Africa

• 18 June 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Bukavu diocesan broadcaster attacked by rebels: Dramatic report from operators at Radio Maria,: “Our Lady protected her Radio and her cathedral ” Bukavu (Fides Service)- Some days ago when Bukavu, the main town in south Kivu was taken by Tutsi Rwandan Banyamulenger rebels (resident in Congo for decades) for a brief period few, one of the places attacked was the Ca ...
• 18 June 2004
  AFRICA/ CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - “Religious cults are a threat to public order ”. Central African government is concerned Bangui (Fides Service)- The Central African Republic is concerned about the growing phenomenon of religious cults which it says are a threat to public order. According to local authorities some sects have hidden weapons ...
• 15 June 2004
  AFRICA - Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo humanitarian emergencies. UN sounds the alarm Rome (Fides Service)- At least 10 million people are unable to receive aid from humanitarian organisations because of 20 conflicts in different parts of the world. This was said by Jan Egeland UN co-ordinator for emergen ...
• 15 June 2004
  AFRICA/CONGO RD - Dramatic humanitarian situation in east Congo. “The alarm sounded by the UN is a positive fact but it should not be forgotten that war is the cause of all this” say local Fides’ sources Bukavu (Fides Service)- “ The alarm sounded by the UN is a positive signal. At last the spotlights are turned to Congo’s tragedy ” say Fides’ local sources in Bukavu, main town of the South Kiu region in Democrat ...
• 14 June 2004
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - Clashes in Nigeria: “the religious element is not the only provocation” Fides sources say. The shadow of oil stretches across the country Lagos (Fides Service)- Over the past weeks hundreds of people have been killed in episodes of violence in various parts of Nigeria. The highest numbers of victims were reported in riots in the north eastern state of Adam ...
• 14 June 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “Faced with misinformation supplied by those who want war, we must let the moderates have their say” say Fides sources in Bukavu Bukavu (Fides Service)- The situation of uncertainty remains in Bukavu main town in south Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after rebel General Laurent Nkunda threatened to take back the city unless a commissio ...
• 12 June 2004
  AFRICA/KENYA - “Katiba Kama Ilivyo”, Catholic radio programme in Nairobi informs people about final draft of new Constitution Nairobi (Fides Service)- “Following a statement issued by the Catholic Bishops in March we wanted to help people understand the contents of the final draft of the new Constitution” Jesuit Father Ludwig Van Heucke tol ...
• 11 June 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Military ‘coup attempt’ in capital Kinshasa fails. “Coup leaders miscalculated absence of presidential guard and President’s apparent loss of popular support” local sources told Fides Kinshasa (Fides Service)- A ‘coup attempt’ in Kinshasa, capital of Democratic Republic of Congo appears to have failed. “The shooting has stopped. The state radio has announced that President Joseph Kabila is about ...
• 9 June 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Who wants to increase tension in Ivory Coast and why? Abidjan (Fides Service)- In Ivory Coast people are wondering who wants to increase tension and why after an incident during the night of 6 June when armed men attacked regular troops and French peacekeepers in Gohitafla ...
• 8 June 2004
  AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - “Caring for the sick helps me realise their agony and distress”, Camillian Missionary reports to Fides… Ouagadougou (Fides Service) - “For some time now I have been working at the Centre for Care and Solidarity in Ouagadougou to replace a confrere away on a refresher course. I came from the S. Camillo Medical Centre Oua ...
• 8 June 2004
  AFRICA/CONGO RD - Bukavu: situation of confusion persists after official withdrawal of guerrillas. “Vexation of civilians continues ” say local Fides sources Bukavu (Fides Service) - There is a climate of uncertainty and confusion in Bukavu the main town in the South Kivu region in the east of Democratic Congo, at the heart of a crisis which could throw the country back into ...
• 8 June 2004
  AFRICA/MALAWI - Disappointment in Malawi when an Opposition candidate joins President’s Party Lilongwe (Fides Service)- There is widespread disappointment in Malawi after an Opposition leader Gwanda Chakuamba, announced he had joined the party in power United Democratic Front UDF. Chakuamba came third in presiden ...
• 8 June 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Is peace ever further way in Ivory Coast? Fighting in the north, fierce protest in the economic capital Abidjan (Fides Service)-“Perhaps we are back to where we started. The peace agreement has been practically annulled” say local Fides sources in Abidjan, economic capital of Ivory Coast. “The national unity interim ...
• 7 June 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Fresh fighting in Bukavu, martyr city in east Congo. Rwanda says it has closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Religious leaders call on politicians to stop the tragedy Bukavu (Fides Service)- There has been a fresh outburst of fighting in Bukavu, main city of southern Kivu in eastern Democratic Congo for weeks the scene of conflict between the regular army and rebels of the RCD-Goma (C ...
• 7 June 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Darfur: huge humanitarian tragedy. More than 2 million refugees and internally displaced persons Khartoum (Fides Service)- While the process for peace in Southern Sudan advances the emergency continues in the west region of Darfur, where fighting is causing tremendous suffering to civilians. On Saturday 5 June, in N ...