Africa

• 23 November 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “I am grateful to the Pope for this act of confidence in me” the newly appointed Bishop of Bokungu-Ikela in Congo told Fides Rome (Fides Service)-“I am deeply moved by my appointment as Bishop of the diocese of Bokungu-Ikela” Capuchin Father Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, O.F.M. Vice-Provincial of his religious Order in Democratic Congo told Fi ...
• 23 November 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Cease fire in Darfur violated. Government declares state of emergency Khartoum (Fides Service)- Peace seems unattainable in Darfur, the martyred north western region of Sudan where a violent civil war has raged for many months. On Sunday 21 November fresh fighting caused some 30,000 people ...
• 23 November 2004
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - The figure of the priest, the Year of the Eucharist and Africa’s Year of the Bible, the fight against AIDS were some of the topics discussed by the Catholic Bishops of Madagascar during their recent plenary assembly Antananarino (Fides Service) - The Catholic Bishops of Madagascar recently met in the capital Antananarino, for the annual assembly of the local Church Bishop Gustavo Bombin Espino of Tsiroanomandidy reported to Fides. T ...
• 22 November 2004
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - Africa: pouring of refugees from one state to another continues to threaten stability in countries such as Liberia, trying to recover from a dramatic civil. At least 13,000 Ivorians have fled to north eastern Liberia Monrovia (Fides Service)- “So far the flow of Ivorian refugees has not caused tension although local radios have appealed to United Nations forces in Liberia to be on guard to prevent Ivorian militia from recruiting am ...
• 22 November 2004
  AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - “The fight was with poachers not Sudanese guerrillas” local sources told Fides commenting an army intervention in which 16 people were killed after an attack on a village a hundred kilometres from the Sudanese border Bangui (Fides Service) -“Local media and government authorities say it was a battle with poachers, not Sudan guerrilla groups” said local Church sources in the Central African Republic where on Friday 19 November 16 ...
• 20 November 2004
  AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - Invasion of locusts combined with lack of rain destroys 90% of harvests in northern Burkina Faso Ouagadougou (Fides Service) -Harvests in northern Burkina Faso will be 90% less because of an invasion of locusts. The situation is most serious in the province of Oudalan, which has borders with Mali and Niger. The wors ...
• 20 November 2004
  AFRICA/TANZANIA - Great Lakes Summit participants sign declaration of commitment to work for “A region of lasting peace and security”. Catholic Bishops of Tanzania urge them to take the “path of dialogue” Dar es Salaam (Agenzia Fides)- - Transform the Great Lakes region in an “area of lasting peace and security” was the goal established today 20 November by African heads of state taking part in the first Internationa ...
• 16 November 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Anger and resignation after United Nations decision to impose sanctions on Ivory Coast Abidjan (Agenzia Fides)- “There is anger and resignation with regard to the UN sanctions on Ivory Coast. Many people telephoned the state radio asking for the government’s reaction. The national radio announced that ...
• 16 November 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Hope mixed with fear in East Congo awaiting outcome of Great Lakes Region summit while rumours of imminent assaults on Bukavu continue Bukavu (Fides Service) -“They keep talking about peace while rumours of imminent assaults on the town continue” said a local source in Bukavu, main town in southern Kivu, in the east of Democratic Congo, in recent m ...
• 15 November 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Cease fire announced in northern Uganda: Bishop of Odama issues statement to Fides Kampala (Fides Service)- “We thank President Museveni and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) for this important step towards peace” Archbishop John Baptist Odama of the northern Ugandan diocese of Gulu, also chairman ...
• 12 November 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - An ethnic mosaic which threatens to explode Abidjan (Fides Service) - Ivory Coast is a mosaic of different ethnic groups and religions at the edge of a precipice. Its present national crisis threatens to explode in civil war with unimaginable consequences. The peo ...
• 12 November 2004
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - National Assembly appoints Vice president, a man of dialogue Bujumbura (Fides Service)- The National Assembly of Burundi has appointed Frederic Ngenzebuhoro as new Vice President to replace Alphonse Marie Kadege, dismissed by President Domitien Ndayizeye (see Fides 11 November 200 ...
• 12 November 2004
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - The hidden tragedy of mines in Angola: news which is “non news” for major world media Luanda (Fides Service)- Every day at least 50 people are killed by anti-personnel mines and unexploded bombs. A silent tragedy which we want to reveal, news which is non news, events ignored by major world media channels ...
• 12 November 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - “I witnessed the air strike on the French base” a missionary in Bouake told Fides: Water, electricity and telephone supplies resume Bouake (Fides Service)- “Only God gives security. All the missionaries stayed at their posts with the people” a missionary in Bouake, the ‘capital’ of the area controlled by the New Forces rebels told Fides. “ ...
• 11 November 2004
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - Burundians await appointment of new vice president Bujumbura (Fides Service)- Burundians expect the new vice president to be appointed today, after President Domitien Ndayizeye (Hutu), dismissed his Tutsi deputy, Alphonse-Marie Kadege yesterday. “The appointment of Kad ...