Africa

• 25 May 2004
  AFRICA - African Union inaugurates new Council for Peace and Security charged with promoting peace on the continent Rome (Fides Service)- On May 24 in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the UA, African Union which replaced the Organisation for African Unity in 2002, inaugurated its new Council for Peace and Security. The council's o ...
• 25 May 2004
  AFRICA/MALAWI - Mixed feelings: a missionary sends Fides a comment after accouncement of election results Lilongwe (Fides Services)- The official results of elections in Malawi on 20 May (see Fides 18 and 22 May) confirmed as president Bingu wa Mutharika, candidate of the UDF party with 1.119,000 votes 140,000 more than Joh ...
• 25 May 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - “Dialogue at deadlock” locale Church sources told Fides commenting the battle in Ivory Coast between President and Premier Abidjan (Fides Service)- “Dialogue has reached a deadlock and there seems to be no way out” said a local Church source in Abidjan, Ivory Coast where the political crisis between the President Laurent Gbagbo and the O ...
• 25 May 2004
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - Disarmament of Liberian factions proceeds. Tragedy of refugees trying to return to Liberia Monrovia (Fides Service)-“ Disarmament of Liberian factions proceeds despite difficulties ” SMA Provincial Father Mauro Armanino in Monrovia told Fides. Most of the rebels who are handing in their arms are young boys ...
• 22 May 2004
  AFRICA/MALAWI - Malawi still waiting for results of presidential and political elections Lilongwe (Fides Service)- The results of presidential and political elections held on 20 May in Malawi have not yet been announced. “The counting of votes is still going on and it is not known when it will finish” lo ...
• 22 May 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “Obscure powers exploit ethnic frustration to steal regional resources” Cardinal Etsou Archbishop of Kinshasa affirms in a statement on wars in Africa’s Great Lakes region. Kinshasa (Fides Service)- “Since the rising of the sun of independence, post colonial Africa has become a vast theatre characterised by unspeakable violence which continues to sow death and desolation”. This was affi ...
• 21 May 2004
  VATICAN - “Africa is not adrift”: message of conference on development in Africa organised by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Rome (Fides Service)- “Africa is not adrift” this is the message launched by a Conference on “The economic and social development of Africa in the era of globalisation”, organised by the Pontifical Council for J ...
• 19 May 2004
  AFRICA - Death of Cardinal Hyacinthe Thiandoum, for 38 years Archbishop of Dakar in Senegal Rome (Fides Service) - Cardinal Hyacinthe Thiandoum, emeritus Archbishop of Dakar in Senegal, died yesterday evening at a clinic in the southern French city of Marseilles. The Cardinal was born at Poponguine, Dakar, on 2 ...
• 19 May 2004
  AFRICA/CHAD - “Military mutiny in Chad connected with conflict over the border in Sudan” local sources told Fides N’Djamena (Fides Service)-“Today the situation is calm. There is no shooting although the curfew remains” local Church sources in N’Djamena, capital of Chad, told Fides following a mutiny staged by troops station ...
• 19 May 2004
  AFRICA/SENEGAL - “For all the people of Senegal, Christians and non Christians, Cardinal Thiandoum was one of the most significant personalities of our country” successor of late Cardinal tells Fides Rome (Fides Service)- Archbishop Théodore-Adrien Sarr Archbishop of Dakar since 2000 when he succeeded the late Cardinal Thiandoum who died yesterday 18 May, told Fides how important the late Cardinal was for the whole ...
• 17 May 2004
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Peace talks for peace in Sudan resumed. “Refugees returning south could be convinced to vote for the government in a possible referendum on disputed border regions” local source told Fides Khartoum (Fides Service)-“I am not sure whether talks between the government and rebels will bring authentic peace; I fear it will be more of a sharing of power and oil profits. However if it stops the fighting this wi ...
• 17 May 2004
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - “Respect rights of farmers” says Archbishop Zacarias Kamwenho of Lubango, who denounces illegal confiscation of land Luanda (Fides Service)- The Catholic Archbishop of Lubango, Angola, Archbishop Zacarias Kamwenho, has denounced violation the human rights of small farmers and villagers in his diocese. The Archbishop made this statement ...
• 15 May 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Supporters of the President and Opposition interpret differently UN position with regard crimes committed in Ivory Coast Abidjan (Fides Service)- Ever more heated the media dispute between supporters of Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and the Opposition with regard to a United Nations report on events last March 25 when an Opposition demo ...
• 15 May 2004
  AFRICA/ANGOLA - ‘Blood diamonds’ not only from blood shed in war zones but also from exploited ‘slave’ miners Luanda (Fides Service)-“In Lunda Norte (north west Angola) we live like slaves. We are not allowed to move about freely, we cannot afford to dress properly or eat meat or buy a bicycle. We are beaten for diamonds. Thes ...
• 15 May 2004
  AFRICA/MALAWI - Supreme Court of Justice calls for postponement of 18 May elections Lilongwe (Fides Service)- There is uncertainty in Malawi after the Supreme Court of Justice passed a sentence to postpone political and presidential elections scheduled for 18 May (see Fides 12 May 2004). The electoral C ...