Africa

• 21 March 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - Drought consequences in north east Kenya ever more serious: flocks lost, herdsmen clash, refugee food rations cut Nairobi (Fides Service)- Serious prolonged drought in north east Kenya is having serious social consequences. Oxfam International says herdsmen who have lost their animals because of water shortage could take more than 1 ...
• 21 March 2006
  AFRICA - Africa discusses avian flu threat Libreville (Fides Service)- '”The appearance of avian flu in south east Asia, Europe and more recently in Africa is a cause for serious concern in the international community”, the president of Gabon Omar Bongo Ond ...
• 21 March 2006
  AFRICA/CAPE VERDE - Capuchin project provides decent homes for poor people in Cape Verde Praia (Fides Service) - To help some of the many people in Cape Verde, the elderly, the poor, single mothers, large families living in make shift homes or caves the local community Capuchin Fathers, who first arrived her ...
• 20 March 2006
  AFRICA/CAMEROON - In the wake of the exhortation “Ecclesia in Africa” Catholic Bishops say country’s political and social forces must guarantee democracy, transparency, peace, social justice Rome (Fides Service)- “The Church in Cameroon had made progress and continues to do so. Vocations are flourishing and people take part in liturgical celebrations en masse and with enthusiasm” says Mgr Patrick Lafon, ...
• 18 March 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - Italian missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception di Ivrea alleviate suffering at Kadem Leprosy and TB Clinic Rome (Fides Service) - In the 1970s Kenya still had three large leper colonies at Alupe, Kadem and Mombasa. Until the mid 1980s more than 800 new cases of leprosy were registered every year. In 1989, according to the Wor ...
• 18 March 2006
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - Three months ahead of long awaited elections Democratic Congo swings between hope and despair for situation in eastern region Kinshasa (Fides Service)- The international community has confirmed its commitment to support general elections in DR Congo on 18 June. The head of MONUC the UN Mission in Congo Jean-Marie Guehenno said there is sufficie ...
• 17 March 2006
  AFRICA/NAIROBI - Injustices against refugees and the need to coordinate Justice and Peace efforts, focus of AMECEA executive council meeting Nairobi (Fides Service)- Concerned for increasing injustice committed against refugees has been expressed by the Association of Member Bishops’ Conferences of East Africa in a statement issued by the AMECEA executive c ...
• 17 March 2006
  AFRICA/CÔTE D' IVOIRE - Crisis takes positive turn Abidjan (Fides Service)- “An important development to be encouraged by the international community” say local Church sources with regard to the presence at a government meeting in Abidjan on 15 March of Guillaume So ...
• 16 March 2006
  AFRICA/CHAD - Internal strife in the president’s clan and external influence at the origin of coup attempt N’Djamena (Fides Service)- “The situation is calm, traffic is normal and people have gone to work as usual today. But the apparent calm hides deep concern for the future” say local Church sources in N’Djamena, ca ...
• 16 March 2006
  AFRICA/MALAWI - Political and institutional crisis ever more complicated involving Constitutional Court Lilongwe (Fides)- “The last move in the battle between the president and vice president might appear ridiculous but it is true ” said a missionary who has worked for years in Malawi, a country suffering from months o ...
• 15 March 2006
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Catholic Bishops’ Conference plenary assembly vows to “Restore hope with the truth” Abuja (Fides Service)- “As shepherds of the People of God in our land we are called to bear witness to Christian hope. Hope is the gift God gave mankind when Jesus Christ triumphed over death” the Catholics Bishops o ...
• 14 March 2006
  AFRICA - Measles major killer of children in developing countries: 48% drop in lethal cases in last six years Rome (Fides Service) - Thanks to a vast vaccination campaign between 1999 and 2004 the number of deaths caused by measles has been halved. The number of deaths caused by measles dropped 48% from 871,000 in 1999 to 454, ...
• 14 March 2006
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “Humanitarian cease fire” urgently needed in Darfur where people continue to die of war, hunger and hardship Khartoum (Fides Service) - African Union negotiators at peace talks for Darfur taking place in Abuja, Nigeria, have said there is urgent need of a “Humanitarian cease fire” in Darfur where people continue to die of w ...
• 13 March 2006
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - UN Mission investigates situation in local Children’s Homes Monrovia (Fides Service)- “The question of orphanages must be considered with the general situation of the country still struggling with the consequences of civil war” says Fr. Mauro Armanino of the Society for Afric ...
• 13 March 2006
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Geared for the future: Stigmatine mission in Ivory Coast Abidjan (Fides Service)- “The suffering of people here increases with each passing day: all they ask for is to live and have the joy of expressing wonder for the marvellous events of every day life” says Fr Lino Poff ...