Africa

• 1 April 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - “The international community must intervene to help the exhausted people of Uganda exposed to daily vexation by numerous gangs of gunmen”: Superiors of Comboni Missionaries launch appeal following the murder of Italian missionary Father Fulvi. Rome (Fides Service) - “In view of the situation of insecurity and poverty caused by the bloody civil war which exploded in the 1980s we feel it is our duty to make a heartfelt appeal to the international community in ...
• 31 March 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - From Sudan Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El Obeid comments for Fides the arrest of Hassan al-Turabi Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)-“The arrest of Turabi does not surprise me” Bishop Macram Max Gassis, Catholic Bishop of El Obeid, Sudan, told Fides commenting the arrest during the night of Hassan al-Turabi, opposition Isl ...
• 31 March 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Comboni missionary found dead at mission house in Gulu, northern Uganda Gulu (Fides Service) - An Italian missionary, Comboni Father Luciano Fulvi, has been found dead in his room at Layibi mission in Gulu, northern Uganda. The priest was last seen going to bed at 9 yesterday evening, 30 Mar ...
• 31 March 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Dramatic impasse. Dialogue between the President and the Opposition stalls. Ivory Coast stands at crucial point in history Abidjan (Fides Service)- “We have reached a dramatic unprecedented impasse. This is a crucial moment for Ivory Coast ” a local Church source in Abidjan, economic capital of Ivory Coast told Fides. The Ivorian Preside ...
• 31 March 2004
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - “Angola on the path to Hope”: Catholic Bishops of Angola issue pastoral letter on 2nd anniversary of peace agreement Luanda (Fides Service)- To mark the second anniversary of peace agreement the Catholic Bishops of Angola have issued a Pastoral letter “Angola on the Path to Hope” in which they reflect on the country’s social, eco ...
• 29 March 2004
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk forward. Get up and vote. Get up, take an interest in your country” Southern African Bishops Conference urge people in view of elections next month Pretoria (Fides Service) - “ Get up, roll up your mats of tiredness and disappointment. Get up and walk forward. Get up and vote. Get up, take an interest in your country.”. This was the call launched by the Southern ...
• 29 March 2004
  AFRICA/CONGO RD - Calm returns to Kinshasa after violence on Sunday night in which two government soldiers were killed and several injured Kinshasa (Fides Service)- Calm has returned to Kinshasa after episodes of fighting in the early hours of Sunday March 28. “City traffic is back to normal and people have gone to work ” a local church source in Kinsha ...
• 29 March 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Opposition to hold another demonstration today. “Situation calm for the moment” local sources tell Fides Abidjan (Fides Service)- “People want a return to normality, they want peace, no more violence, dead and wounded” a local Church source in Abidjan economic capital of Ivory Coast told Fides after disorder, on March 2 ...
• 27 March 2004
  DOSSIER - AFRICA/UGANDA - “I was a girl soldier”: the story of Paska Rome (Fides Service) - Paska was only 14 when she was recruited to fight in the civil war in Uganda. Today she is a woman and she is still fighting, but she is fighting for peace in her country. Paska found the way out o ...
• 27 March 2004
  DOSSIER - AFRICA/UGANDA - In 18 years of civil war rebels have enlisted 35,000 children. AVSI Association of Volunteers for International Development assists children who escaped their captors Kampala (Fides Service) - In 18 years of civil war in northern Uganda, more than 35,000 children have been abducted and forced to right by the Lord’s Resistance Army LRA. “The figure is realistic although precise fig ...
• 27 March 2004
  DOSSIER - AFRICA/SIERRA LEONE - “The most difficult thing is to help the youngsters forced to kill to find their identity again” says Xaverian missionary in Sierra Leone who helps rehabilitation of child soldiers in Sierra Leone Freetown (Fides Service) - “The most difficult thing is to help the youngsters find their identity again” Father Giuseppe Berton, Xaverian missionary in Sierra Leone told Fides. For years Father Berton has worked to ...
• 26 March 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Ivory Coast is ever more divided after clashes with police and demonstrators yesterday in which 25 people were killed and many injured. The saddest thing is that no one thinks of the good of the nation Abidjan (Fides Service)- At least 25 people were killed and many more injured during clashes between the police and demonstrators yesterday 25 March in Abidjan, economic capital of Ivory Coast where a planned Opposition ...
• 26 March 2004
  EUROPE/ITALY - Four hundred thousand people in flight in northern Uganda: “Africa Mission - Cooperation and Development” provides emergency humanitarian aid. Rome (Fides Service) - With each passing day, the tragedy of civilians in northern Uganda assumes ever more serious dimensions. The central government in Kampala would appear to be unable to counter effectively the inten ...
• 25 March 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - At least 11 people killed Opposition demonstration interrupted: crucial hour for Ivory Coast Abidjan (Fides Service)- “The city is holding its breath, all strategic points are heavily manned ” local Church sources in Abidjan told Fides. Today, March 25, Ivory Coast Opposition parties had staged a demonstrati ...
• 25 March 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Bishops concerned about tension, call for cancellation of Opposition demonstration scheduled for today March 25 Abidjan (Fides Service)- “It is very sad to see that most of the words about peace are anything but peaceful!”. This was affirmed by the Catholic Bishops of Ivory Coast with regard to the climate of tension in the co ...