Africa

• 22 March 2011
  AFRICA/CÔTE-D'IVOIRE - Towards civil war to the indifference of the international community; damage to a convent in Clarisse Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - “Côte d'Ivoire is sliding into civil war,” reveal local Church sources to Fides, who for security motives wish to remain anonymous. “The fighting in Abidjan, the administrative and econom ...
• 22 March 2011
  AFRICA/CONGO DR - Card. Pengo calls for greater commitment to evangelisation in Africa Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - The President of the Symposium for the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Card. Polycarp Pengo, Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, issued an appeal to all the African Episcopal C ...
• 22 March 2011
  AFRICA/SOMALIA - Rising recruitment of child soldiers Mogadiscio (Agenzia Fides) – There is some uncertainty about the number of children involved in armed conflicts throughout Somalia. It is estimated that there are two or three thousand, spread among several opposition ...
• 21 March 2011
  AFRICA/LIBYA - “War does not solve anything,” says Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli, where the people are fleeing Tripoli (Agenzia Fides) - “We heard a heavy bombardment on the outskirts of the city. Tripoli is emptying, the population fleeing from fear of being bombed,” says Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar ...
• 21 March 2011
  AFRICA/EGYPT - “We need to carefully observe how the situation in Egypt evolves,” missionary says Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - “Now, we need to be more careful observers of the events in Egypt,” Fr Luciano Verdoscia tells Fides, the Comboni missionary operating out of Cairo, commenting on the approval of the constitut ...
• 21 March 2011
  AFRICA/KENYA - Bishops appeal for food for the people hard-hit by drought Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - “Emergency Response Fund for Kenya 2011 Drought Appeal” is the appeal recently launched by the Archbishop of Nairobi, Cardinal John Njue, on behalf of the Bishops of Kenya, for the 2.1 milli ...
• 21 March 2011
  AFRICA/LIBERIA - Appointment of Bishop of Gbarnga Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on 21 March 2011, appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Gbarnga (Liberia) Fr Anthony Fallah Borwah, from the clergy of Monrovia, Professor of Philosophy at t ...
• 18 March 2011
  AFRICA/CÔTE-D'IVOIRE - Thirty dead in a market in Abidjan; according to the UN “it was a crime against humanity” Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - “The two factions are denying responsibility for the massacre at the market. Gbagbo's online newspapers even accuse Ouattara's 'Burkinabé mercenaries' of being responsible for the tragedy,” ...
• 18 March 2011
  AFRICA/LIBYA - “Italian diplomatic personnel evacuate from Libya,” says Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli Tripoli (Agenzia Fides) - “Everyone from the Italian Embassy and Consulate has left,” says Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli, Libya, to Fides. “Yesterday the staff of the Embassy cele ...
• 17 March 2011
  AFRICA/CÔTE-D'IVOIRE - “Our presence serves to give some serenity to the population”: the testimony of a sister from one of the combat areas in Abidjan Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - “In our part of Abobo, the situation is a little calmer, even if the area is controlled by the so-called 'invisible commando',” says Sister Rosaria to Fides, from the Congregation of the Hol ...
• 16 March 2011
  AFRICA/LIBYA - “The World Islamic Call Society invites the Holy See to contribute to finding a peaceful solution,” says the Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli Tripoli (Agenzia Fides) – “Yesterday I had a fruitful meeting with the Secretary General of the World Islamic Call Society (WICS), an institution funded by Libya, which is involved in interreligious dialogue and the ...
• 16 March 2011
  AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - The Southern African Catholic Bishops express solidarity for the Japanese people Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) - On behalf of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Catholic Community of Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, OMI, of Johannesburg and Presi ...
• 15 March 2011
  AFRICA/LIBYA - Another 50 African refugees departed, “but we need to do more” says Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli Tripoli (Agenzia Fides) - “Another 50 refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia have departed, thanks to the generosity of Italy. But we are in the midst of an apparently neverending challenge, because for every 50 people who ...
• 15 March 2011
  AFRICA/CÔTE-D'IVOIRE - Testimony to Fides by a missionary in Abobo, at the centre of the fighting for days Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) - “Today it seems a bit calmer, even if we can hear sporadic gun shots in the distance, and the power functions every other hour. Yesterday, for example, there was no power, but tonight it is ba ...
• 14 March 2011
  AFRICA/CÔTE-D'IVOIRE - Violent fighting continues in Yopougon, in the municipality of Abidjan, Gbagbo's stronghold Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) – Violent clashes continue in the economic and administrative capital of of Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, between the forces loyal to outgoing President, Laurent Gbagbo, and the supporters of Preside ...