Africa

• 13 September 2004
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - Political crisis in Burundi over Constitutional changes Bujumbura (Fides Service)- “The crisis is political and so far there are no signs of a military intervention” local sources in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi, told Fides. The crisis broke during a Cabinet Meeting on S ...
• 13 September 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - The role of the international community is fundamental to prevent conflict in Kivu from spreading” local sources in eastern Congo tell Fides Kinshasa (Fides Service)- “The situation is shaky but there are signs of hope particularly the fact that the international community appears to be taking more care to verify affirmations made by the different parties i ...
• 13 September 2004
  AFRICA/RWANDA - “National reconciliation is a challenge for all Rwandans and the Church has its own contribution to offer” President of the Rwandan Bishops’ Conference tells Fides Rome (Fides Service)- “National reconciliation is still a challenge which concerns everyone, including the Church, society and politics” Bishop Alexis Habiyambere, S.I., of Nyundo, President of the Bishops’ Confere ...
• 9 September 2004
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - Drama of diamond hunters in northern Angola continues. Road accident kills 16 policemen and “garimpeiros” who had been expelled Luanda (Fides Service)- Yesterday 8 September on a dirt road leading from Mussuco, Cuango district, to the border with Congo, 16 people, Angolan policemen and illegal Congolese immigrants, were killed in a road accident. ...
• 9 September 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Respect for Congolese territorial sovereignty and a regional pact of non-aggression included in Bishops’ memorandum to South Africa’s president Mbeki, mediator in the Congo crisis Kinshasa (Fides Service)- “On behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of Congo I welcome with gratitude the tireless efforts made by you and your government to find a peaceful, just and concrete solution to the crises in D ...
• 9 September 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “The Church is an important element for peace and unity in Congo”: Fides speaks with Bishops of Democratic Congo also in view of elections in 2005 Rome (Fides Service) - In a conversation with Fides recently appointed Bishops from Congo, in Rome to take part in the Study Seminar organised by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples , said that their Churc ...
• 8 September 2004
  AFRICA/BENIN - “In Benin there has always been a spirit of tolerance and dialogue between religions; however in recent years we have seen infiltration of extremists,” said Bishop Victor Agbanou of Lokossa, who underlined the fervour of Catholics in Benin Rome (Fides Service)- “In Benin there has always been a spirit of tolerance and dialogue among people of different religions but in recent years we have noted with concern signs of creeping religious fundamentalism,” ...
• 8 September 2004
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - Refugees who fled violence in Kivu in June leave Burundi to make their way back to Democratic Congo: news confirmed by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides) - The United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR has confirmed in a recent report that a considerable number of refugees who had sought safety in Burundi are on their way back to Democrat ...
• 7 September 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Darfur: parties continue talks in Abuja. Crux of the problem disarmament of all the armed groups present in this western Sudan region Khartoum (Fides Service) - While in Abuja, Nigeria negotiations between the Sudanese government and the two rebel movements in Darfur, the international community is discussing measures to be taken with regard to Khartou ...
• 7 September 2004
  AFRICA/GHANA - Catholic Bishops of Wet Africa urge respect for democracy and good government, conditions for development and peace Accra (Fides Service) - “The Church and good governance” was the title of statement issued at the end of the 10th plenary assembly of the English speaking Catholic Bishops of West Africa who form the AECAWA. They wer ...
• 6 September 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Negotiations between Sudan government and rebels in Darfur continue. International community discusses new UN resolution to end violence. A few thousand refugees, out of more than 100,000, return to the region Khartoum (Fides Service)- Negotiations between the government of Sudan and the two guerrilla movements in Darfur, Justice and Equality Movement and Sudan Liberation Movement continue in Abuja (Nigeria) under the aegis of ...
• 6 September 2004
  AFRICA/ZIMBABWE - Christian churches in Zimbabwe unite to respond to criticism: “it is our pastoral and Christian obligation to call for the immediate repeal of draconian unjust and repressive legislation” Harare (Agenzia Fides) - Churches in Zimbabwe have united to reprimand government over state-orchestrated attacks against the church. Eight groups of different confessions signed the statement. “We, the ecumenical chur ...
• 3 September 2004
  AFRICA - Could the massacre of Congolese refugees in Burundi in mid August be one of the causes for the increasingly precarious situation in Burundi and Congo? An authoritative opinion Rome (Fides Service)- “African massacres, tribal massacres”. How often the western media dispose of yet another massacre of innocent civilians in this way, offering no help towards discerning the reasons for what wou ...
• 3 September 2004
  AFRICA - Info: main armed groups in the Great Lakes Region Rome (Fides Service) - Various armies and guerrilla groups operate in the Great Lakes region of Africa, which comprises the countries of Democratic Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. The groups fight against or with each other a ...
• 2 September 2004
  AFRICA/CHAD - Agreement signed by UN High Commission for Refugees and the government of Chad to guarantee safety of Darfur refugees Rome (Fides)- In Chad the United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR has signed an agreement with the government to guarantee the maintaining of a level of security and the civil nature of refugee camps and surrou ...