THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Karamba Diaby, the first African-born member of the German parliament, has announced that he would not run in next year’s federal election. Dr Diaby, who was first elected into the Bundestag in 2013, wants to spend more time with his family and make way for younger politicians. Here’s the public statement he issued on Wednesday to announce his decision not to seek re-election at the 2025 federal elections:
It has been a special honour for me to represent constituency 72 and thus Halle (Saale), Petersberg, Landsberg and Kabelsketal in the German Bundestag since 2013. I am particularly grateful for the direct mandate in the 2021 Bundestag election.
I owe the SPD municipal association and the state association a great debt of gratitude for their trust and support – especially for nominating me as the SPD Saxony-Anhalt’s lead candidate for the 2021 Bundestag election.
After much thought and consideration, I have decided – in consultation with my family – not to run for the Bundestag again.
There are no political reasons for my decision not to run again. On the contrary: I can look back on eleven enriching and successful years in federal politics.
Among other things, I helped to initiate the Skilled Labour Immigration Act, the minimum wage and dual citizenship in parliament. For my constituency, I was able to help obtain federal funding totalling over 33 million euros. And in Berlin, under my leadership, the SPD parliamentary group’s Africa dialogue group has become an important player in German Africa policy. These are just a few of the successes that make me very proud.
After three terms of office, it is time to break new ground and make way for the next political generation. Of course, I will remain active in the SPD and committed to cohesion in our city. At the same time, however, I am very much looking forward to having more time for my family, friends and our allotment garden in the future.
It is clear to me that this decision does not mean that I will reduce my motivation in my parliamentary work. The people in my constituency can rest assured that my team and I will continue to pursue their concerns and the interests of our region with full commitment.
True to my guiding principle: #karambakümmertsich (Karamba cares)
