Headline News

1, September 2024

Eto shines as Cameroon fights back in U-20 Women’s World Cup opener ⁰

Cameroon marked their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup debut with a spirited 2-2 draw against Mexico in their Group A opener in Colombia on Saturday thanks to a brace by Naomi Eto.

The Indomitable Lionesses, representing the hopes of a continent, found themselves on the back foot early when Paola Garcia headed Mexico into the lead after just three minutes at the Estadio Nemesio Camacho in Bogota.

Despite hitting the woodwork twice through Atcha Toko Njoya and Naomi Eto, Cameroon’s first-half woes deepened as Montserrat Saldivar doubled Mexico’s advantage before the break.

However, the second half saw a transformed Cameroonian side emerge. The catalyst for their comeback was the irrepressible Eto, who took the game by the scruff of the neck.

Her first goal, a display of composure and skill as she rounded the Mexican goalkeeper, ignited Cameroon’s resurgence.

With the clock ticking down and Cameroon hopes hanging in the balance, Eto rose highest in the 85th minute to power home a header.

The goal not only secured a precious point for the Indomitable Lionesses but also announced Eto as a new star of African football as she was named the Player of the Match.

This result marks a historic moment for Cameroon but also sends a strong message about the quality of the side in the competition.

The draw breaks Mexico’s streak of wins in opening matches, underlining the competitive nature of this Cameroonian side.

Looking ahead, Indomitable Lionesses will face hosts Colombia in their next group match.

Source: CAF.online

1, September 2024

OIC ends Cameroon meeting with pledge to help countries combat extremism ⁰

A two-day meeting of officials from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ended in Cameroon Friday with promises to help member countries deal with armed conflict, violent extremism, economic hardships and climate shocks. OIC officials acknowledge these issues, among others, have plunged a majority of civilians in the 57-member organization into poverty.

About 500 delegates from 57 countries attended the meeting in Cameroon, including foreign ministers, diplomats and high-ranking officials.

Most of the conference focused on the problems faced by member countries.

Boukary Sawadogo, Burkina Faso’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia and permanent representative of his country to the OIC, says he is satisfied that OIC member states have made very strong commitments to give direct assistance to nations that are tackling the root causes of conflicts, which are mainly poverty and hardships among civilians.

He says it is unfortunate that terrorism is surging in Burkina Faso with devastating consequences for its neighbors, Mali and Niger.

The OIC said it will assist Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and Nigeria — the member countries with the highest death tolls from terrorism.

The OIC also promised a donors conference before the end of 2024 to help refugees in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria fleeing terrorism.

In terms of economic programs, the OIC said it is sponsoring construction of a road linking Chad and Cameroon, and said a second phase of that road project will be announced by November.

The organization said it will also launch reforestation programs in Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Burkina Faso, where the desert is advancing.

On a broader scale, Gambian diplomat Mamadou Tangara says the participants agreed to develop transport and communications, which he said are key tools to fight poverty and insecurity.

“The development of our transport and communication infrastructures could enhance and consolidate the sustainable social and economic development including the creation and facilitation of different economic opportunities such as job creation and market access, safety and security services contributing to improved emergency response and crime reduction mechanisms,” he said.

The OIC says it is finalizing negotiations for possible construction of a 4,000-kilometer Africa transcontinental railway linking Senegal and Sudan. The railway would connect Africa with the Atlantic Ocean, the Red Sea, Middle East and Asia and increase access to markets and reducing poverty.

The OIC says it will continue to address the repercussions of what the participants call the brutal Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people, promising to strengthen Palestinian resilience in defending their legitimate rights.

They emphasized the need for the OIC’s collective efforts to enact U.N. Security Council resolutions that call for an immediate and comprehensive cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, and sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to all parts of the Gaza Strip.

The OIC also said it will intensify humanitarian efforts and constructive dialogue in Afghanistan to end the ban on girls’ education and women’s work.

Source: VOA

1, September 2024

Ivorian defender, Sol Bamba, dies aged 39 ⁰

Tributes have been pouring in for former Ivory Coast defender, Sol Bamba, who has died at the age of 39.

Turkish club Adanaspor, where he was technical director, made the announcement on Saturday saying he had fallen ill before a match the day before.

Bamba made 46 appearances for his country, representing it at the 2008 Olympics and in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

He also played for the likes of Cardiff City, Leeds United, and Leicester City and had spells at Italian side Palermo, Scottish clubs Dunfermline Athletic and Hibernian, and Turkish side Trabzonspor.

