Our Associate Publisher Bugs Steffen, who has been travelling to Ghana for more than 30 years, writes on the interesting places to visit in Accra and beyond. People often ask me what would be THE thing to do and what would have to be included in the must-see list of things if one were to go on a holiday to …

A number of leading Russian companies plan to invest US$4.6 billion to create an industrial zone next to the Suez Canal by 2035, Lenta.ru cites the Russian Trade Ministry in a new report. Most of the money will come from private investors. Russian companies Kamaz, GAZ, UAZ, Transmashholding, Gazprom Neft, Tatneft, Inter RAO and others will be part of the …

Berlin has officially referred to colonial-era crimes committed by German troops in today’s Namibia as genocide. The government has been criticized, however, for holding talks with Namibia without survivors’ descendants. For decades, Germany’s parliament and governments tried their level best to avoid this dark chapter of German colonial history. Daily newspaper “Frankfurter Rundschau,” reported on 12 June, however, that for …

Clashes have resumed in South Sudan’s capital Juba between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and ex-rebel leader Riek Machar. Former UN diplomat Peter Schumann tells DW the fighting may escalate into a full-scale war. South Sudan’s presidency on Friday put the death toll from the clashes at 270, although it is thought to be much higher by now. The …

Larry Bello reports on the final of the football competition that brought together teams of players of migrant origin living in Germany which took place recently in Frankfurt ‘Egyptian Hamburg’, ‘Balkan Boys’, ‘Sylli National Guinea’ and 9 other teams made of players with various migrant backgrounds  gathered in Frankfurt on a sunny summer afternoon,  coinciding with the round of 16 …

The inaugural version of the Nigerian Ambassador’s Cup Germany football tournament took place on 14 May in Berlin. The trophy was contested for by the chapters of the Nigerian Community Germany (NCG) e.V. Four teams – NCG Hamburg, NCG Wolfsburg, NCG Ausburg and NCG Berlin/Cottbus – participated in the final stages. The competition was organised by the national body of …

As part of the massive expansion of its operations in Germany, the global CEO of the worldwide operating money transfer provider MoneyGram, Alex Holmes, was in Frankfurt recently to open the company’s new head office in Germany. The occasion provided opportunity to talk about money transfer in a time of refugee crisis and the social responsibility of operators in the …

Ghana’s former President Jerry John Rawlings has called for a global campaign for the return of Nigeria’s stolen funds kept in developed countries. According to him, the international community should spearhead the initiative in a manner similar to that for the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls. Rawlings, who spoke to the Nigerian newspaper The Guardian in Accra recently on …

The UK Authorities charged with enforcing the EU timber regulations (EUTR), have taken action against 14 UK importers sourcing timber from Cameroon linked to illegal logging.[1] Green Peace Press Release This news was presented at a Chatham House meeting in London on June 16, following comparable action by the Netherlands in early March, demonstrating that timber from Cameroon is coming …

A new youth exchange scheme known as the German African Youth Initiative (Deutsch-Afrikanische Jugendinitiative – DAJ) was launched in Bonn on 1 July by German Development Minister Gerd Müller and the Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology at the African Union (AU) Martial De-Paul Ikounga. Dirke Köpp, head of DW’s French for Africa service, spoke to the minister about …

Stakeholders take stock of Equal Opportunity in Germany, ten years after the anti-discrimination law went into effect The General Act on Equal Treatment (Allgemeine Gleichbehandlungsgesetz or AGG), enacted for the purpose of preventing or stopping discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation in Germany, went into force in August …

Nigeria’s Wole Soyinka received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. He was the first African writer to be honoured with the prestigious prize. Alexander Macbeth on how Soyinka’s Nobel has influenced the development of African literature 30 years on. From Negritude to Afrofuturism (via Tigritude and Afrocentricity), the empire continues to write back. Africa is constantly reshaping her own …

Remittance business undergoes silent revolution Before Western Union started offering money transfer services to Africa in 1995, the first company to do so, it used to take weeks if not months to find somebody travelling home to take the envelope along. And the brave ones among us who hid money in mails were often unlucky after post office workers in …

Because of unfavourable demographic developments, Germany is in dire need of foreign skilled workers. To persuade them to choose Germany over other countries, the Federal Republic is even reviewing its almost institutionalised reservations vis-à-vis migrants and foreigners. Migrants already living in Germany can get their professional certificates and degrees earned abroad recognised thanks to a special law, and the government …

2016 commemorates the 35th anniversary of Bob Marley’s death. Perhaps no other musician has had such a profound impact on how we see the world and our place in it as Marley, who died on 11 May 1981. He infused powerful social messages – of unity and strength in the face of oppression – in his music. German reggae enthusiast …

US-Nigerian poet and devel­op­ment com­mu­ni­ca­tions scholar, who teaches Yoruba at the Uni­ver­sity of Florida, Gainsville, writes about his experiences at Bonn’s first sus­tain­abilty bar camp which took place on 25 June.

The Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (Initiative of Black People in Germany or ISD) marked the 30th anniversary of its founding recently. The ISD is the first and the most important group formed by the African diaspora after World War II in this country for the promotion of its interests. Although Blacks have not attained the level of social prominence …

Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, whose trademark is his anonymity, has become famous all over the world for his unconventional way of unearthing corruption. His recent exposé video recordings, revealing corruption in Ghana’s judiciary, has been watched by millions across the world. Reporting from Accra, Francis Sackitey writes on how the sensational scandal can affect foreign investment in a country …

Cape Town’s hypermodern airport welcomes visitors with its shiny and squeaky clean appearance. Everything is well-organised and immigration formalities swiftly and efficiently dealt with. And yet something seems to be missing and soon it becomes obvious: there are hardly any Black Africans. This jars with the idea of an African country. The drive to the city deepens the impression of …

The World Best African Dance Championships took place recently in Berlin, parading some of the best Afro dancers in the world. The artists, from 12 countries, competed as soloists and crews in the categories 1vs1 Afro House, 1vs1 Coupé Décalé and 2vs2 Afro Fusion. There was no pre-qualification for the contest as the participants were able to register at the …