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Some 35,000 deportations took place in Germany in the last 18 months. More than 600 were abandoned, however. Pro-free movement groups are offering information on how to successfully hinder a deportation.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged Monday that there would be no repeat of last year’s “chaotic” border opening to refugees, after a stinging loss for her party in Berlin elections. Even as she defended the “political and ethical” decision to let in one million asylum seekers in 2015 in the face of a potential humanitarian catastrophe, Merkel admitted mistakes that …

Libyans who mounted a revolution against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi now miss the stability provided by the old order because of the savage violence into which the country has descended, RT reports. The testimony has emerged in a number of on-the-ground interviews carried out by the Daily Mail and comes only days after a Commons Defence Committee report placed blame for …

Econet Media has added Formula 1 racing to its portfolio. The African broadcaster has successfully concluded a three-and-a-half-year deal with Formula One World Championship Limited which gives its free-to-air (FTA) platform, Kwesé Free Sports, exclusive free-to-air English language rights across sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa. The deal means that Kwesé Free Sports will now broadcast same-day delayed coverage of Formula 1 racing …

Dr Michael Nnaji, a medical doctor working at the university teaching hospital Charité in Berlin, writes on the potential of a Nigerian-made drug to change how diseases are treated. Fola Adebisi (not real name) is 46 and was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by her family physician. Adebisi, a widow and school teacher, lives in Western Nigeria and earns …

Angela Merkel has vowed to “win back trust” after her party suffered a humiliating defeat against the anti-migrant AfD in state elections. The result has been blamed on voter disenchantment with her refugee policy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday defended her government’s handling of the refugee crisis, but said the poor election result showed there was work to be …

Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng has been voted German Footballer of the Year by sports journalists in Germany, the German magazine kicker said. Boateng won the vote by a landslide after getting 163 votes, far more than fellow Bayern players Thomas Müller (95) and Robert Lewandowski (90). Boateng is the first defender to win the accolade since Bayern Munich and …

Benin’s President Patrice Talon has promised to turn the fortunes of his country around by the end of his five-year term in office. He made the declaration in Paris recently during his first official visit to Europe since his election in March. Talon said leaders must improve the lot of their citizens. “Those who govern have the responsibility to eradicate …

African women from across Europe and guests from Africa gathered recently at the prestigious Maritim Hotel in the western German city of Dusseldorf. The conference with the theme “Leadership and Integration for Change” was attended by more than hundred participants. The meeting was organised by African Women in Europe ( AWE ). Founded in 2008 by Joy Wanjiru Zenz and …

The leaders of Germany, France and Italy have vowed that the European Union would survive the UK’s exit. They also urged more co-operation on security and job creation and help for young Europeans in an effort to lay the groundwork for an informal summit on the future of the EU without the UK, which will take place on 16 September …

As the 2016 general elections draw nearer the first line of Ghana’s national anthem, “God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong”, is the prayer on the lips of every Ghanaian. And Ghanaians living in Germany are no exception as they look forward to the polls, which are to hold on 6 December. Organised by the …

Investigators in Germany have reenacted the death of Oury Jalloh, a Sierra Leonean who police claim set himself alight in a cell while his hands were shackled. Campaigners are convinced he was murdered. After eleven years of campaigning, fund-raising, and at least three independent fire tests, state prosecutors in Dessau, eastern Germany have re-staged the death of Oury Jalloh, a …

On a recent tour of Senegal, Niger and Rwanda, German Development Minister Gerd Müller repeated his call for a Marshall Plan for Africa. But is a post-World War II-style recovery program realistic or even necessary? Gerd Müller makes his way on foot across the arid field in Cayar, a small town in Senegal. After a few steps, he reaches the …

The United Kingdom decided to end its European Union membership at the referendum of 23 June. Actual exit will not commence until the British government invokes Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. British Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated this will not be rushed and will not happen this year. Our contributing editor and London-based legal scholar Sylvester …

Germany’s interior minister has called for new anti-terror measures. Media report that some of Thomas de Maiziere’s plans could take effect without the approval of the lower house of parliament. German newspapers report that Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere intends to present new measures that he says will and could take effect without the approval of the Bundestag, the lower …

The news headlines on the recent municipal elections in South Africa have one thing in common: that the governing African National Congress (ANC) lost and hence is losing its dominance of the country’s political landscape. The 2016 municipal elections elected the members of the district, metropolitan and local municipal councils in all 9 provinces, who, in turn, will elect the …

The South Sudanese government has decided to deploy a regional force to protect civilians. The decision comes a month after fighting broke out between rival army factions and the release of a critical UN report. Mahboub Maalim, head of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in East Africa (IGAD), said on Friday (5 August) that the government had accepted a protection …

Maisha e.V. hosted the International Conference on Political Participation of Migrant Women in Frankfurt recently. The event, featuring podium discussions and workshops, explored how women of African descent, migrant women in Germany and even refugees could better be involved in the political process to champion their interests. The conference was organised in collaboration with ASA, a programme of Engagement Global …

Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the attacks in Wurzburg and Ansbach as “Islamic terror” but assured that the country will continue to offer refuge to those fleeing war and political persecution. The attacks were shocking, distressing and depressing, the Chancellor said at a press conference in Berlin today (28 July). “Taboos of civilisation are being broken,” she said, referring to …

Ghana has begun to offer visas on arrival to citizens of all 54 African Union member states. Ghana is now the third country in the continent after Mauritius and Rwanda to allow visas on arrival for all Africans. Ghana’s new visa policy is big news in Africa because travelling in the continent is not easy for Africans. “Nationals from African …