Africa

• 5 May 2006
  AFRICA/GUINEA BISSAU - Draught alert for the “granary of Guinea Bissau" Bissau (Fides Agency) - “A tragic crisis”: were the words the government of Guinea Bissau used to describe the food crisis in the south of the country. The local authorities launched a powerful appeal to the internat ...
• 28 April 2006
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - “Go north young man!”: history of Jesuits in Southern Africa Pretoria (Fides Service) - The Bishop of Grahamstown in the Cape Province, South Africa, in 1879 asked for Jesuits. He offered them a school in Grahamstown in the hope this would serve as a springboard for the missionary ...
• 27 April 2006
  AFRICA/SENEGAL - The World Youth Day Cross in Senegal: “An event which gave new vitality to the Christian community ” National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies reports Dakar (Fides Service)- “An exceptional event involving the whole Christian community ” said Fr. Giuseppe Giordano, OMI, National Director of the Pontifical Mission in Senegal, describing the arrival in Dakar in Holy ...
• 26 April 2006
  AFRICA/GUINEA BISSAU - Caritas mobilised to assist at least 30,000 people trapped by fighting near the Senegal border Bissau (Fides Service) - Caritas Guinea-Bissau is helping at least 30,000 people completely isolated because of fighting around the towns of Varela and Suzana in northern Guinea Bissau near the border with Senegal. I ...
• 26 April 2006
  AFRICA - By 2015 sub-Saharan Africa will need 1.6 million teachers says UNESCO Rome (Fides Service)- In sub-Saharan Africa teachers are ever scarcer and the number will drop further in the coming decade. This was said by the United Nations office for education, science and culture UNESCO in a repor ...
• 25 April 2006
  AFRICA/TANZANIA - Alarm for increasing domestic violence Dar Es Salaam (Fides Service)- Sofia Simba Tanzanian minister for Conditions of Women and Children has sounded the alarm over increasing domestic violence on women in the country. Quoting a World Health Organisation re ...
• 25 April 2006
  AFRICA/GUINEA - Jesuit Refugee Service concerned for women forced into prostitution because of cuts in international funds for refugee camps Conakry (Fides Service)- The Jesuit Refugee Service in Guinea reports that cuts in funding to Liberian refugees has led many young women to turn to prostitution to pay for school fees. At the end of the school year 200 ...
• 24 April 2006
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Commission established for Catholic Education Kampala (Fides Service- With a colourful and participated ceremony on 22 April at Cardinal Nsubuga Leadership Training Centre, the Church in Uganda established its own Commission for Catholic Education. Archbishop Paul B ...
• 24 April 2006
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - Programme completed: 314,000 internally displaced Liberians return home Monrovia (Fides Service)- The UN High Commission for Refugees UNHCR operation to help about 314,000 internally displaced Liberians return to their districts of origin was completed last week. During civil war in Liberia ...
• 21 April 2006
  AFRICA/KENYA -President of Kenya announces national day of inter-religious prayer Nairobi (Fides Service) - The President of Kenya Mwai Kibaki announced a national day of inter-religious prayer for today 21 April to commemorate the victims of the air crash last week (see Fides 12 April 2006). On 10 Ap ...
• 21 April 2006
  AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - Also in Burkina Faso the Lord is Risen! During the Easter Vigil 470 catechumens receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation Ouagadougou (Fides Service) - Yes the Lord is truly risen also for the patients at Camillian Homes which care for the poor, the abandoned, the terminally ill and even people abandoned by their own family. The Lord is r ...
• 20 April 2006
  AFRICA/CHAD - Tension in Chad still high: fear for presidential elections in May N’Djamena (Fides Service)- “Despite the present situation of calm, civilians fear fighting may start again at any time” say local Church sources in N’Djamena capital of Chad. On 13 April in N'Djamena and in Adré ...
• 20 April 2006
  AFRICA/TOGO - Great Celebrations for diocesan World Youth Day in Lome archdiocese Lome (Fides Service)- Over 8,000 priests, religious and lay people took part in celebrations for diocesan World Youth Day in the archdiocese of Lome capital of Togo, held for the first time at Tsévié, 8 and 9 April. ...
• 20 April 2006
  AFRICA - First meeting of directors of Catholic cultural centres in Africa Vatican City (Fides Service) - The first meeting for directors of Catholic Cultural centres in Africa is taking place in Lusaka, Zambia 18- 22 April. Thirty four directors from different parts of Africa are reflecting on ...
• 12 April 2006
  AFRICA - Africa’s Catholics start Holy Week Services with Palm Sunday Rome (Fides Service) - Millions of African Catholics prepare to take part in Holy Week services. On Palm Sunday Catholics all over Africa went to Mass with the traditional palm for blessing . In Gabon the mass in the c ...