Africa

• 19 September 2007
  AFRICA/NIGERIA - At the end of 2nd plenary assembly Catholic Bishops assure contribution to heal the nation's moral crisis, the root of all evil Lagos (Agenzia Fides)- In a statement issued at the end of their second plenary assembly the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria affirm “We have had the elections, but the wounds inflicted on the Nigerian people and on our nas ...
• 19 September 2007
  AFRICA/SIERRA LEONE - “What prevailed was a desire for change, to forget the past” Catholic missionary comments election of Sierra Leone's new President Freetown (Agenzia Fides)- “Following the tension of the final battle, the people of Sierra Leone expressed its joy and satisfaction for the results, which confirm a general desire for change compared with the past, to ...
• 18 September 2007
  AFRICA/D. R. CONGO - “We ask the United Nations Organisation to help us stop the armed groups which threaten regional peace”: say governments of Great Lakes region Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- A call to the United Nations Organisation to intensify collaboration with the Congolese authorities to gain control of certain “negative forces” operating in the east of the Democratic Repub ...
• 18 September 2007
  AFRICA/SENEGAL - Prime Minister launches economic development programme: priorities include energy and agriculture Dakar (Agenzia Fides)- Energy and agriculture are the economic priorities earmarked by Senegal's premier Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré in an address to Parliament in Dakar. Calling for a “national pact of stability and ec ...
• 17 September 2007
  AFRICA/SIERRA LEONE - Ernest Bai Koroma is the new President of Sierra Leone. “Let's put our confidence in the people”, says an experienced missionary. Freetown (Agenzia Fides)- Ernest Bai Koroma, leader of the All People’s Congress Party (APC), is the new President of Sierra Leone. This was announced in the later morning today 17 September by the Independent Elector ...
• 17 September 2007
  AFRICA/SUDAN - “Pressure by public opinion is fundamental for solving the crisis” says a missionary commenting Darfur Day Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)-“Pressure by public opinion is fundamental for a positive outcome to the crisis in Darfur. The government of Khartoum cannot fail to take these demonstrations into account” Fides was told by ...
• 15 September 2007
  AFRICA/MALI - Attack on Mali army post re-ignites tension with Tuareg nomads Bamako (Agenzia Fides)- There is growing concern in Mali and Niger as tension rises with the ethnic Berber Tuareg nomads in the Sahel area. On September 14 a group of Tuareg rebels attacked a small army camp at Tinzaou ...
• 15 September 2007
  AFRICA/CONGO RD - Some of the many Congolese who fled to Uganda to escape violence in North Kivu have returned home; but there are still about 650,000 internally displaced persons in east Congo. Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- Some of the estimated 35,000 Congolese who fled to Uganda last week after a recrudescence of conflict and escalation of violence in the North Kivu province in the east of the Democratic Republic ...
• 14 September 2007
  AFRICA/SUDAN - New hopes for peace in Darfur: “We are willing to respect a unilateral cease fire in Darfur as soon as negotiations with the rebels commence” says Sudan's President on a visit to Italy and the Vatican Roma (Agenzia Fides)- “We are willing to respect a unilateral cease fire in Darfur as soon as negotiations with the rebels in Darfur commence”. This was announced by the President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir at ...
• 14 September 2007
  AFRICA/R. D. CONGO - “I intend to restore state rule in north Kivu ” says president of Congo Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- Joseph Kabila has said he intends to use 'all the necessary means' to restore government rule in north Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where fierce fighting between the re ...
• 14 September 2007
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - An estimated 83,000 minors suffer from malnutrition and 13,500 are in danger of dying of hunger Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) - Hunger in central and southern Somalia, according to an alert raised by UNICEF, could kill at least 13,500 children. The UN delegate said the area, once the country's granary, has become impo ...
• 13 September 2007
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - Ethiopia celebrates Jubilee of the Year 2000 according to the Julian calendar. Sunday 16 September in the Catholic Cathedral solemn Eucharist: exposed for the veneration of the faithful a special Crucifix blessed by Pope Benedict XVI Addis Ababa (Agenzia Fides) - Yesterday, 12 September in Ethiopia marked the beginning of a new year and according to the Ethiopian calendar this is the year 2000. So Ethiopia's Orthodox Church is celebrating a Jubilee Y ...
• 13 September 2007
  AFRICA - Sharp rise of the Euro penalises exports from CFA African countries whose currency is tied to that of Europe Rome (Agenzia Fides)- The sharp rise of the Euro compared with the dollar is causing concern among governments of the CFA franc area, a currency which is tied to the European common currency. The stronger the euro, the l ...
• 12 September 2007
  AFRICA/GABON - Rising prices and “Dutch Disease”: Gabon affected by the “petroleum plague ” Libreville (Agenzia Fides)- The government of Gabon has issued orders for the prices of some prime necessities to be kept under control for the next six months. The products include palm oil, sweetened concentrated milk, ...
• 12 September 2007
  AFRICA/BURUNDI - Several thousand flee rebel attacks in north west Burundi Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides)- About 4,000 people were forced to abandon their homes in Bubanza province in north west Burundi after attacks by the country's last rebel group National Liberation Forces FLN which has not ye ...