo of Deutsche Welle reports. One of Africa’s most widely recognized languages, Swahili — also known as Kiswahili — will soon be taught in South African classrooms, in a …

A robust manufacturing sector is broadly understood as a fundamental path to economic growth and development. Despite their manufacturing potential and promising trajectories, most African countries have remained relatively dearth of factories, writes Professor Landry Signé. How to unlock the manufacturing and industrialization potential in Africa? The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa …

Anti-racism demonstrators in Hamburg called for safe migration routes and an end to right-wing extremism. The march comes after the eastern German town of Chemnitz experienced several anti-immigrant protests. Thousands of demonstrators attended a parade against racism in the northern German city of Hamburg on Saturday, police said. The “United against Racism” parade, a collaboration between more than 450 organizations …

Germany’s Social Democratic and Green party are haemorrhaging support from people with migratory backgrounds. The main benefactor is Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Union bloc, but the anti-migrant AfD has also seen gains. David Martin reports from Berlin. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc has become the most popular party among German citizens with migratory backgrounds, according to a report published on …

Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court has ruled that Ousman Sonko, a former interior minister of Gambia suspected of human rights abuses, must remain in Swiss detention until January 2019. In a decision published on Monday, the Bellinzona-based court rejected Sonko’s appeal challenging his detention. According to the court, various people have been interviewed as witnesses or informants. Their statements confirmed the …

Members of the Black Community from across Germany and Europe will converge on the city of Nuremberg on Saturday (22 September) for the second edition of ‘Night of the African Living Legend Award & Recognition’. Organised by the African German Information Centre (AGIC) Hamburg, the event’s aim is to shine the spotlight on people of African descent in Germany and …

With his performance, the 33-year-old beat the previous record set by fellow Kenyan runner Dennis Kimetto in 2014. Two hours, one minute and 39 seconds. That’s how long, or little, it took Kenyan superstar runner Eliud Kipchoge to cover the 42.2km of the Berlin Marathon – and smash the world record in the process by a staggering 78 seconds.   …

Rwandan Stories of Change held an international conference at the University of St Andrews on the 6th of July 2018. We brought together scholars from across the Humanities and Social Sciences to explore how Rwanda has changed since the genocide of 1994. Chijioke Kizito Onah, Masters Student of Anglophone Literatures, Cultures and Media, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany, recently attended …

Germany replaced the United States as the country with the best global image in a survey of 50 countries, according to the 2017 Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index. Simon Anholt, founder of the Index, talks about Germany’s image – and the responsibility that it creates. Germany was ranked number 1 in the most recent Nation Brands Index (NBI). What were the reasons …

Agreement reinstates rebel leader Riek Machar as vice-president, formally ending five years of bloody civil war. South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir signed a peace deal with main rebel leader Riek Machar on Wednesday, formally ending a five-year war that killed tens of thousands. The deal, mediated by Sudan and signed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, reinstated Machar in his …

The family of former United Nations Secretary General have published a tribute to the man hailed as a reformer at the global diplomacy outfit.  It is published on the website of the Kofi Annan Foundation and produced here below. On 18 August, the world lost a leader and a statesman: Kofi Atta Annan. And we lost a brother, a husband, a …

African leaders are in the Chinese city of Beijing for a high-level summit hosted by the Chinese government. The Forum for Africa-China Cooperation (FOCAC)  Summit is a meeting between the two partners and is largely premised on ways to increase diplomatic, economic and bilateral ties. It officially kicks off on September 3 through to September 4. This year’s edition is themed …

Almost 20,000 people have marched through Berlin and Hamburg demanding that Germany take in more migrants stranded at sea. Sunday’s marches were organized in response to the violent anti-migrant protests in Chemnitz. Up to 16,000 people marched through the northern German city of Hamburg on Sunday, urging officials to open up the city’s ports to stranded migrant rescue ships in …

Protests by some residents in a Paris neighbourhood resulted in the postponement of the opening of a migrant reception centre for hundreds of migrants in the French capital. The Paris prefecture has postponed the opening of a migrant reception centre for hundreds of migrants in Paris in the arrondissement of Montmartre, after residents staged a protest. Residents said they were …

Namibia marked the return by Germany of the remains of indigenous men and women killed during the colonial era, with a traditional ceremony in Windhoek’s Parliament Gardens on Friday. The personal apology by the German official who travelled to Windhoek for the ceremony falls far short of what the Herero and Nama demand. But the descendants of the victims appeared …

In what is akin to a giant step since its founding in 2000, the London-headquartered Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE), has opened a liaison office in the nation’s capital Abuja, signalling its intention to play a more robust role in national affairs. The brief ceremony, marking the event on Monday, was attended by among others Prof Nick Eze, CEO …

Muslims are celebrating Eid el-Kabir (known also as Eid al-Adha) as more than 2 million pilgrims carry out the final days of Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Muslims across the world are celebrating the festival of Eid el-Kabir, which coincides with the final rites of the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. While many will celebrate on Tuesday, millions of others, including in …

“For people wishing to study in Germany, it is not difficult to get a visa. It is easier than you think. It requires filing the details or you can just go to our website,” – Mr Bernhard Schlagheck, German Ambassador to Nigeria,  July 2017 ————————————————– One of the legal ways to migrate to Europe is to go there to study. …

The Swiss Federal Council has adopted new regulations that would require foreigners residing in Switzerland to meet certain criteria of good behaviour before their residence permits are renewed. The seven-member executive body adopted the new regulations on Wednesday (15 August) as part of the revision of the Act on Foreign Nationals. The new rules will enter into force in 2019. …

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres opened the floodgates of tribute for one of his predecessors, Kofi Annan, who died yesterday aged 80 after a short illness in Geneva, Switzerland. Guterres described Annan, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 2001, as a guiding force for good. Guterres in his tribute said: “it is with profound sadness that I learned …