In a post on X, Cardiff City which Bamba helped to clinch promotion to the Premier League in his first full season, described him as “a true gentleman” and called his impact on it “immeasurable”.

Bamba was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021 while at Cardiff, but was declared cancer-free after a course of chemotherapy.

He returned to play for two English clubs before retiring in January 2023.

Bamba then went on to coach, first as assistant manager at Cardiff before taking up the post of technical director at Adanaspor.

His wife, Chloe, also paid tribute to him on Instagram saying while he fought the cancer head on with stoicism, it was never a fair fight.

“These years have been indescribably difficult but we still managed to find joy and laughter in it,” she said, adding that it had been an “honour to have loved and been loved by Sol”.

Source: Africa News

1, September 2024

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Voter registration ends as polls near ⁰

The voter registration process for the 2024 elections in Cameroon has ended.

According to an official announcement from the Director of Elections, registrations were to officially close on Saturday, August 31, at exactly 2:00 PM local time.

Main political parties were seen making a final push to enroll as many eligible voters as possible. Their efforts focused on encouraging citizens to register before the deadline, aiming to maximize voter participation.

In the final days leading up to the registration cutoff, parties deployed a variety of strategies to mobilize voters.

These include door-to-door campaigns, leaflet distributions, and extensive media and digital outreach, all aimed at ensuring that citizens aged 20 and above are registered.

As of the last count by the electoral body, more than 7 million Cameroonians have registered to vote.

In July, Cameroonian lawmakers passed a bill extending their mandate by one year, effectively postponing the legislative elections initially scheduled for early 2025.

The 89-year-old President Paul Biya is expected to run in the forthcoming election.

Maurice Kamto and Cabral Libii are among the main opposition leaders who will face it off against the long-serving president Biya.

Source: AP

1, September 2024

Mkpot village in Manyu: Chief Oruh, it’s true, so please go ⁰

Mbi Oruh is one of those corrupt CPDM imposed traditional rulers that shamelessly usurped the chieftaincy thrones of villages, against the wishes of their ancestors and kingmakers, with the sole purpose of promoting and abetting their interests and that of President Biya’s repugnant hegemony.

Cameroon Concord Group had earlier highlighted how after his enthronement as the chief of Mkpot village in Manyu Division, Mbi Oruh on April 2007, confessed to Elvis Tah, a reporter with the Postnewsline, that he was not the right person for the throne and therefore not qualified to be the legitimate chief of Mkpot.

Upon retirement from the position of Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Industries, Mines, and Technological Development, the immediate plan for this self-styled engineer with questionable academic credentials and persona, void of any iota of requisite genuine leadership qualities and ethics of care for his countrymen, was to focus on growing his personal wealth. He resorted to exploitation and extortion from poor and highly vulnerable villagers through various forms of agricultural land grapping and Machiavellian tactics at the expense of the livelihood security, social cohesion and overall growth and development of his village.

1n 2013, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) in partnership with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (UNFAO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded a project that aimed to establish and equip four medium-scale palm oil processing centers in Cameroon and one center in the Federal Republic of Nigeria with new technologies that enhance the production capacities of various village groups and cooperatives to 2 tons per hour. Mkpot village in Manyu Division was chosen to be one of the beneficiaries and designated centers for this multimillion dollar palm oil processing optimization and sustainable rural development projects.

Other designated centers that supposedly benefited from the project include Teze/Ngie (Cameroon), Sombo (Cameroon) and Akwa Ibom State (Nigeria). The project with great objectives of improving the management, production and marketing of palm oil as well as engendering the livelihoods and rural economies/development in Mkpot and neighbouring villages carrying out palm oil farming, such as, Ebam, Bakwelle, Afap, Etemetek became Chief Oruh Michael’s piggy bank.

The people of Mkpot have been paying huge amounts of money to this CPDM criminal in order to process their palm oil at a substandard facility representing an oil mill, which he horribly constructed after stealing most of the funds that were meant for the project. Since Mbi Oruh’s palm plantation could not produce enough nuts to meet the production capacity of the mill, he resorted to manipulating poor and desperate famers to sell their farms to him at give-away prices. We of the Cameroon Concord Group are of the opinion that this is shameful, disgusting, disgraceful and so absurd to come from a traditional ruler who is supposed to empower his people and be the custodian of their livelihoods, survival and well-being.

