Africa

• 21 November 2003
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA-ERITREA - AT THE MOMENT THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF A RETURN TO WAR BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA AFTER ASMARA WITHDREW ITS AMBASSADOR TO THE AFRICAN UNION Addis Ababa (Fides Service)- “This development is serious although there are no signs of a return of military tension between Ethiopia and Eritrea or, still worse, of war” local Church sources in Addis Ababa told Fid ...
• 21 November 2003
  AFRICA/REPUBLIC OF CONGO - EBOLA STRIKES AGAIN: QUARANTINE FOR MBOMBO DISTRICT Brazzaville (Fides) – Ebola disease strikes periodically in tropical forests taking a few dozen lives and then disappearing again. Unfortunately the health minister of the Republic of Congo, Alain Moka, has confirmed t ...
• 20 November 2003
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - “THE STATE OF INSECURITY IS SUCH THAT WE MAY HAVE TO CELEBRATE MIDNIGHT MASS AT FOUR PM ON CHRISTMAS EVE SAYS MISSIONARY IN NORTH IVORY COAST” Abidjan (Fides Service)- “For the moment, the emergency is over and all is calm” a missionary in Bouake told Fides Service. Bouake is the main town in the northern region Ivory Coast in the hands of the New Forces re ...
• 19 November 2003
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - “MISUNDERSTANDING OF DEFENCE MINISTER’S SPEECH CAUSE OF RISING TENSION IN IVORY COAST” SAYS MISSIONARY Abidjan (Fides Service) – Tension is rising in Ivory Coast where New Forces rebels have declared a state of emergency fearing an attack by the regular army. “This tension probably rises from a misinterpretation of wh ...
• 18 November 2003
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - “AGREEMENT OF HISTORIC IMPORTANCE. NOW PEACE MUST BE MADE WITH THE OTHER REBEL GROUP” BISHOP OF BUJUMBURA COMMENTS GOVERNMENT/FDD PEACE PACT Bujumbura (Fides Service)- “This is a history making agreement for Burundi” Bishop Evariste Ngoyagoye of Bujumbura told Fides with regard to peace prospects after the government and the rebel group FDD (Forces for De ...
• 17 November 2003
  AFRICA/UGANDA - GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS OFFERING SAFE HAVEN TO GUERRILLA LEADERS TO STOP WAR IN NORTHERN UGANDA, BEFORE IT SPREADS TO INVOLVE MORE TRIBES Kampala (Fides Service)- “At the moment it is difficult to say whether there are concrete facts behind the news ” local observers in Kampala told Fides with regard to reports of a possible agreement between the Ugand ...
• 17 November 2003
  AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - DEVELOPMENT, ASSISTANCE TO RETURNING REFUGEES, COMMUNICATIONS AND CULTURE TO PROMOTE EVANGELISATION IN MOZAMBIQUE Maputo (Fides Service)- “The fact that three of the newly created Cardinals are Africans from Ghana, Nigeria e Sudan demonstrates that the Christian faith has taken deep root in Africa and this is an encouragement to c ...
• 14 November 2003
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED DENOUNCES VIOLENCE IN CABINDA ENCLAVE: BESIDES SUMMARY EXECUTION, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS Luanda (Fides Service) – Catholic priests in Angola have denounced crimes against humanity, aggression of civilians by Angolan army troops in Cabina enclave, separated from Angola by the Republic of Congo. A report sen ...
• 14 November 2003
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - THE CHURCH IN FAVOUR OF DISARMAMENT OF LOCAL MILITIA. FIGHTING CONTINUES IN SEVERAL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY Monrovia (Fides Service)- The Catholic Church in Liberia supports the process to disarm local militia and for this reason it has asked to be represented in the national Commission for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reha ...
• 13 November 2003
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - AREN’T THERE ENOUGH WARS IN AFRICA WITHOUT SNAPPING THE THIN THREAD OF PEACE IN IVORY COAST TOO? Abidjan (Fides Service) - Opinions differ in Ivory Coast with regard to the recent meeting of West African nations in Accra (Ghana) to promote peace in the country. The meeting was attended by the presidents of Ivory Coa ...
• 13 November 2003
  AFRICA/KENYA - UNIVERSITY TEACHERS STRIKE: CATHOLIC BISHOPS URGE RESEARCHES AND GOVERNMENT TO THINK OF THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY AT THIS TIME OF DIFFICULTY FOR ALL AFRICA Nairobi (Fides Service)- “The closing of all state universities in Kenya is a sad event” the Catholic Bishops of Kenya say in a statement with regard to a strike called by university assistants and researchers which ...
• 12 November 2003
  AFRICA/UGANDA - EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH ARCHBISHOP ODAMA AFTER TALKS BETWEEN ACHOLI RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN NORTHERN UGANDA AND UN UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS Gulu (Fides Service)- “We were more than satisfied with the talks with the United Nations special envoy ” Archbishop John Baptist Odama Gulu, northern Uganda told Fides with regard to a meeting of representatives of ...
• 12 November 2003
  AFRICA/MAURITANIA - OFFICIAL RESULTS OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS Nouakchott (Fides Service )- According to official results, outgoing President Maaouiya Sid'Ahmed Ould Taya was re-elected with 66,7 % of votes place in Mauritania on 7 November (see Fides 8 November 2003). Taya, in po ...
• 12 November 2003
  AFRICA/SUDAN - GROWING CONCERN FOR RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS AFTER SIGNING OF PEACE AGREEMENT Khartoum (Fides Service) – There is growing concern with regard to the return of Sudanese refugees from neighbouring countries. As the signing of a peace agreement between the Khartoum government and the SPLA Sudan Peo ...
• 11 November 2003
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - BOMBED BUJUMBURA NOW FEARS VAST SCALE OFFENSIVE BY HUTU WARRIORS ENCIRCLING CAPITAL Bujumbura (Fides Service)- “There is an atmosphere of unreal calm in the city charged with tension ” local Church sources in the Burundian capital Bujumbura tell Fides after a night of heavy bombing of north eastern ...