„Blind Banga“ - Maybe I can see again
Banga's Successful Health Treatment in Danger
We got contact to Banga during our visit to the Gerstungen/Thuringen Isolation camp in 2010. He
narrated the story about how he became blind through Police brutality and the denial of proper medical attention from the racist authourities and negligence on the part of the Doctor.
Our video documentation on Banga created a great awareness not only about his terrible experiences but also on the traumatizing conditions of isolation and ghettoisation in Thüringen refugee lagers.
The awareness attracted the interest of Berlin Activists who spontanously volunteered taking care of the Walburg district neglected Banga by taking him to Berlin to improve his health and social situation.
We appreciate all contributions that has rendered Banga more possibilities to stay in Germany as he was seriously facing threat of deportation before he was taken over to Berlin. Morealso, donations recieved has been an enormous support for Bangas Legal cost and medical treatments that has sustained the stopping of his deportation as well as avoiding further imprisonment.
There are already visible chances that Bangas Physical conditions could be improved through intensive care – but the Authorities has refused to undertake the expenses while the State Doctors had neglected his critical medical situation.
Banga is at the moment under the care of Specialist Doctors in berlin and we are hopeful that Banga will see again through this development together with more intensive engagements of Groups and individuals in Berlin.
The actual problem at the moment is who has to take the responsibility for his medical cost and the choice of where Banga would reside that is proving more and more difficult due to the unjust beaureacraty of the racist Authouriteies of Wartburg district who didnt only embezzle the allowance allocated to him as a Blind person but has kept on insisting on this racist Residence Obligation confining him to Wartburg thus hindering him from geting social benefit and health insurance that has created even an indebtedness with the health insurance and proving hinderance to his successful tralment in Berlin.
It is on this basis that we are appealling for further support to Banga and his struggle !
Please go through the Text below from the Berlin Group and send your protest letters to the authorities concerned!
Support Bangas social situation and health care by donation!
Donations:
Förderverein The VOICE e.V.
Konto: 127829
BLZ: 260 500 01
Sparkasse Göttingen
Stichwort: Banga
„Blind Banga“ - Maybe I can see again
A story about racism in Germany.
The story of Bamkali Konateh, who doesn't have any rights as a refugee and lost both of his eyes because of the racism of german authorities and institutions and still has to fight to get his right.
The 28 years old Bamkali Konateh fled the civil war in Sierra Leone to seek protection in Germany as a 17 years Old boy. As an asylum seeker, he was allocated to an Isolated refugee camps in Wartburgkreis, Thuringia.
During his stay in this Isolation camp, he constantly excercised his rights to freedom and resisted the so-called „Residenzpflicht“(a german law, that forbids refugees to leave the small area they are allocated to). He refused to accept the authourities dictate to live in a small thuringian provincial towns.
The situation of the Camp apart from the back breaking monotony and lack of prospects, it was a life at the edge of an unpoen - minded forest with racist minded inhabitants where a victim should expect nothing good.
It was terrific that the German Police had to place a watch on him and whenever he was confronted with this racist partern of police control, he had to present his „Duldung“ (toleration paper for refugees who are in the waiting list of deportation) issued by the Wartburgkreis which made him a thorn on the side of the Wartburg district aliens department and the Police.
On 1st April 2004 the supposedly unimaginable took its course: As Banga was walking in company of friends to a call-center, he was by four plain cloths persons who later identified themselves as criminal police Officers and crushed him down.
As he laid helpless on the ground, he was continiousely beaten beaten up with kicks. As he asked whether they wanted to kill him another kick was released on him alongside his bleeding from the nose and mouth with his face massively swollen.
While he tried to stand up, the Cops spayed a full cup of Pepper in his right eyes and ignored his screeming and pains with flowing tears mixed with water and blood and pushed into a police car. On their way to the police department, they continued to beat him more instead of taking him to the hospital they summoned him to the court and afterwards asked to go home.
After the odyssy from one camp to another in attempt to find a doctor through the help of his friends, he abandoned his Camp for 2 ½ months. He finally had the opportunity for an examination by a doctor who further reffered him for urgent attention at an ophthalmic clinic in Aachen where he was operated 2x which relieved him of Pains but still was unable to see.
By the end of July as he was released from the Hospital, he was asked to appear in 8 weeks for a followup threatment but was unlicky to be arrested by a police just a day before the hospital appointment.
