Africa

• 17 September 2007
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “Pressure by public opinion is fundamental for solving the crisis” says a missionary commenting Darfur Day Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)-“Pressure by public opinion is fundamental for a positive outcome to the crisis in Darfur. The government of Khartoum cannot fail to take these demonstrations into account” Fides was told by ...
• 15 September 2007
  AFRICA/MALI - Attack on Mali army post re-ignites tension with Tuareg nomads Bamako (Agenzia Fides)- There is growing concern in Mali and Niger as tension rises with the ethnic Berber Tuareg nomads in the Sahel area. On September 14 a group of Tuareg rebels attacked a small army camp at Tinzaou ...
• 15 September 2007
  AFRICA/CONGO RD - Some of the many Congolese who fled to Uganda to escape violence in North Kivu have returned home; but there are still about 650,000 internally displaced persons in east Congo. Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- Some of the estimated 35,000 Congolese who fled to Uganda last week after a recrudescence of conflict and escalation of violence in the North Kivu province in the east of the Democratic Republic ...
• 14 September 2007
  AFRICA/SUDAN - New hopes for peace in Darfur: “We are willing to respect a unilateral cease fire in Darfur as soon as negotiations with the rebels commence” says Sudan's President on a visit to Italy and the Vatican Roma (Agenzia Fides)- “We are willing to respect a unilateral cease fire in Darfur as soon as negotiations with the rebels in Darfur commence”. This was announced by the President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir at ...
• 14 September 2007
  AFRICA/R. D. CONGO - “I intend to restore state rule in north Kivu ” says president of Congo Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- Joseph Kabila has said he intends to use 'all the necessary means' to restore government rule in north Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where fierce fighting between the re ...
• 14 September 2007
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - An estimated 83,000 minors suffer from malnutrition and 13,500 are in danger of dying of hunger Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) - Hunger in central and southern Somalia, according to an alert raised by UNICEF, could kill at least 13,500 children. The UN delegate said the area, once the country's granary, has become impo ...
• 13 September 2007
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - Ethiopia celebrates Jubilee of the Year 2000 according to the Julian calendar. Sunday 16 September in the Catholic Cathedral solemn Eucharist: exposed for the veneration of the faithful a special Crucifix blessed by Pope Benedict XVI Addis Ababa (Agenzia Fides) - Yesterday, 12 September in Ethiopia marked the beginning of a new year and according to the Ethiopian calendar this is the year 2000. So Ethiopia's Orthodox Church is celebrating a Jubilee Y ...
• 13 September 2007
  AFRICA - Sharp rise of the Euro penalises exports from CFA African countries whose currency is tied to that of Europe Rome (Agenzia Fides)- The sharp rise of the Euro compared with the dollar is causing concern among governments of the CFA franc area, a currency which is tied to the European common currency. The stronger the euro, the l ...
• 12 September 2007
  AFRICA/GABON - Rising prices and “Dutch Disease”: Gabon affected by the “petroleum plague ” Libreville (Agenzia Fides)- The government of Gabon has issued orders for the prices of some prime necessities to be kept under control for the next six months. The products include palm oil, sweetened concentrated milk, ...
• 12 September 2007
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - Several thousand flee rebel attacks in north west Burundi Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides)- About 4,000 people were forced to abandon their homes in Bubanza province in north west Burundi after attacks by the country's last rebel group National Liberation Forces FLN which has not ye ...
• 11 September 2007
  AFRICA - Small hydro-electric plants, the key to electrifying rural Africa Rome (Agenzia Fides)- Africa has enormous hydroelectric power still to be exploited. This is affirmed in a recently published study by Wim Jonker Klunne, expert in renewable energy. Only 7% of Africa's hydroelectric pote ...
• 11 September 2007
  AFRICA/D. R. CONGO - “At least 50,000 people flee fighting in east Congo” says Italian Volunteer Service AVSI which has worked in the area for years Goma (Agenzia Fides)- At least 50,000 are fleeing their homes to escape violence in north Kivu in Democratic Congo, caused by fighting between the regular army and rebels led by Laurent Nkunda which started at the end of ...
• 10 September 2007
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - Ordination of new Catholic Bishop of Bururi: among those present Burundi's principal authorities Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides)- A joyful crowd welcomed the new Bishop of Bururi, in Burundi. Bishop Venant Bacinoni who was ordained on Saturday 8 September in Kabuye sports stadium. Civic authorities present for the occa ...
• 10 September 2007
  AFRICA - International Telecommunication Union secretary general wants “Marshal Plan" for telecommunications in Africa Roma (Agenzia Fides) - A “Marshal Plan" for telecommunications is what the Secretary General of the Geneva based International Telecommunication Union hopes for Africa. Mali born Hamadoun Touré said this when he prese ...
• 8 September 2007
  AFRICA/SIERRA LEONE - Polling stations open for 2nd round of presidential elections. Catholic Bishops call for “Non-violence. Strive for unity and harmony” Freetown (Agenzia Fides)- In Sierra Leone polling stations opened for the second round of presidential elections (see Fides 7 September 2007). Some 2.6 million eligible voters are called to cast their ballots in 6,150 st ...