Africa

• 27 January 2011
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - “The Church must make its voice heard in an increasingly materialistic society,” affirms the President of the SACBC Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) - The Southern African Bishops lament the fact that the Church's voice is struggling to be heard in the general debate on issues such as sexual morality and the proper utilisation of wealth. ...
• 27 January 2011
  AFRICA/ZAMBIA - The inequitable distribution of national wealth helps to provoke ethnic tensions Lusaka (Agenzia Fides) - The increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) does not automatically translate into improved living conditions for the local people, says a note sent to Fides by the Jesuit Centre for Theological ...
• 26 January 2011
  AFRICA/EGYPT - “The journey towards democracy requires time. Cultural preparation is also needed,” Father Scattolin tells Fides Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - “The crisis involving all Arab Countries has various motives, among which economics weighs heavily, considering even just the unemployment which above all affects youth,” Fides was told by Fat ...
• 25 January 2011
  AFRICA/CÔTE D'IVOIRE - Bishops condemn violence and call all to observe pacts Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - “We condemn the violent deaths carried out in the name of the dignity of the human person dear to God. It is also in the name of respect for human life that we oppose the use of force, violenc ...
• 25 January 2011
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - Presence of the Shabab in the east of DRC? A missionary calls for caution Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - “The presence of an Islamic group in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is plausible, but up until now we haven't heard any reports of their activities,” Fides was told by F ...
• 24 January 2011
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - Presidential elections only one round: the concerns of the Church Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - “The power in Kinshasa want to avoid the syndrome of the desired but unattained victory of Laurent Gbagbo, in the first round of presidential elections in Côte d'Ivoire,” says a note sent ...
• 24 January 2011
  AFRICA/CHAD - A new project to guarantee potable water and limit the outbreak of cholera Bongor (Agenzia Fides) – In mid-December in Chad 6,369 cases of cholera and 180 deaths were recorded: these statistics were released by the United Nations for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The African Count ...
• 24 January 2011
  AFRICA/CÔTE D'IVOIRE - Diplomatic and economic pressures increase to force Gbagbo to surrender power Abidjan (Agenzia Fides)- Nigeria intends to ask the UN Security Council for a resolution to authorise the use of force to remove Laurent Gbagbo from power, the outgoing President of Côte d'Ivoire. The Nigerian Foreign M ...
• 22 January 2011
  AFRICA/ZAMBIA - Finding new motivation and courage to proclaim the Gospel Lusaka (Agenzia Fides) – The National Council of the Pontifical Mission Society (PMS) of Zambia met on 19 and 20 January 2011 at the Charles Lwanga Retreat Centre in Lusaka. “It was a very important meeting, because ...
• 22 January 2011
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - The Malagasy population of Tolagnaro continues to die of thirst Fort Dauphin (Agenzia Fides) – The drought has always the cause of periods of severe famine and epidemics that have plagued the people of Fort Dauphin, or Tolagnaro in the Malagasy language. According to local missiona ...
• 22 January 2011
  AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICA - Almost all Central Africa to vote to elect the new President Bangui (Agenzia Fides) – Tomorrow, 23 January, 1,800,000 will vote in the presidential and legislative elections of the Central African Republic. “The situation in the capital of Bangui is calm. Our hope is that the ...
• 21 January 2011
  AFRICA/SWAZILAND - 140,000 young orphans risk not being accepted into primary school Mbabane (Agenzia Fides) – In Swaziland the new school year has just commenced. Among the young faces that populate the classes of this mountainous Country are 140,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC's). “Apart f ...
• 21 January 2011
  AFRICA/SENEGAL - Bishop Jacques Sarr of Thiés dies; Particular commitment to interreligious dialogue and self-sufficiency of the Church in Africa Thiès (Agenzia Fides) – After a brief illness Bishop Jacques Sarr of Thiés died on 18 January at age 76. As communicated by the national board of the Pontifical Mission Society in Germany, Missio München, he was adm ...
• 20 January 2011
  AFRICA/TUNISIA - The echoes of a Tunisian revolt can even be heard in sub-Saharan Africa Roma (Agenzia Fides) – The echo of the people's revolt which forced President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia to flee, may be heard not only in the north African world and the Middle East but also in sub-Saharan Afr ...
• 20 January 2011
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - “I followed my conscience which impelled me alleviate the suffering I saw”: testimony of medical volunteer in Africa Rome (Agenzia Fides) - “There can be no limit to understanding the causes of poverty in Africa, action is needed,” Fides was told by Dr Luigi Bellini, founder of the “Le Samaritain” diagnostic medical centre in A ...