He was taken away on handcuffs to the police department and immidiately summoned to a Judge who decided convicted him for imprisonment imprisonment in Düsseldorf based on the incidence of April 1. From Dusseldorf prison he was later transfered to Wuppertal Prison and was given the opportunity to see a doctor who promised him a new eye and the possibility of regaining back his sight.
He was taken to the Hospital on the next day for an operation and returned back to Prison with bandage over his eyes until 2 weeks later, he was given eye Glasses.
In July 2008 Banga appeared at the Alien Office to prolong his „Duldung“ The officer responsible to him „Mr. Müller“ called in the police to arrest Banga in connection with the alledged violation of „Residenzpflicht“ and driving on Public transport without a valid ticket. Banga was then remanded for 2 months in GoldauterPrison – Suhl, but the Prison term was was reviewed to 9 months more considereing his earlier probation in Dusseldorf.
Banga encountered diabetes while he was spending 10 months in prison causing his right eye to be operated, not that his only eye got blind later too. But after a botched operation in the ophthalmic clinic in Erlangen, he didn't see anymore. He just could atch some light. After some more boobed operations he got totally blind from december 17th on.
It often occured that Banga kept falling and hurting himself badly as he tried to help himself to the Toilet, bathroom or otherwise. He had no option but to sit on his couch and grieve over his abandonment and waite for whatever may come next.
After the Voice discovered his situation, a Lawyer was sort to quickly address the Authourities attempt to deport him and sustained a residence right according to §60 Abs. 7.1. Public pressure was created through more actions and Banga had the opportunity for 2 more operations at the ophthalmic clinic in Erlangen where he was given a new cornea and Lens that made him perceive light.
He also applied for allowance for blind persons but the pension office illegally deducted the amount of 2.970,- € between august 2010 to june 2011.
On june 17th 2011, Mr. Müller issued Banga a „certificate“ (some paper like „Duldung“) due to §25 Abs. 5 which caused Mr. Blaufuß of the pension office to canceled all contracts having to do with bangas welfare and caused the Blind diabetic banga to live in the camp until June 30, 2011 without support.
By the announcement of his story by The Voice Refugee Forum, we came in contackt with a group from Berlin who requested to pick him up to berlin and finding accomodation for him.
He was able to apply for social benefit through the help of his new flat mates and he got success for the health insurance.
His „fictional certificate“ was valid until september 31. and Banga together with his supporters went to the alien department in Bad Salzungen.
Because of a pardoned banishment in 2006, Mr. Müller issued him a compensatory identification badge with a residence permit due to §25 Abs. 5 which entails „Wohnsitzauflage“ (regional restriction of residence) for Thuringia, notwithstanding his being handicapped. Banga had anyway appealed against that restriction and requesting his right to live in Berlin.
Banga has been faced with a problem of resposibility for his social benefit between the Berlin and Th[ringen Authourities that has left him with no social benefit. Even his insurance has not been transfered to TK insurance since 9th ….... 2012 by the Marzahn-Hellersdorf social office and thus bringing his medical care in a precarious situation.
Banga requires a welfare ambulance and a regular check up at the ophthalmic clinic of the Charite and 1-2 times quarterly control of his diabetes and eye situation but both social Offices and the Social court in Berlin seem not concerned about the health situation of banga.
We demand
Cancelation of the „Wohnsitzauflage“ for Banga's compensatory passport for „foreigners“!
Payment for Bangas benefit and arears in full by Marzahn-Hellersdorf
Payment for Bangas entitlement by the Wartburgkreis pension Office.
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IS EVERYBODY'S RIGHT!
For solidarity demonstrations are listed the mainly responsible persons in this desaster:
Herr Müller – Ausländerbehörde Wartburgkreis
Telefon: 03695 615934, Telefax: 03695 615997, email: ordnung@wartburgkreis.de
Herr Blaufuß – Versorgungsamt Wartburgkreis
Telefon: 03695 617521, Telefax: 03695 617599
email: versorgungsamt@wartburgkreis.de
Herr Deift – Rechtsstelle des Sozialamts Marzahn-Hellersdorf
Telefon: 030 90293 4390, Telefax: 030 90293 4415
email: Alexander.Deift@BA-MH.Verwalt-Berlin.de