My sources in Manyu hinted that Mbi Oruh used part of the stolen money to invest in real estate in Yaoundé, Buea and Limbe, which today, are his ill-gotten point of pride though living in Yaoundé as an internally displaced chief.

A senior Mkpot citizen residing in Germany told this reporter that some concerned elders are digging deeper and engaging appropriate local and international stakeholders and they will not relent until Mbi Oruh is held accountable for misappropriating rural development funds.

Mbi Oruh is the chief facilitator of summary executions and extrajudicial killings of his subjects and fellow countrymen. We of the Concord Group are reaffirming that Mbi Oruh orchestrated the killings of Mr Orock Thomas Enow, Mr Tambe John Ojongmbang, Mr. Ako Benedict Ako, Mr. Bate Joseph aka Best Joe, Mr Ayuk Peter Nayongoh, Mr Awa Armstrong, Mr Besong Valderama Takor and Manyor Ntui by the Francophone dominated Cameroon government military.

Mbi Oruh Michael carries with him Chief Moja Moja’s shadow in Mkpot. Consequently, he should be in SED for the heinous crimes he committed against civilians in his village.

He is to us in the Concord Group an internally displaced WhatsApp Chief who has now embarked on a new fraudulent scheme of luring Mkpot diaspora to pay millions of Francs CFA supposedly meant for Mkpot development projects into his personal bank account to sustain his lavish lifestyle in Yaoundé.

These days, the Saddam Hussein of Mkpot has not only resorted to fraudulent schemes but has also adopted bullying and quarrelling on all Mkpot whatsApp forums as a policy geared towards suppressing his people.

We think he should step down as the traditional ruler of Mkpot. Chief Mbi Oruh, now we know it’s true, so please go

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

31, August 2024

Cameroon’s Coffee Exports to France Quadruple in Value Over Three Years ⁰

In 2023, Cameroon exported 1,648.3 tons of coffee to France, earning CFA2.3 billion, according to a report by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The report highlights that only robusta coffee, one of the two main types produced in Cameroon, was sold to France in that year.

The INS report shows a significant increase in the value of Cameroon’s coffee exports to France between 2021 and 2023. Over these three years, the value has quadrupled, likely due to a rise in global coffee prices and the increased volume of coffee shipped.

In 2021, Cameroon exported just 604.4 tons of robusta coffee to France, generating nearly CFA580 million. By the following year, the shipments had grown to 1,264.4 tons, bringing in CFA1.6 billion in export revenue.

The growing interest of French consumers in Cameroonian coffee has boosted its position among the top 10 products exported from Cameroon to France, ranking just ahead of bananas and just behind cocoa derivatives like butter, oil, and paste.

Source: Business in Cameroon

31, August 2024

Yaoundé: At OIC’s moot, Pakistan calls for securing immediate ceasefire in Gaza ⁰

Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi called for securing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as he addressed a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in Cameroon, Pakistan’s foreign office said on Friday.

Qazi led the Pakistan delegation to the two-day OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting on Aug. 29-30, where he highlighted the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza and the West Bank as well as conflicts across the world, fueled by endemic poverty, terrorist and extremist groups and external interventions.

Pakistan’s top diplomat said the raison d’être of the OIC dictated “determined action” to respond to Israel’s ongoing military campaign against the Palestinian people and the depredations against Islam’s most sacred sites and symbols, noting that the war on Gaza had killed over 40,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly 2 million others.

“We must urgently secure an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank; ensure unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza; prevent the spread of the conflict to the entire Middle East, while holding Israel accountable for its criminal assassinations and violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran, Lebanon and other States,” Qazi was quoted as saying by the Pakistani foreign office.

Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October last year, the South Asian country has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations and demanded international powers and multilateral bodies stop Israeli military actions. Pakistan has also dispatched several aid consignments for the Palestinians.

The two-day event was held in Cameroon’s capital city of Yaoundé, where the top Pakistani diplomat also spoke about challenges facing the Muslim world, including rising Islamophobia.

He said Islamophobia had emerged as a global crisis, marked by frequent desecration of the Holy Qur’an, attacks on mosques, stereotyping of Muslims and acts of discrimination and violence against them.

“We must work within the OIC, including through the OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Islamophobia, to reach out to the United Nations to develop an Action Plan to Combat Islamophobia,” Qazi urged.

Source: Arabnews

31, August 2024

Yaoundé: 50th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Kicks Off ⁰

The 50th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has commenced in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, under the theme: “Development of Transport and Communications Infrastructure within the OIC Framework: A Key Tool in the Fight against Poverty and Insecurity.” and under the patronage of Cameroonian President Paul Biya.

