Africa

• 25 January 2007
  VATICAN - “Leprosy: a forgotten disease”: 14 million treated 4 million left mutilated. 54th World Leprosy Day on Sunday Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Sunday 29 January is the annual World Leprosy Day dedicated this year to the theme ‘Leprosy: a Forgotten Disease’. The Day was instituted in 1954 at the insistence of Raoul Follereau. ...
• 23 January 2007
  AFRICA/TANZANIA - Pan African Congress on Evangelisation Final Statement highlights media, Church-Family-of-God awareness, respect for religious freedom, Laity’s mission in temporal realities, preparations for 2nd Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Africa Dar-Es-Salaam (Agenzia Fides) - From the 15th to the 18th January 2007, SECAM held a Pan-African Congress at Dar-Es-Salaam in Tanzania on the theme: "Evangelisation in Africa: Ecclesia in Africa in Retrospect and the Wa ...
• 23 January 2007
  AFRICA - La Croix du Benin and DIA Agency in Congo: two Catholic realities celebrate anniversary Rome (Agenzia Fides)- Two important Catholic media realities in Africa Cotonou based La Croix du Benin and DIA Catholic news agency based in Kinshasa Congo are marking respectively 60th and 50th anniversaries. La Croix ...
• 23 January 2007
  AFRICA/RWANDA - Important step towards abolition of death penalty Kigali (Agenzia Fides)- After comprehensive consultation with the different social and political realities in the country, the Rwandan government approved a proposed Bill to abolish capital punishment. The decision was r ...
• 22 January 2007
  AFRICA/TANZANIA - Cardinal Pengo elected new President of the Symposium of the Bishops’ Conferences of Africa and Madagascar Dar es Salaam (Agenzia Fides)- Cardinal Polycarp Pengo Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, capital of Tanzania was elected President of the Symposium of the Bishops’ Conferences of Africa and Madagascar SECAM at the end of a ...
• 20 January 2007
  AFRICA/D. R. CONGO - Agreement with rebel General Nkunda makes way for humanitarian aid to desperate civilians after years of sacking Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- Hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons can now return to their native villages in northern Kivu (east Democratic Congo), after Kinshasa reached an agreement with Ge ...
• 20 January 2007
  AFRICA/GUINEA - National crisis critical, neighbour countries want to find a solution Conakry (Agenzia Fides)- Tension is high in Guinea on the 10th day of a paralysing national strike (see Fides 17 January 2007). Yesterday 19 January two more people, a school boy and a youth were killed by police gun fi ...
• 19 January 2007
  AFRICA/KENYA - Africa and its Contradictions: 7th World Social Forum in Nairobi starting tomorrow Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - About 100,000 members of civil society organisations and local bodies are expected to attend the 7th World Social Forum in Nairobi which starts tomorrow 20 January and will conclude on Wednesda ...
• 19 January 2007
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Inspirer of Lord’s Resistance Army dies in exile Kampala (Agenzia Fides)- Alice Lakwena, the woman who inspired the Lord’s Resistance Army LRA, has died in a refugee camp at Dadaad, in northern Kenya, close to the Ugandan border where she lived in exile for 18 Years ...
• 18 January 2007
  AFRICA/COTE D’IVOIRE - International convention of Orionini Brothers: "The unity of the family and fraternal life as guarantee for the announcement of the Kingdom and stimulus for an increase in vocations" Bonoua (Agenzia Fides) - Today, 18 January, was the closing day of an International convention of Orionini Brothers held at Saint Luigi Orione Centre in Bonoua in Cote d’Ivoire which started on January 12 and brought t ...
• 18 January 2007
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - Statement from Luanda archdiocese on the question of clearing of illegally occupied land destined for the building of a church Luanda (Agenzia Fides) - The Angolan Archdiocese of Luanda issued a statement to clarify its position with regard to a land site in Kilamba Kiaxi, illegally occupied by people who were then expelled. A local humanitarian ...
• 17 January 2007
  AFRICA/GUINEA - Country paralysed as general strike spreads to mining industry Conakry (Agenzia Fides) - Popular protest grows in Guinea calling for the resignation of President Lansana Conté. The week long national strike which has paralysed the country has spread to the vital mining sector. Baux ...
• 17 January 2007
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - “The acquittal of former Burundian president is a victory for justice and democracy” Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides)- “The rule of law has triumphed, this is a victory for those who are struggling to build a democratic society in Burundi”. These were the reactions of the press and public opinion yesterday ...
• 16 January 2007
  AFRICA/CONGO -Final act of homage for Cardinal Etsou. “A tireless shepherd, a man of simplicity who united his sufferings with those of Christ” says President of Bishops Conference Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - More than 80,000 people attended the funeral in Martyrs Stadium Kinshasa on Sunday 14 January of Cardinal Frédérick Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi, Archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Congo, who die ...
• 16 January 2007
  AFRICA/UGANDA -Week of Prayer for Peace in Northern Uganda, Catholics continue to promote reconciliation Gulu (Agenzia Fides)- “Enough with war, peace is a gift of God which we are called to build day by day with prayer, dialogue and by accepting and forgiving our brothers and sisters ” said Archbishop Pierre Christophe ...