German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul departed for Africa on Monday, starting a three-nation tour that includes Mauritania, Nigeria, and South Africa. The trip aims to strengthen ties and explore economic opportunities.

Ahead of the visit, Wadephul stated: “Especially in times of global geopolitical upheaval, reliable cooperation with African partners is crucial. For Germany and Europe, this is about more than the obvious interest in a stable and prosperous neighboring continent.”

He noted this is his third trip to Africa in just a few months. A business delegation accompanies him to identify opportunities for German companies and promote private investment to support economic growth.

Meanwhile, Berlin hosts commemoration events marking 82 years since the failed July 20, 1944 coup attempt. Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler by planting a bomb at the Wolf’s Lair headquarters. The explosion failed to kill the Nazi leader.

Von Stauffenberg and three co-conspirators were summarily executed in the courtyard of the Bendler Block complex. The site now serves as a memorial to those who resisted the Nazi regime. Another memorial at Plötzensee commemorates the 2,800 people executed there between 1933 and 1945.

In 1953, a monument was erected at the Bendler Block “to keep alive the memory of the men and women who took part in the resistance to National Socialism and aid the Germans in the necessary process of coming to terms with this part of their history,” according to the German government.

Source: www.dw.com