At the outset of the session, Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute affirmed his country’s support for the OIC.

The Cameroonian Prime Minister emphasized the centrality of the Palestinian issue, the necessity of implementing the two-state solution, and halting the Israeli occupation’s aggression against the Palestinian people.

Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella, delivered a speech on behalf of his country after assuming the presidency of the session. He welcomed the guests to the 50th session, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of Cameroon’s accession to the OIC in 1974, and expressed his gratitude to the President of the 49th session, Mauritanian Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, for his excellent management of the previous session.

The Minister emphasized the importance of the theme of the 50th session: ““Development of Transport and Communications Infrastructure within the OIC Framework: A Key Tool in the Fight against Poverty and Insecurity.”, and highlighted the significance of development and achieving peace and security for member states, noting the escalation of violence in Palestine and reaffirming the principle of the two-state solution.

For his part, OIC Secretary-General Hussein Ibrahim Taha expressed his sincere gratitude to the Cameroonian authorities for their efforts and arrangements to ensure the success of the session, praising the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its generous support to the organization.

Taha pointed out that “the issue of Palestine and Al-Quds is witnessing serious developments that pose a challenge to the international community in general and the OIC in particular, as Israeli occupation forces continue their unprecedented military aggression against Gaza and all Palestinian territories, including the city of Al-Quds, resulting in thousands of casualties.”

Taha revealed that “the organization continues its efforts to address the repercussions of the brutal Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people and to strengthen their resilience in their land and defend their legitimate rights,” emphasizing “the necessity of our collective efforts to implement the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions calling for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and ensuring sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to all parts of Gaza.”

He also addressed “the organization’s efforts in Afghanistan in the humanitarian field and in constructive dialogue on various issues, particularly the ongoing ban on girls’ education and women’s work and participation in public life,” noting that “the organization’s efforts have continued through the ongoing visits of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, delegations of scholars, and related OIC institutions to Afghanistan, with the aim of engaging with the de facto government to end this ban.”

Taha reiterated “the OIC’s principled stance supporting the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, welcoming in this context the end of the armed conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan’s restoration of its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its national borders,” expressing “deep concern about the fate of Azerbaijanis who were forcibly displaced from current Armenian territories.”

He confirmed that “the organization will continue its efforts to defend the interests of Muslim communities and societies in non-member countries,” pointing out “the issue of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and expressing hope that this issue, which faces serious challenges, will receive further support and solidarity from member states.”

He stressed that “the organization will continue its efforts in combating terrorism, addressing Islamophobia and religious hatred, and promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue, in cooperation with international partners,” noting that “the Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary-General on combating Islamophobia will soon commence his duties.”

Taha also indicated that “the organization will continue its preparations for the donor conference to support displaced persons and refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin regions, scheduled to be held on October 26, 2024, at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah,” expressing “deep gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for graciously hosting this conference and for its commendable efforts to ensure suitable conditions for its convening.”

For his part, Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Engineer Waleed bin Abdul Karim Al-Khuraiji, in his speech, emphasized “the significant role played by the OIC since its inception in addressing Islamic issues across various fields and protecting the interests of Muslims through its proactive measures to confront various challenges,” expressing “the Kingdom’s aspirations to enhance collective action on issues that concern the Islamic nation at various levels and to advance Islamic cooperation to broader horizons and fields to ensure a better future for our Islamic Ummah.”

Al-Khuraiji reaffirmed the Kingdom’s condemnation and rejection of all forms of crimes committed against the Palestinian people by the occupying forces, stating: “The Israeli occupying forces are indifferent to international resolutions and laws, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of whom are women, children, and innocent civilians, amid a lack of international accountability and the Security Council’s failure to take deterrent measures.”

He highlighted the “support provided by the Kingdom, along with brotherly countries, to halt the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people, which has resulted in the recognition of the State of Palestine by several Western countries during its chairmanship of the ministerial committee emanating from the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh,” referring also to the Arab-Islamic summit’s decision to establish a legal center to document violations and another media center.

Al-Khuraiji confirmed that “the Kingdom continues to provide humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza through a popular campaign launched by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, with donations now exceeding $185 million.”

Regarding the crisis in Sudan, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed “the Kingdom’s firm positions regarding the maintenance of Sudan’s security and stability, and called for the conflicting parties in the Sudanese crisis to return to dialogue to spare the brotherly Sudan further suffering.”

