Africa

• 4 July 2005
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - Burundians vote to renew parliament. “These elections mark a turning point in the history of Burundi” Bujumbura (Fides Service)- “At the moment the situation is calm no incidents have been reported” said local sources in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi where legislative elections began today 4 July. “Following local ...
• 4 July 2005
  AFRICA/BOTSWANA - Vicar Apostolic of Francistown (Botswana), told Fides about the present situation in Botswana Vatican City (Fides Service) - During a recent visit to the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples Bishop Frank Nubuasah, SVD, Vicar Apostolic of Francistown (Botswana), told Fides about the present situation in ...
• 1 July 2005
  AFRICA - “Natural law must be respected” three African bishops the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Senegal, the archbishop of Nairobi and the archbishop of Gulu, say with regard to the law on same sex marriage approved by the Spanish parliament Rome (Fides Service)- “I learn with sadness and concern that Spain has approved a law to equal same sex unions to marriage” Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, northern Uganda, told Fides with regard to the law le ...
• 28 June 2005
  AFRICA/GUINEA BISSAU - Several killed or injured in disorder following results of first round presidential elections:. “local police unable to control demonstrations without having recourse to lethal force still uses Stalinist methods” Bissau (Fides Service)- A local observer in Bissau capital of Guinea Bissau has accused the Party for Social Renewal PSR of former president Kumba Yala of “schizophrenic behaviour.” Kumba Jala came third in president ...
• 28 June 2005
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - “Yesterday’s strike was a sign of serious social unrest caused by widespread unemployment” Communications’ office of the Southern African Bishops’ Conference told Fides Johannesburg (Fides Service)- “Yesterday’s strike was a sign of serious social unrest and a situation which threatens to explode” Italian Comboni missionary Fr Efrem Tresoldi, communications officer of the SACBC (S ...
• 27 June 2005
  AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - The family of the local Church in Burkina welcomes new deacons including five Camillian Brothers Ouagadougou (Fides Service) - June 23 and 24 were important days for the family of the Church in Burkina, the local community of Camillian Brothers in particular. In fact those were the days chosen by the Superiors of ...
• 27 June 2005
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference welcomes G8 promise to cancel debts of poor countries Pretoria (Fides Service)- Commenting on the latest move by the G8 countries, the spokesperson for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference SACBC, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale said, “Debt cancellation is a respon ...
• 23 June 2005
  AFRICA/GUINEA BISSAU - Probable run-off between former Presidents Malam Bacai Sanha and Joao Bernardo Vieira Bissau (Fides Service)- There will probably be a run-off between Malam Bacai Sanha and Joao Bernardo Vieira considering the results, not final, after a first round of presidential elections on Sunday 19 June in Guinea Bi ...
• 23 June 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - In a message for 45th anniversary of independence Catholics Bishops say the people deserve to be told why the June 30 elections have been postponed Kinshasa (Fides Service)- “Our conscience as Bishops and citizens urges us to defend the dignity of the human person created in the image of God. Our compatriots face a future of uncertainty, increasing insecurity and ...
• 23 June 2005
  AFRICA/MALAWI - Impeachment for President Bingu wa Mutharika. “Democracy is threatened” says a missionary in a country on the brink of famine, Lilongwe ( Fides Service)- “After eleven years of democracy, following 30 years of dictatorship, we appear to be threatened with a return of the past” said a missionary in Malawi where today 23 June, a motion was pre ...
• 22 June 2005
  AFRICA/TOGO - “We offer words of comfort to all. May Mary Queen of Peace protect the destiny of our country”: Catholic Bishops address the nation Lome (Fides Service)- "The unprecedented and difficult situation before and during presidential elections on 24 April may have discouraged many. But to give way to discouragement would only make things worse. Help can on ...
• 22 June 2005
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “Power sharing between people who live along the Nile and those who don’t is the reason for Sudan’s conflicts” a Comboni missionary tells Fides Khartoum (Fides Service)- “I am sadly not surprised that after the western region of Darfur now also eastern Sudan threatens to explode” Italian Comboni missionary Fr Giovanbattista Antonini, with years of experience ...
• 22 June 2005
  EUROPE/AFRICA - The Church in Togo wants to make the nation’s difficult situation known to public opinion, it calls for help for the people in danger of losing courage: final Message issued after Meeting between Italian missionaries and local Church in Togo Lome (Fides Service) - “The Church in Togo would like to make a gift to the Church in Italy of its festive liturgy, the vitality of its communities which strive to become self supporting, the valorisation of the laity, ...
• 21 June 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Dramatic report from Luhwinja and Burinyi in south east Democratic Congo where war never stopped: although our country is rich we have to beg for clothes Bukavu (Fides Service) - This is one of the many forgotten wars. Here in the south eastern Kivu region of Democratic Congo guerrilla groups continue to terrorise the people despite the official peace agreement. Fides rec ...
• 21 June 2005
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - “Countless numbers of men, women with babies, children of school age, the old and the sick, continue to sleep in the open air at winter temperatures near to freezing” Catholic Bishops of Zimbabwe protest against government’s shanty town operation ‘clean up’ Harare (Fides Service)- The secretary general of the United Nations Organisation Kofi Annan has appointed Tanzanian Anna Kajumolo Tibaijuka UN special envoy to investigate alleged abuse by security forces during the Mura ...