Africa

• 20 February 2006
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - Congo’s new constitution guarantees equal rights for men and women, independent judiciary and a republican state Kinshasa (Fides Service) - The new constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo, approved 18 December 2005 by a popular referendum, was officially promulgated on 18 February by President Joseph Kabila Saturday in the ...
• 20 February 2006
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Calm has returned to Maiduguri after serious riots on Saturday in which 15 people including a Catholic priest were killed. “Violence provoked by yet another attempt to exploit religion for political purposes” say local Church sources Lagos (Fides Service)- “Calm has returned with police patrolling the streets” says Bishop Matthew Manoso Ndagoso of Maiduguri, main city in the north eastern state of Borno in Nigeria where on Saturday 18 February i ...
• 18 February 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - Vatican stamps save thirsting people in Kenya: new aqueduct opened in Nyumbani Nairobi (Fides Service)- Vatican Stamps come to the aid of people suffering because of drought in northern Kenya. Funds derived from the sale of a special issue of Vatican Stamps featuring African children victims of AID ...
• 18 February 2006
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Preparations for first Franciscan Fraternity in Khartoum Khartoum (Fides Service)- An international group of four Franciscans is preparing to start a Franciscan Fraternity in Khartoum, capital of Sudan. Fr. Leopold Micic Croatian and Fr Melito Pinili from the Philippines are p ...
• 18 February 2006
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Serious deadly outbreak of diarrhoea alarm for cholera threat 47 people dead Rome (Fides Service) - A serious outbreak of diarrhoea with 1,500 cases and tens of people dead is devastating the already poverty stricken region of Southern Sudan. The main towns affected are Yei from where the outbr ...
• 17 February 2006
  AFRICA/DCONGO - “At least 120,000 people displaced in need of everything because of violence” denounce Religious Superiors in Katanga Kinshasa (Fides Service)- Superiors of Religious Communities in the Katanga region in the south of DR Congo say the situation is now desperate. “We see an alarming humanitarian situation which has gone on for years wi ...
• 17 February 2006
  AFRICA/TANZANIA - “Over 100 new refugees from Burundi arrive in Tanzania every day”. United Nations High Commission for Refugees concerned Dar es Salaam (Fides Service) - In recent weeks increasing numbers of Burundian citizens have been crossing the border seeking safety in neighbouring Tanzania. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR has ex ...
• 16 February 2006
  AFRICA/ALGERIA - The tragedy of migrants in the light of Christian charity and the situation of the local Catholic community of North Africa Algiers (Fides Service) - The situation of the Catholic community in North Africa and the tragic experience of migrants were the main topics discussed by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Northern African Region ...
• 16 February 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - Caritas network feeds tens of thousands of hungry people in famine affected Horn of Africa where 8 million people face starvation Rome (Agenzia Fides) - Caritas Internationalis has called for international solidarity and appealed for 1.2 million dollars to feed women, children and old people in areas of Kenya where it is difficult to get aid to whe ...
• 15 February 2006
  AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - In Mozambique between 800 and 1,000 out of every 100,000 mothers die giving birth to their child. Doctors with Africa CUAMM launch new campaign Rome (Fides Service) - To promote more justice with regard to access to medical care in the countries where its doctors are working the Italian organisation CUAMM Doctors with Africa is launching a new campaign. CUAMM s ...
• 15 February 2006
  AFRICA/DR CONGO - Over 25 million electors register for June vote Kinshasa (Fides Service) - Over 25 million eligible voters have registered for June elections in Democratic Congo. This was announced by the Independent Electoral Commission which monitored the registration of voters sta ...
• 14 February 2006
  AFRICA/MALAWI - “Women are the first to suffer violence unleashed by famine” says missionary Lilongwe (Fides Service)- “The main concern at the moment is that the rain has suddenly stopped and crops are in danger of scorching before harvest time” says a missionary in Malawi a country suffering from famine in ...
• 13 February 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA - Pontifical Mission Societies Germany respond to Kenyan Bishops’ anguished appeal to save starving people Nairobi (Fides Service) - People in north east Kenya are in danger of starving to death. In response to repeated calls for help from the Catholic Bishops of Kenya (see Fides 12/01/06 and 01/02/2006) the national office o ...
• 10 February 2006
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - Funeral of Fr. José Afonso Moreira, 80 year old missionary shot dead yesterday in his bed with seven bullets Luanda (Fides Service)- This morning at 10am at the mission church in Bailundo 60 km north of Huambo local Catholics and missionaries attended the funeral of Fr José Afonso Moreira 80 year old Portuguese missionary of t ...
• 10 February 2006
  AFRICA/TANZANIA - 700 village children in line to start new Catholic primary schoolin Morogoro Rome (Fides Service) - A new Catholic primary school in Morogoro, Tanzania, is ready to take 700 village children thanks to the “Helping Children” Foundation which funds programmes of education for children. The aim ...