German Development Minister Gerd Müller visits Senegal and Rwanda

Providing even more support for the African nations that are countries of origin and transit countries for refugees, and creating more and better prospects for young people in our neighbouring continent – that was the main focus of the German Minister Gerd Müller.

In Senegal, the first stop on the three-country visit, Germany is active above all in the renewable energy sector. There are 2.7 million people in Senegal who get their electricity from renewable energy sources, including people living in remote rural areas. A particularly successful intervention is a programme to train young people in occupations concerned with renewable technologies. Training courses have been developed and 14 public sector vocational schools are receiving support.

In Niger, Minister Müller wanted to get a first-hand impression of the refugee situation in the desert city of Agadez. The city is on the route for 90 per cent of refugees and migrants from West and Central Africa – last year 120,000 people – who continue on into the Sahara and to Libya in order to cross the Mediterranean and get to Europe. New EU programmes are meant to provide advisory services and programmes for refugees returning to their home countries.

"The international community needs to look at how it can channel its efforts and its support more towards tackling the absolute root causes of refugee flows in Africa. This means, in addition to addressing climate change and the resultant famines, ensuring that the people in Africa are able to enjoy a fair share of the benefits deriving from the exploitation of the continent’s resources. We cannot continue to enjoy our way of life at the expense of people who are being exploited in mines or on plantations. We need to achieve a fair balance so that the people in Africa also have the opportunity to enjoy a better life."

In addition to German support in the fields of renewable energy, vocational training, agriculture and health, the agenda for the visit also includes anti-corruption measures and strengthening domestic public financing capacities. In Rwanda – a positive example for reforms and development successes – a court of auditors ensures visible results in the fight against corruption. Minister Müller concluded his trip with a visit to the Kigali Memorial Centre in Gisozi. The Centre is a centrally located monument to the more than 800,000 people who died as a result of the acts of genocide committed during the civil war in Rwanda 22 years ago.