At the end of 2021, 27,545 Cameroonians were living in Germany. Of these, over 8,000 are studying at German universities. This not only puts Cameroon in 10th place among the countries of origin of foreign students overall, but also makes it the largest group of African students in Germany at all. Nevertheless, little is known in the German public perception about the Cameroonian diaspora, its actors, challenges and perspectives. Likewise, Cameroon as a country plays a comparatively minor role in the public and political sphere despite Germany’s colonial past, although Germany is one of the most important DC partners on the ground. Accordingly, the potential of the Cameroonian diaspora both within Germany and as a bridge builder between Germany and Cameroon does not yet seem to be exhausted.

Against this background, the German Africa Foundation invited various actors from the Cameroonian diaspora and German institutions to a first exchange meeting.

At the beginning of the exchange, the participants drew a rough picture of the diaspora structures and then presented issues and challenges that they encounter in their everyday lives and in their respective involvement in diaspora associations. Likewise, wishes and ideas for improving the public perception of the Cameroonian diaspora in Germany were discussed.

The range of topics was accordingly very diverse and underlined the necessity of such a dialogue format, which on the one hand brings together members of a diaspora and German participants on the other.

We are looking forward to a continuation in which the topics highlighted will be discussed in more depth.

If you are interested in a dialogue with and about the Cameroonian diaspora in Germany, please contact the responsible colleague Svenja Schindelwig.