On the Yemeni issue, he noted “the ongoing support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ government for efforts to resolve the crisis in Yemen, aiming to restore peace, security, and stability, reiterating the Kingdom’s initiative to end the war and reach a comprehensive political solution,” warning of “the danger of escalation in the Red Sea region, which undermines efforts to maintain the security and stability of international maritime routes and global trade, and threatens freedom of navigation and global economic growth.”

He confirmed that “the Kingdom has never hesitated to mobilize all its resources to serve humanitarian issues and provide developmental support to brotherly and friendly countries, to foster growth and prosperity in the region and the world,” welcoming member states, its institutions, and international donor partners to the OIC donor conference to be hosted by the Kingdom in October 2024.

Al-Khuraiji revealed that “the Kingdom continues its efforts alongside the Republic of Maldives to organize a joint conference titled ‘Promoting Integrity in the Tourism Sector,’ to enhance the objectives of Islamic cooperation, inviting relevant anti-corruption and tourism agencies in OIC member states to participate in this important conference.”

During the first day of the conference, Palestinian delegation head Riyad Mansour provided “a comprehensive briefing to the attendees on the latest developments in Palestine, noting the President’s initiative to visit Gaza,” and referring to “the International Court of Justice ruling and the ongoing campaign for recognition of the State of Palestine and its full membership in the United Nations.”

Additionally, the Deputy Secretary-Generals of the OIC took their oaths of office during the first day of the session.

The 50th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers is examining numerous resolutions and urgent issues across political, economic, scientific, technological, cultural, social, women’s, youth, and senior citizens’ affairs, humanitarian issues, media matters, legal and organizational matters, and other significant concerns for the Islamic world.

Source: ina.ig

29, August 2024

Norway princess and US shaman’s wedding begins after years of ‘turmoil’ ⁰

Festivities have begun for the wedding of Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise and her American partner, self-styled shaman Durek Verrett.

Hundreds of guests are arriving in the town of Alesund, in western Norway, for a “meet and greet” in a historic hotel.

On Friday, they will travel by sea to the scenic town of Geirager, on the shores of a fjord designated a Unesco World Heritage Site. The wedding programme says that guests will enjoy a “light lunch on the boat while witnessing the majestic mountains and waterfalls”.

The couple will then tie the knot at a private event on Saturday.

Members of the Swedish royal family are said to be attending alongside various social media influencers and TV personalities, including US reality star and model Cynthia Bailey.

According to Norwegian media, guests have been asked not to use mobile phones or cameras during the celebrations and not to post anything on social media.

Princess Märtha Louise, 52, and Mr Verrett, 49, announced their engagement in 2022.

The princess – a former equestrian and the eldest of Norwegian King Harald’s two children – was previously married to the late writer and artist Ari Behn, with whom he had three daughters – Maud, Leah and Emma. The two divorced in 2017. Mr Behn, who had discussed suffering from depression, died on Christmas Day 2019.

Märtha Louise has long attracted controversy in Norway for decades for her involvement in alternative treatments. She lost her honorific “Her Royal Highness” title in 2002 so as to be allowed to start her own business. In 2007, she announced she was clairvoyant and, until 2018, ran a school which she said taught students to “create miracles” and talk to angels.

Last year, Märtha Louise told the BBC’s Katty Kay that there had been so much “turmoil” concerning her decision to take a different path than that of a “traditional royal”.

“There’s been a lot of criticism over the years, especially with me being spiritual – and in Norway, that’s taboo,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mr Verrett says on his site that he is a sixth generation shaman, “servant of god and energy activator” who “demystifies spirituality” through his “no-nonsense teachings”.

In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, he claimed to have risen from the dead and said that when he was a child a relative had predicted he would one day marry the princess of Norway.

Source: BBC

29, August 2024

Being Black in Germany has never been easy ⁰

It was a balmy summer night in 2020, shortly after the lifting of Germany’s first COVID-19 lockdown, and Omar Diallo and two friends from his home country of Guinea wanted to celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice.

“We were enjoying life, playing music, walking through the city at night — we just wanted to be together again and have a good time,” Diallo, 22, told The Associated Press in Erfurt, in the eastern state of Thuringia.

He was not prepared for how the day would end. Suddenly Diallo and his friends were confronted by three black-clad white men.

“They were shouting: ‘What do you want here, f-——- foreigners, get out’!” Diallo remembered.

