Africa

• 27 October 2006
  AFRICA/D. R. CONGO - Catholics commemorate Archbishop Munzihirwa of Bukavu, murdered ten years ago. Two candidates in second round of elections for Presidency on Sunday Bukavu (Agenzia Fides) - On 29 October the Catholic Church in Congo, particularly the archdiocese of Bukavu will commemorate Archbishop Munzihirwa of Bukavu shot dead in an ambush ten years ago. Cristophe Munzihirwa Mwen ...
• 27 October 2006
  AFRICA/MAURITIUS - Between 300 and 400 cases of suicide a year: alarm in Mauritius. A nun says: “People no longer entrust themselves to God. Life is routine, work centred” Port Louis (Agenzia Fides)- In Mauritius in the Indian Ocean there is alarm for the number of cases of suicide, between 300 and 400 a year, according to a local Catholic weekly La Vie Catholique. Considering that every c ...
• 12 October 2006
  AFRICA/ZAMBIA - “The dignity of the human person object of God’s love and the centre of our pastoral activity” says President of the Catholic Bishops Conference Rome (Agenzia Fides)- “The main challenge for the Church in Zambia is evangelisation because the Christian message brings a profound change to life” Fides was told by Bishop George Telesphore Mpundu, Coadjutor of Lus ...
• 11 October 2006
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Talks continue: LRA representatives are good negotiators” says one international mediator for peace in Northern Uganda Juba (Agenzia Fides)- “Talks continue: yesterday 10 October the LRA delegation presented a 20 page document the second point for discussion on social and economic aspects. The government delegation should reply today� ...
• 10 October 2006
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Office of United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights calls for independent investigation into Darfur massacres Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)- The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is urging the Government of Sudan to order an independent investigation into recent militia attacks that may have left ...
• 10 October 2006
  AFRICA/D.R. CONGO - “Agreed, the elections are important, but the humanitarian crises afflicting our country must not be forgotten” warns Bishop of Kilwa-Kasenga in the Katanga region Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- “Although attention in Democratic Congo is focussed on elections, there are humanitarian crises which cannot be overlooked” Bishop Fulgence Muteba, Catholic bishop of Kilwa-Kasenga, in south ...
• 9 October 2006
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - Capital prey to Issakaba Boys gang. People’s self defence groups makes things worse. President Johnson-Sirleaf promises to increase citizen security Monrovia (Agenzia Fides)- In recent months a gang which has called itself Issakaba Boys, after a Nigerian TV series, has been terrorising the people of Monrovia. Most of the youths are ex combatants dissatisfied with tre ...
• 9 October 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - More than 900 students graduate from East African Catholic University: “Be instruments of God’s love to bring about the desired change for a new humanism of peace and wholesome development in Africa and the world at large” Vice Chancellor urges Nairobi (Agenzia Fides)- More than 900 students graduated from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa CUEA in a colourful ceremony recently. The 942 candidates were widely spread out within the University's 41 academi ...
• 6 October 2006
  AFRICA/D.R CONGO - “Voters place your ballots to prevent more violence and the balkanisation of our country”: Catholic Bishops statement on the eve of second round of presidential and provincial elections Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- The Catholic Bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo have called for vigilance and respect for the rule of democracy as the country is about to vote in the second round of presidential and p ...
• 4 October 2006
  AFRICA/ZAMBIA - “Finally, we call upon all Zambians to unite and rise above this most trying and divisive period” post-election statement from leaders of three principal Christian Churches in Zambia Lusaka (Agenzia Fides)- In a statement following the announcement that Zambia’s outgoing president Levy Mwanawasa had won the election on 28 September, (see Fides 3 October 2006) the leaders of the country’s three p ...
• 4 October 2006
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Darfur: talks and negotiations continue but civilians continue to die. Humanitarian agencies warn: “Our aid is seriously constrained and our desperation may seem intolerable, but it is nothing compared to that of the victims and millions of displaced” Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)- “The Sudanese government continues to reject UN resolution 1706 but it is willing to talk with the United Nations Organisation of which it is a member”, said government media spokesman Manj ...
• 3 October 2006
  AFRICA/ZAMBIA - Outgoing president Levy Mwanawasa, wins elections. Defeated candidate Michael Sata calls supporters to be calm after night of disorder Harare (Agenzia Fides)- Defeated candidate in Zambia’s presidential elections Michael Sata, leader of the Patriotic Front accepted the elections results on 28 September urging his supporters who had staged protests in ...
• 3 October 2006
  AFRICA/ CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - Violence in northern Central Africa uproots 250,000 refugees. “each one is a person with a personal story” a Catholic nun working in the area tells Fides: “The important thing is to preserve their human dignity and self-respect” Bangui (Agenzia Fides)- Violence in the north of Central African Republic perpetrated by various armed groups including government troops has forced at least 250,000 people to abandon their homes. This was reported by To ...
• 2 October 2006
  AFRICA/ZAMBIA -Waiting for election results. “These episodes are concerning but not to be overestimated democracy in Zambia is still solid” local Church source tells Fides Lusaka (Agenzia Fides)- “These episodes are concerning but not to be overestimated because democracy in Zambia is still solid” Fides was told by a local Church source in Lusaka capital of Zambia where violent clashes ...
• 2 October 2006
  AFRICA/GUINEA - UN High Commission for Refugees closes office in Kissidougou after helping tens of thousands of refugees, many of whom have returned to their own country Conakry (Agenzia Fides) - The UN High Commission for Refugees has closed its office in Kissidougou, after 18 years of activity in the Republic of Guinea. “UNHCR decided to close its office and end its presence in th ...