Africa

• 2 June 2005
  AFRICA/SUDAN - After last year’s severe drought now heavy rains threaten people in southern Sudan with serious food shortage Catholic Bishop of El Obeid told Fides Khartoum (Fides Service)- “Water is not lacking. On the contrary we have had too much and too fast. The soil has no time to absorb it all and remains paradoxically dry” Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El Obeid told Fides ...
• 1 June 2005
  AFRICA/UGANDA - The tragedy of AIDS central theme at 15th Plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops of Eastern Africa opening today in Uganda Kampala ( Fides Service)- The 15th plenary assembly of the Association of Member Bishops Conferences of Eastern Africa AMECEA opens today at Mukono, near Kampala, capital of Uganda. The theme of the meeting is “Meeting ...
• 1 June 2005
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - War Lords want to condition installation of new Somali government Mogadishu (Fides Service)- The government of Somalia says it will return from exile despite violence in recent days in the south western town of Baidoa chosen as the temporary headquarters of the new executive. The news ...
• 31 May 2005
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - “Thank you Holy Father for your encouragement. We confirm our commitment to work for peace in our country” the Bishops of Burundi said at the end of their Ad Limina visit Rome (Fides Service)- At the end of their Ad Limina visit 23 to 28 May, the Catholic Bishops of Burundi issued a statement in which they thank the Holy Father Benedict XVI for his warm welcome, for listening carefully t ...
• 31 May 2005
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - “Charles Taylor is only the tip of the iceberg of what is happening here in Liberia” a missionary told Fides Monrovia (Fides Service)- “Former President Charles Taylor is an example of the situation in Liberia in recent years” Fr Mauro Armanino (Provincial SMA) in Monrovia told Fides. “Although Taylor is wanted by the Uni ...
• 31 May 2005
  AFRICA/GUINEA BISSAU - Calm replaces tension of past few days Bissau (Fides Service)- “At last calm has returned and the electoral process has started again” said local Church sources in locale Bissaucapital of Guinea Bissau where tension rose after former president Kumba Yala ...
• 30 May 2005
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - Premier’s Party declared winner of May 15 elections. But Opposition says battle is not over Addis Ababa (Fides Service) - The political situation in Ethiopia remains uncertain after the independent electoral commission announced that the May 15 elections had been won by the Party led by Prime Minister Meles Zen ...
• 30 May 2005
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - While in Zimbabwe the grip of hunger is ever tighter, the government invests in modern technology to close communications frontiers. The opposition calls for solidarity denouncing vexation and violence against the poor. Neighbour countries increasingly affected by food crisis Harare (Fides Service)- “Make war on poverty rather than on the poor” said representatives of the Christian Churches in Zimbabwe in an appeal in which they joined the opposition and civil society in calling on the go ...
• 28 May 2005
  AFRICA/NIGER - Many more than 4 million lives at stake. Drought and locusts bring on serious food shortage. Niamey diocese calls for help and solidarity Niamey (Fides Service)- “The situation is more desperate that anyone could imagine and it threatens to become a catastrophe before the world realise what is happening” Fides Mgr Laurent Lompo from Niamey diocese in N ...
• 28 May 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “For 45 years and the last 15 in particular the people of Congo have suffered because of civil war and serious disorder. We call for violence to stop from which ever side it comes” says President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Congo Kinshasa (Fides Service)- “We call on those responsible to stop all violence” said Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kisangani President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Democratic Congo, calling on the ...
• 27 May 2005
  AFRICA/GUINEA BISSAU - Concern in Guinea Bissau after performances of former Presidents Kumba Yala and João Bernardo Viera Bissau (Fides Service)-“There is apparent calm, but tension remains” said local Church sources in Bissau, capital of Guinea Bissau where the reported occupation of the Presidential Residence by former president Kumba ...
• 27 May 2005
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “The situation in Darfur has not improved, Janjaweed Arab militia raids on civilians continue” Laura Boldrini of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees told Fides Khartoum (Fides Service)- “Unfortunately the situation in Darfur has not improved” United Nations High Commission for Refugees spokesperson Laura Boldrini told Fides. “Armed incursions on civilians on the part of t ...
• 25 May 2005
  AFRICA/ CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - “With the election of the new President the international community has no excuse: it must assure the country urgently needed financial aid” Bangui (Fides Service)- “Now that Central Africa has a regularly elected President and a Parliament there can be no excuses, the international community must take measures to send financial aid because the country has ...
• 25 May 2005
  AFRICA/TOGO - Catholic Bishops of Togo thank French Bishops for closeness and solidarity x Lome (Fides Service)- “We are extremely concerned for the situation of human rights in Togo” the International Federation of Human Rights Organisations said in a letter addressed to Kofi Annan United Nations Secretar ...
• 25 May 2005
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - “People’s trust in the Church derives from the years of the civil war when the clergy stayed by their people” says the President of the Burundian Bishops’ Conference Rome (Fides Service)- “People trust the Church, this is why priests and religious will be among those watching to see the election is fair and free” said Bishop Jean Ntagwarara of Bubanza who is President Burundian B ...