Africa

• 30 September 2004
  AFRICA - World Food Programme warns: 2 million people in 3 southern African countries face food emergency early next year Rome (Fides Service) - The World Food Programme has appealed for 78 million US dollars to guarantee emergency food aid to about 2 million people in Lesotho, Malawi and Swaziland, three small nations in southern Africa. A ...
• 30 September 2004
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - UNHCR starts repatriation of 340,000 Liberians. The largest repatriation programme as yet Rome (Fides Service)- A three-year programme to help the return to Liberia of about 340,000 refugees, who fled the country because of 14 years of civil war, starts on Friday 1 October. This is the largest such programme ...
• 29 September 2004
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Niger Delta twixt oil and Ijaw claims Lagos (Fides Service)- The leader of a Nigerian rebel group which threaten to sabotage oil production in Niger Delta is in Abuja, capital of Nigeria, for talks with the government. Mujahid Dokubo Asari, leader “Nige ...
• 28 September 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “Darfur is not the only tragedy, all over Sudan the situation is precarious and dangerous, Bishop Gassis Catholic Bishop of El Obeid tells Fides Rome (Fides Service)- “The world is rightly concerned for the situation in Darfur, but that tragedy threatens to make people forget there are other crisis areas in Sudan” Bishop Macram Max Gassis, Catholic Bishop of ...
• 28 September 2004
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Catholic Bishops of Nigeria: “We thank God that more lay Christians are becoming involved in politics” Lagos (Fides Service)- “We thank God that more lay Christians are becoming involved in politics and are occupying various posts. We congratulate those of them who have been trying to be true witnesses of justice and pe ...
• 27 September 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Uganda will host 15th plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops of East Africa Kampala (Fides)- Uganda will host the next Plenary Assembly of AMECEAthe Association of Bishops’ Conferences of East Africa . According to CISA Catholic news agency in Nairobi Kenya, the Ugandan Bishops are preparing t ...
• 27 September 2004
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - Mine fields prevent return of Angolan refugees difficult: air lifts to repatriate 4,000 from Namibia Rome (Fides Service) - The first in a series of air lifts to repatriate Angolan refugees to Huambo in central Angola organised by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in collaboration with the International Or ...
• 24 September 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “Jihad is exploited to subdue rebel ethnic groups” says a missionary with years of experience in Sudan Khartoum (Fides Service)- “The government of Sudan is used to playing with names in this case it is pulling the wool over the eyes of the international community” a missionary with years of experience in Sudan told ...
• 24 September 2004
  AFRICA - Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Congo sign agreement to hasten peace in the Great Lakes region of Africa where 6 million people have been killed in the past 10 years Kinshasa (Fides Service) - Diplomatic initiatives to restore peace in the Great Lakes region of Africa, the scene of years of civil war in Democratic Congo and Burundi continue. Following an agreement between Rwanda and ...
• 23 September 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Fresh outbreak of fighting in north east of Congo causes another exodus of villagers. “The fighting is getting nearer to Goma, the rebel stronghold” local sources told Fides Bukavu (Fides Service) - More than 15,000 people have abandoned their homes because of a fresh outbreak of violence in the south of the eastern Kivu region of Democratic Congo, according to the United Nations Mission in ...
• 23 September 2004
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - “Despite difficulties the Church’s message is always one of life, encouragement and hope” Bishop Gustavo Bombin Espino, Bishop of Tsiroanomandidy tells Fides Rome (Fides Service) - “Youth and immigration are the main challenges in my diocese where the people are young: under 25 year olds represent 75% of the population. The diocese is also young, it was created 46 years ago ...
• 23 September 2004
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - “Taliban” attacks in northern Nigeria confirms fears that fundamentalism could be spreading in west Africa Lagos (Agenzia Fides)- At least 7 people were killed in attacks on two police stations in the north eastern Nigerian state of Borno by groups who claimed to be Talibans Some 40 armed men wearing red bandannas and launch ...
• 22 September 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - 21 September Day for Peace in Uganda an ordinary day of war. Peace for Ugandans as in every country at war is not an abstract idea it is something real, something deeply desired and sought after Gulu (Fides Service) - There are parts of the world where the UN International Day for Peace, celebrated yesterday 21 September, is deeply significant. These are places where war still takes its tragic toll of death and ...
• 22 September 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “Security of internally displaced persons in Darfur must be guaranteed” Laura Boldrini in charge of UN High Commission for Refugees Italian branch told Fides Rome (Fides Service)- “The first priority is to guarantee security for internally displaced persons who have fled for safety to other villages in Darfur” Laura Boldrini in charge of UN High Commission for Refugees UN ...
• 21 September 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - The tragedy in Darfur: a list of the many militia groups responsible for oppressing innocent civilians Khartoum (Fides Service)- The so-called Janjaweed militia are at the centre of the crisis in Darfur which was the subject of recent resolution issued by the United Nations Security Council (see Fides 20 September 2004). ...