Africa

• 12 January 2009
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - Human rights activist Jestina Mukoko denounces abuses and violence suffered in captivity. Cardinal Maradiaga, President of Caritas Internationalis, launched an appeal for her release Harare (Agenzia Fides) – Human rights activist Jestina Mukoko denounces the abuse and violence she suffered at the hands of Zimbabwean secret service agents. Jestina Mukoko was held in solitary confinement for 19 days ...
• 12 January 2009
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - New religious family in Gitega dedicated to the sanctification of the People of God and to bearing witness to the irreplaceable role of the priesthood in ecclesial life Gitega (Agenzia Fides) – The Archdiocese of Gitega has recently approved the new religious family of the Congregation of Mary, Queen of the Holy Priesthood. The Congregation was founded by diocesan priest Father Avit V ...
• 12 January 2009
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - “Zuma should be prosecuted,” says Supreme Court of Appeals; African National Congress leader is also a presidential candidate in this year's election Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) – The Supreme Court of Appeals in South Africa has overturned a lower court's decision to throw out the case of corruption against Jacob Zuma, leader of the African National Congress, thus ...
• 9 January 2009
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - The Catholic Church is helping the population of northern Congo, victim to massacres led by Ugandan rebels on Christmas Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – Caritas Internationalis has sent aid to 10,000 families in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where on Christmas Day, Ugandan rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) carried ou ...
• 8 January 2009
  AFRICA - The drama of the African albinos: 380,000 Euros for one of their body parts to be used in “magic” rituals Rome (Agenzia Fides) – One of the hidden tragedies of Africa is that of the albinos, especially those living in eastern Africa (Tanzania and Burundi), who are discriminated against and in some cases killed or mutilated ...
• 7 January 2009
  AFRICA/GHANA - Election of John Atta Mills: a victory for democracy in Ghana and all Africa Accra (Agenzia Fides) – Ghana has a new President, elected by popular vote: John Atta Mills, candidate from the NDC (National Democratic Congress), who won versus candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, candidate from the NPP (New ...
• 23 December 2008
  AFRICA/EGYPT - “Perhaps if the Lord had chosen to be born in this epoch, given God's way of acting, He would not have disdained this place”: says a missionary working in the rag-picker district of Cairo Cairo (Agenzia Fides) – “In our very modest structure we try to make sure the small classrooms where we teach our children are kept clean. We insist on the necessity of hygiene and order as a system of life, and we h ...
• 22 December 2008
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - An uncertain Christmas in East Congo, where hundreds of thousands of refugees are living in make-shift camps. Reflections from a missionary. Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - “What is cause for concern is the situation of absolute uncertainty that continues to weigh heavily on Congo and on the neighboring countries, like a black cloud,” Fr. Antonio Trettel, Jave ...
• 19 December 2008
  AFRICA/KENYA - “Christmas teaches us to discard the human way of relying on human power and strength”: Pastoral Letter of Cardinal Njue Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – Christmas “reveals from the start, and quite clearly, God’s way of thinking” says Cardinal John Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi (Kenya), in his Pastoral Letter for Christmas 2008, which has ...
• 19 December 2008
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - “Free all the captives by January 1 or we will call off negotiations with the Presidential party,” says opposition leader Harare (Agenzia Fides) - “The MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) can no longer be seated at the same negotiation table with a party that kidnaps our members and other innocent civilians, and denies them the right to ...
• 18 December 2008
  AFRICA/KENYA - “Let us remain calm and read the text of the law,” the Catholic Church affirms as the controversy over the press law continues Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – Following the approval of the new law on the press, the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2008, “the atmosphere in the country has been of anxiety and uncertainty,” says a statement s ...
• 18 December 2008
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - “It is now time for South Africa to isolate Mugabe,” says Cardinal Napier, spokesman for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Johannesburgo (Agenzia Fides) – “It is now time to isolate Mugabe completely and to remove all forms of moral, material or tacit support for him and his party,” says Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, Archbishop of Durban (S ...
• 17 December 2008
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - “The Imperative of Peace and Reconciliation”: message from the Bishops of Nigeria, on their delegation's visit to Rwanda Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - “The context of our visit...is defined by our desire to reinforce the spirit of solidarity and mutual interdependence between the Church in Nigeria and the Church in Rwanda. It is our hope and w ...
• 17 December 2008
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - UN authorizes air and land raids against Somali pirates, with consent from local government which is suffering serious internal conflict Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) – Somalia is now positioned in the heart of an intense diplomatic and military activity, following a resolution from the UN Security Council authorizing countries to send in their naval forces ...
• 16 December 2008
  AFRICA - In 2009, the Society of African Missions will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the death of their Founder, Bishop Melchior de Marion Brésillac, and inaugurate three new Districts in Africa Rome (Agenzia Fides) – In 2009, the Society of African Missions (SMA) will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the death of its founder, French Bishop Melchior de Marion Brésillac (1813-1859), who arrived in Freetown ( ...