“First there were three, then five, seven — they were surrounding us from all sides. We couldn’t run away, and then they started chasing us,” he said.

At some point Diallo managed to call the police, and when the officers finally arrived, the attackers ran away. One of his friends was beaten up so badly that he had to be hospitalized.

“I simply tried to survive,” Diallo said. “I hadn’t done anything wrong. It all happened only because of my skin color.”

Being Black in Germany has always meant exposure to racism, from everyday humiliations to deadly attacks. In eastern Germany, the risk can be even greater.

After World War II, West Germany became a democratic, diverse society but in East Germany, which was run by a communist dictatorship until the end of 1989, residents barely had any contact with people of different ethnicities and were not allowed to travel freely abroad.

Experts say that specifically in Thuringia, radical far-right forces have created an environment that’s hostile toward minorities, including Black people.

Now, with the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, Black Germans and African migrants like Diallo are growing increasingly concerned.

Thuringia, which has a population of 2.1 million,holds state elections on Sept. 1, and the fiercely anti-immigration AfD is leading the polls, on 30%.

In 2023, the NGO Ezra, which helps victims of far-right, racist and antisemitic violence, documented 85 racist attacks in Thuringia, down only slightly from 88 attacks in 2022, which Ezra described as “an all-time high of right-wing and racist violence” in the state.

“In recent years, an extreme right-wing movement has formed in Thuringia, which has contributed to a noticeable ideological radicalization of its followers. Politically, the Alternative for Germany party is the main beneficiary,” Ezra and a consortium of organizations tracking racism wrote in their annual report.

AfD’s Thuringia branch is particularly radical and was put under official surveillance by the domestic intelligence service four years ago as a “proven right-wing extremist” group.

“Authoritarian and populist forces, which are becoming very strong here now, harbor a great danger in Thuringia,” says Doreen Denstaedt, Thuringia’s minister for migration, justice and consumer protection.

Denstaedt, the daughter of a Black father from Tanzania and a white German mother, was born and grew up in Thuringia.

The 46-year-old member of the Green party said that growing up in Communist East Germany, she was “always the only Black child.” As a teenager, she was never allowed to go home on her own because of the risk of racist attacks, and she sometimes suffered racist slurs in her school.

“I actually experienced myself that people called me a foreigner, which really confused me at first, because I was born in Saalfeld” in Thuringia, Denstaedt said.

She fears that in the current political climate, racist narratives will become acceptable in the middle of society.

“My biggest concern is that people do not question (these prejudices), especially if they are not affected themselves,” she said.

It’s not exactly clear how many Black people live in Germany nowadays, as different ethnicities are not documented in official statistics, but estimates put the number of people of African descent at 1.27 million. More than 70% were born in Germany, according to Mediendienst Integration, which tracks migration issues in the country.

Germany’s history of racial discrimination begins long before the Nazis began excluding, deporting and ultimately murdering Black people in the 1930s and 1940s.

The German Empire held numerous colonies in Africa from 1884 until the end of World War I. These included territories in present-day Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Namibia, Cameroon, Togo and Ghana.

The German government has only recently started dealing with the injustices committed during that period. In 2021, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Germans to face the country’s cruel colonial past, and in 2023, he apologized for colonial-era killings in Tanzania over a century ago.

Daniel Egbe, a 58-year-old chemist from Cameroon who moved to Thuringia in 1994 to study, says he’s shocked how little Germans know about their colonial history. He says this ignorance may also factor into the unequal treatment of Black people.

“I’ve been teaching classes in school,” Egbe told the AP. “I tell them a bit about myself and especially the fact that Cameroon was a German colony. Many students don’t know anything about Africa or about the German past and it must be put on the map.”

Egbe, who took German citizenship in 2003, founded AMAH, an organization that helps university students and migrants from Africa when they experience discrimination in the city of Jena, in eastern Thuringia.

He’s worried about the rise of the AfD but has no intention of leaving.

“We won’t leave, we will do our part to change this society,” he said. “People are mostly afraid of what and who they don’t know. We have to change things through education.”

As for Diallo, the Guinean who was attacked in Erfurt four years ago, he also vowed to help improve the situation for Black people in Germany.

Even though the attack traumatized him, it also empowered him to fight for justice, he said. A year ago, he enrolled in university in Munich to study law, but he still visits Erfurt frequently, where he supports Youth without Borders, a network of young migrants.

“I don’t exactly know yet how I’m going to change Germany, but I know I will,” he said.

Culled from AP