Chancellor Angela Merkel once again stressed responsibility of Germany and Europe for Africa. It is not just a question of preventing future refugee movements, Merkel said at DemKatholikentag in Münster. A responsibility would have dieEuropäer “because we have done a lot of damage with colonialism for decades undJahrhunderte re.” Africa has been prevented from taking responsibility for all generations of authorwishes countries. “After centuries of DerFremdbestimmung, as if at a push of a button, Plötzlichalle entrepreneurs should become and reign super and do everything very well,” Merkel said. “There are long-term Schädenentstanden.”
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Germany also has a responsibility. As an organizer of DerBerliner conference 1884/85, country had, among or things, participated in arbitrary border drawing on African continent. Merkel had, among or things, expressed herself at her speech in Davos in January 2018 and at a meeting with refugee workers last year. “We have sinned against Africa in colonial period,” she said at time. “We have to develop a bit of passion for history of Africa, orwise we will not zueinanderkommen.”
The background of her statements is German compact-with-Africa initiative. Toger with G20 countries, Germany wants to promote African countries interested in economic cooperation in ir prosperity development. They want to invest in education and infrastructure in particular. Germany has already agreed on investment partnerships with Ivory Coast, Ghana and Tunisia under Compact initiative.
Economists criticize that this initiative should bring little to poor and rural population. The initiative concentrates on large infrastructure projects in economically relatively developed countries, said economist Robert Kappel in an interview with time online. For example, she wanted to finance a expressway between Nairobi and Mombasa, or dams in sourn Africa. The initiative also wanted to network urban centres and to better tap through traffic routes, electricity, drinking water, ports and airports. “In principle, this is also good, re are incredible shortcomings,” says Kappel, “but poverty is rural in Africa.”
