Africa

• 8 November 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - “There seems to be no end to the terrible hours of Saturday and Sunday”. Dramatic report from a missionary Abidjan where angry protesters continue to fight French troops. Abidjan (Fides Service)- “Shooting and shouting by young supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo can be heard coming from Cocody where the president has his residence” a missionary in Abidjan economic capital of Ivor ...
• 8 November 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Protocol to treat “invisible scars” caused by war, terrorism and torture Rome (Fides Service) - Today more than one billion people in the world live in situations of war, terrorism, torture or experience various other forms of violence, which leave “invisible scars” such as mental depress ...
• 6 November 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Information blackout with regard to military operations in northern Ivory Coast. Rebel held areas without water or electricity Abidjan (Fides Service) - There is a blackout of information in Ivory Coast. “People in government controlled areas have little chance of finding out what is happening in northern part of the country where New Forces r ...
• 6 November 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Besides providing medical treatment St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor is also “home” for 5,000 displaced persons and “commuter refugees” Rome (Fides Service) - Lacor Hospital in the northern Ugandan district of Gulu founded in 1958 by Comboni missionaries, is the largest private charity hospital in this part of Africa. Directed since 1961 by the Corti fam ...
• 6 November 2004
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - Religious leaders committed to overcoming national divisions: “we must lay the basis for a new understanding of citizenship” a missionary told Fides Monrovia (Fides Service)- “Our aim was to heal divisions caused by last week’s clashes (see Fides 30 October 2004)” SMA Provincial Father Mauro Armanino told Fides with regard to an interreligious meeting on Novemb ...
• 5 November 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Police release Rev. Matthew Ojiam, arrested on charges of contact with rebels in northern Uganda Gulu (Fides Service) - Rev. Matthew Ojiam has been released, Archbishop John Baptist Odama, of Gulu told Fides “Rev Ojiam is free but police say they will continue their investigation with regard to contact with the re ...
• 5 November 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Fear of large scale offensive to follow up yesterday’s bombing on towns in rebel hands; homes and mission sacked Abidjan (Fides Service)- “Here in Bouake there is calm before the tempest. Any moment we expect the army to start a vast offensive” a local source in Bouke told Fides. Yesterday Bouke, the largest city held by Ivory ...
• 3 November 2004
  AFRICA/KENYA - Kenyans celebrates victory of black US Senator of Kenyan origin Nairobi (Fides Service) - The Kenyan family of Barack Obama - the only black person to be elected to the US Senate in 2004 - are celebrating his victory in the state of Illinois. The son of a Kenyan father and American m ...
• 3 November 2004
  AFRICA/UGANDA - Catholic cleric arrested in northern Uganda: “I had a brief meeting with Reverend Ojiam and found him calm and confident” the Archbishop of Gulu told Fides Kitgum (Fides Service)- “I had a brief meeting with Rev. Ojiam and found him calm and confident that his position will be soon cleared” Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu (northern Uganda), told Fides with regard ...
• 30 October 2004
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - Clashes in Somalia in disputed region between Somaliland and Puntland Rome (Fides Service) - From 9 to 15 people are said to have died in violent clashes yesterday 29 October in northern Somalia, in Las Anod, in the disputed Sool region which lies between Somaliland and Puntland. Somalilan ...
• 30 October 2004
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - “Explosion of tension deriving from years of violence and frustration” missionary in Monrovia told Fides Monrovia (Fides Service)- “We seem to have gone back at least a year to the atmosphere of violence and anarchy which pervaded Liberia for years” Father Mauro Armanino, regional superior of the Society for African Mis ...
• 29 October 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Religious leaders tell political leaders: “Your sole aim must be to lead the nation to democracy!” Kinshasa (Fides Service) - In a joint appeal the religious leaders of Democratic Congo encouraged the country’s politicians to conclude the period of transition and lead the country to democracy. The memorandum was sig ...
• 29 October 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Rumours of war. “No one here has disarmed, indeed, all have rearmed and if war resumes it will be a blood bath” local sources told Fides Abidjan (Fides Service) - Tensions grows in Ivory Caost since the New Forces rebels accused the President, Laurent Gbagbo, of wanting to take rebel controlled areas with force. At a press conference in Bouake, the main ...
• 28 October 2004
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Bukavu main town in eastern Congo hub of political activity. Tomorrow Bukavu commemorates Archbishop Munzihirwa murdered in 1996 Bukavu (Fides Service) - Leading government members continue to visit Bukavu the main town in South Kivu, in the east of Democratic Congo. Last week vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo spent the morning in Bukavu “ ...
• 28 October 2004
  AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Were trucks of arms confiscated in rebel controlled zone for president’s supporters or was it simply a provocation? Catholic Bishops appeal for peace Abidjan (Fides Service)- “The situation is so confused that there are at least 20 versions of the truth”, a local source in Bouake told Fides. Bouake is the main town in the hands of New Forces rebels in Ivory Coast ...