Yaya Sonko, Gambian migrant rights activist, has slammed a German mayor, Boris Palmer, as a racist for his comments against migrants in Germany.

“It is time to called Boris Palmer for who he is, Boris is nothing but a racist. Our inability to face the ugliness and realities of racism, has amounted to an inability to hear and then to act upon the truths of the lived experiences of those people who are subjected to it, with devastating results.”

Boris Palmer is the mayor of the German city of Tübingen. He was recently accused of making offensive statements on a Facebook post following the brutal killing of 23-year-old Gambian migrant Amadou Jallow in the city last month. 

“I have always urged the police to fight them as hard as possible, but it’s very difficult for refugees. Petty crime is not enough for deportation. The financial gain is so great that arrests and a few days in jail have been calculated, and often the young men have to send the money home. They get sent off for this,” Palmer wrote on Facebook.

Mr Sonko condemned Palmer’s statement and said he wanted to see more done to curb xenophobia and racism. 

“The failure to counter racism in an outspoken and effective manner contributes to further marginalisation and vulnerability of the individuals and communities targeted.In addition, it risks giving the perpetrators of racially motivated crimes a sense of impunity,” he said.

“When leaders speak out against hate crimes, this sends a strong message of reassurance to affected communities. To Boris, we hope from this demonstration you will learn to have empathy, the ability to inspire, strong communication skills and pride in your city Tübingen.

“Effective leaders are problem solvers who involve all members of their teams. They get people to work together toward a common goal. They focus on building effectiveness – the ability to get things done. 

“As a human being with good characters when we wrong someone, even unintentionally, we are generally expected to apologize. The person we hurt feels entitled to an admission of error and an expression of regret,” he added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba