Africa

• 23 July 2003
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - FIRST HAND REPORT FROM THE CAPITAL OF LIBERIA Monrovia (Fides Service) – “Up to five minutes ago we could hear the sound of shelling coming from the port and the east side of the city” a missionary in the Liberian capital Monrovia, whose name we withhold for s ...
• 21 July 2003
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - BEING BOTH PATRIOTIC AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF ‘ENEMY’ PEOPLE AT WAR: CHALLENGES FACING EVANGELISATION IN CONGO. INTERVIEW WITH ARCHBISHOP OF KISANGANI Kinshasa (Fides Service) – The Lord is challenging his disciples in Africa of the Great Lakes region to live the Gospel radically”. Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kisangani said this in an in an interview wi ...
• 18 July 2003
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - FIRST PASTORAL VISIT BY CARDINAL CRESCENZIO SEPE: THE CHURCH IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO BEGS NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN Vatican City (Fides Service) – From 7 – 13 July Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, made his first pastoral visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo during which ...
• 18 July 2003
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - ARCHBISHOP OF KISANGANI PAX CHRISTI INTERNATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT ASKS FOR UN MANDATE IN ITURI TO BE PROLONGED Kinshasa (Fides Service) – Pax Christi International PCI has launched an appeal for the extension of operations of the United Nations and the European Union to Ituri, in the north east of Democratic Congo. In a letter ...
• 17 July 2003
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - ANOTHER MASSACRE IN ITURI REGION. TERRIFIED PEOPLE SEEK SAFETY IN PARISHES AND FOREST Bunia (Fides Service) – “We have reliable confirmation that at least 24 people were killed four days ago in that area” local Church sources in Bunia, main town of Ituri region in north east Democratic Congo, commen ...
• 17 July 2003
  AFRICA/SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE - SITUATION UNCERTAIN FOLLOWING COUP: IS OIL THE TARGET? Sao Tome (Fides Service) – There is confusion in Sao Tome and Principe, the small island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, after the army staged a coup during the night of 15 July. The rebel military led by the head of the ...
• 16 July 2003
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - TRUCE IN BUJUMBURA AFTER DAYS OF SHELLING, BUT FOR HOW LONG? CONCERN OVER DESPERATE CONDITIONS OF THOUSANDS OF DISPLACED PERSONS Bujumbura (Fides Service) – Calm has returned to Bujumbura capital of Burundi after the artillery attack on Tuesday 15 July targeting mainly the district of Gihosha. “There are only sporadic shootings in outlying are ...
• 16 July 2003
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - DECADE OF WAR - BACKGROUND Bujumbura (Fides Service ) – Civil war in Burundi exploded in 1993. The conflict involves the mainly Tutsi army and the mainly Hutu guerrilla a tribe which is the majority in the country. The root of the conflict is m ...
• 16 July 2003
  AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - FROM HELL IN THE CITY TO HEAVEN OF NEW LAND: PRIEST RUNS PROGRAMME TO HELP ANTANANARIVO’S RURAL REFUGEES Antananarivo (Fides Service) – Every year thousands of country people pour into Antananarivo the capital of Madagascar in search of work. Most have been driven to the city by dire poverty caused by severe drought in th ...
• 15 July 2003
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - TRAGIC GROWING PHENOMENON OF STREET CHILDREN: CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES HAVE THREE HOMES IN KISANGANI FOR LITTLE PEOPLE NOBODY WANTS Kisangani (Fides Service) - A roof over their heads, regular meals, a chance to learn to read and write and acquire a skill. All this is provided for about 87 girls and boys who have found a new home in Catholic institut ...
• 15 July 2003
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - THOUSANDS SEEK SHELTER IN THE CAPITAL, HUMANITARIAN SITUATION DETERIORATES PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE HOPING FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE Monrovia (Fides Service) – “The humanitarian situation gets worse every day” a missionary in Monrovia, capital of Liberia, told Fides Service. Over the past weeks Monrovia has been the scene of heavy fighting betwe ...
• 14 July 2003
  AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - 60 MILLION AFRICANS SUFFER FROM HIV/AIDS: 2ND AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT LAUNCHES CALL TO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY Rome (Fides Service) – During the 2nd Summit meeting of the African Union, AU held recently in Maputo, Mozambique, for the first time the Africa Leaders put health emergencies HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria as a priority o ...
• 14 July 2003
  AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - AFRICAN UNION MEETING REVEALED “A WILL TO HAVE AN AFRICAN POLICY FOR AFRICA” ARCHBISHOP OF BEIRA TELLS FIDES SERVICE Maputo (Fides Service) – “The African Union Summit meeting in Maputo affirmed an African policy for Africa” says Archbishop Jaime Pedro Gonclaves of Beira referring to the meeting of African heads of states 10-12 J ...
• 14 July 2003
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - COUNT MORE ON LAY CATHOLICS FOR NEW EVANGELISATION AND PROMOTE JUSTICE AND PEACE: TWO MAIN OPTIONS IDENTIFIED BY CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ PLENARY ASSEMBLY Kinshasa (Fides Service) – “The Church in Congo wants to count more and more on the laity in view of new evangelisation” the spokesman for the Catholic Bishops of Congo Father Valer Shango told Fides Service. This ...
• 14 July 2003
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - TRUCE IN BUJUMBURA BUT IT IS FEARED FIGHTING MAY START AGAIN ANY TIME Bujumbura (Fides Service) – “We had a night of calm after a whole week of fighting” local sources in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi, told Fides Service. “Yesterday evening rebel militia of the Front of National Li ...