FEATURES

Shocking scenes of anti-migrant violence in South Africa expose more than xenophobia; they reveal a deeper continental crisis. Beneath the brutality lies failed governance, economic despair and broken promises across Africa. This moment demands not only outrage, but honest reflection on leadership, accountability and the urgent need for systemic transformation in the continent, argues Femi Awoniyi The images of African …

Beijing has scrapped import tariffs on goods from 53 African countries, in what it calls an unprecedented act of economic solidarity. The figures are striking. But an analysis of who exports what — and at what rates — reveals a more complicated picture. For Africa to convert market access into economic transformation, far more than a tariff change will be …

The United Nations General Assembly has taken a significant symbolic step in confronting one of the darkest chapters in human history. On 25 March 2026, the Assembly adopted a resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” a move widely welcomed by advocates of historical justice and reparative action. The occasion was the UN Plenary to …

COMMENTARY By Amal Abbass* On 25 March 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement as the “gravest crime against humanity.” Though non-binding, the resolution explicitly links historical recognition to reparative justice, including apology, restitution, compensation, institutional reform and the return of cultural property. This article argues that …

A growing number of African nationals are being drawn into Russia’s war against Ukraine. What investigators, journalists and governments have pieced together is a troubling picture of systematic deception. Young men targeted in countries where unemployment is high and poverty is prevalent are lured with the promise of well-paid civilian jobs and then coerced into military service on some of …

The German Bundestag has passed a major overhaul of the country’s asylum laws. The new rules — enacted on Friday, 27 February 2026 — implement a European Union asylum reform while also introducing new national measures that go further. They aim to process asylum applications faster, reduce so-called “secondary movement” across EU borders and return people who are not eligible …

The landmark Trans-African Tourism and Unity Campaign, led by Pan-African advocate and former Ghanaian lawmaker Ras Mubarak, concluded its multi-month continental tour on 22 January 2026 after traversing 31 African countries and covering more than 40,000 kilometres. The campaign, which began in Accra on 18 August 2025, was to promote visa-free travel across Africa by 2030, strengthen tourism, deepen cultural …

The newly released Henley Passport Index 2026 once again highlights the deep inequalities that shape global mobility, showing how nationality continues to determine who can move freely across borders and who cannot. The annual ranking, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), assesses passports according to the number of destinations their holders can enter without obtaining a …

Against a backdrop of shrinking budgets and a weakening system of international cooperation, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali Radovan, has announced a strategic reorientation of the country’s development policy. The new approach places stronger emphasis on clearly defined priorities, regional focus and a more explicit alignment with German interests. Presenting a policy paper in Berlin …

Institutional racism does not begin with open hostility or explicit exclusion. It often starts quietly, in everyday routines, expectations, and silences within spaces meant to nurture children. Drawing on recent research, Amal Abbass* examines how early childhood institutions shape the emotional safety and self-worth of Black children. This article explores the hidden costs of over-adaptation, empathy gaps, and identity erasure, …

Germany may be one of Europe’s wealthiest nations, but a significant section of its population — especially people with a migration background — continues to struggle with rising living costs, shrinking purchasing power and worsening housing conditions. This is one of the key findings of the Federal Government’s newly approved Poverty and Wealth Report, presented in Berlin on Wednesday. According …

By Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, Head of Mobile for Development, GSMA, and Sarah Malm, Executive Director, GOGLA (the Global Off-Grid Solar Association) _________ For millions of Africans, a charged mobile phone is a gateway to markets, finance, healthcare, and education. Yet hundreds of millions of people still lack electricity, locking them out of the digital economy before they can even log …

In a landmark decision published on published on 20 November, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht, BVerfG) declared that police may not enter a refugee’s room in a communal shelter to carry out a deportation without first obtaining a judicial search warrant. The court, based in Karlsruhe, ruled that such an enforcement measure constitutes a search (“Durchsuchung”) under the German Basic …

In this article, Amal Abbass, discusses racism, microaggressions and language rooted in colonial history. African-European children – children with both African and European heritage – often face subtle but painful comments about their identity. These remarks may not sound openly racist. They may even come from loving family members. But they carry hidden messages that can damage a child’s confidence …

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), in partnership with Nyima’s Bantaba Media Platform, is spotlighting changemakers who are transforming narratives and reshaping Africa’s future. As part of a series of interview publications (VOD & Podcast), Nyima’s Bantaba Media Platform profiles four innovators across East and Southern Africa who are not only talking about change but building it from the …

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), in partnership with Nyima’s Bantaba Media Platform, is spotlighting changemakers who are transforming narratives and reshaping Africa’s future. As part of a series of interview publications (VOD & Podcast), Nyima’s Bantaba Media Platform profiles four innovators across East and Southern Africa who are not only talking about change but building it from the …

Once a year, the BiB.Monitor Wohlbefinden, a research publication by the German Federal Institute for Population Research, measures and reports on the well-being and life satisfaction of people in Germany. This year’s edition examines how life satisfaction differs among various population groups based on their immigration and emigration backgrounds. According to the findings, Africans living in Germany reported an average …

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), in partnership with Nyima’s Bantaba Media Platform, is spotlighting changemakers who are transforming narratives and reshaping Africa’s future. As part of a series of interview publications (VOD & Podcast), Nyima’s Bantaba Media Platform features four innovators across East and Southern Africa who are not only talking about change but building it from the …

In her earlier article, “Germany: When a Black Child’s Needs and Identity Are Ignored,” Amal Abbass* exposed how racism and institutional neglect within Germany’s family law system fracture Black families and undermine children’s cultural identities. In this follow-up piece, she offers a critical analysis of how race, ableism, and systemic bias intersect to deny children their rights — revealing how …

Coming back to Nigeria after years abroad is never a simple decision. For some, it follows many years of life in Germany. For others, it comes after receiving a decision on an asylum claim, where staying is no longer possible. Whatever the reason, return can feel uncertain and overwhelming. This is where trusted support makes all the difference. What Is ARRIVES? Assisting the …