Chinwe Ogbonna, Alexander Makulilo und Franzisca Zanker at the event
From November 15, 1884 to February 26, 1885, the Berlin Conference, which is also known today as the Berlin “Congo Conference” or Berlin “Africa Conference”, took place in Berlin at the invitation of the then Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. The final document of the conference formed the basis for the subsequent division of Africa into colonies. Despite the far-reaching consequences of this conference, knowledge of its contents and its significance for African-European relations is rudimentary, not only among the German public but also in German politics.
Last week, January 29/30, the German Africa Foundation e.V. together with the University of Dar es Salaam and Farafina Afrika-Haus e.V. organized a symposium in commemoration of the events, looking at the current relationship between the European and the African continent. Among the organizers was the ABI’s visiting professor, Prof. Alexander Makulilo (University of Dar es Salaam).
Traveling to Berlin from Freiburg, our colleague Franzisca Zanker and our ALMA-Fellow Chinwe Ogbonna joined the event. Franzisca Zanker spoke on the colonial legacies of today's visa and migration regime. Amongst other issues, she shared details on how, according to a recent study, African applicants are disproportionately affected through non-refundable Schengen visas, with exceptionally high visa rejection rates:
In 2023, the EU earned €130 million from rejected visa applications, about 42% of that was from applicants living in Africa. Is the constant rejection of visa's for our African colleagues, alongside multiple other restrictions just a question of "following regulations" or a reflection of the unequal racialised hierarchies that persist until today?
Her impression from the conference: “The cold shadow of that awful event and what followed and preceded it was very present - the original deed of those who carved up the African continent and claimed it as "theirs" was on display. It was a time to reflect, reckon with where we are today 140 years later and advocate, discuss and share we want to be going forward.”