Africa

• 30 April 2005
  AFRICA/SIERRA LEONE - Fines for parents who stop children from going to school Rome (Fides Service) - In a Sierra Leone where more than half the population lives on less than a dollar a day the government has said that parents who refuse to let their children attend school may be fined 80 dollars. ...
• 30 April 2005
  AFRICA/NIGER - Food emergency: number of people admitted to hospital three times as many than in previous years Rome (Fides Service) - Following the worsening of a serious situation of malnutrition in Niger, Doctors without Frontiers has intensified its assistance people in the most effected areas. The number of underfed children ...
• 30 April 2005
  AFRICA/TOGO - Thousands of refugees in Benin: warning from UN High Commission for Refugees Rome (Fides Service)- According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR there are 5,754 refugees in Benin, over 600 in Ghana coming from Togo. Next week UNHCR will end an emergency team of 3 to Benin ...
• 29 April 2005
  AFRICA/TOGO - Information freeze in Togo: main Catholic Radio Maria forced to stop broadcasts Lome (Fides Service)- “Even Radio Maria, the country’s main Catholic radio station, has been told to suspend its programmes” local Church sources said describing the information freeze imposed by the army in Togo. ...
• 29 April 2005
  AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - In their first plenary assembly this year the Catholic Bishops of Mozambique reflect on formation of priests and the celebration of the Eucharist Maputo (Fides Service) -“The death of Pope John Paul II happened while we were in Maputo for the first Plenary Assembly this year” the Bishops of Mozambique wrote in a statement issued at the end of the meeting. “W ...
• 29 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Concern for elections in Democratic Congo scheduled for late June Kinshasa (Fides Service)- “According to the available information it will be almost impossible for the planned elections to take place on 30 June” a local network “Peace for Congo”, whose members are missionarie ...
• 28 April 2005
  AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - “the citizen should have in mind in his/her personal choice is the common good of the nation before any other motivation” say Bishops of Ethiopia in view of elections on 15 May Addis Ababa (Fides Service)- Freedom of conscience, respect for life, freedom of religion and respect for human rights were among the ethical values underlined by the Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia in a message in view of ...
• 28 April 2005
  AFRICA/TOGO - People of Togo call for firm intervention by international community Lome (Fides Service)- “Police road blocks and barricades erected by the young protesters are still in place” said local sources in Lome, capital Togo, on the brink of civil war after the announcement that Faure Gnas ...
• 28 April 2005
  AFRICA/CÔTE D'IVOIRE - President holds out hand to main Opposition leader: turning point in the crisis but not over yet Abidjan (Fides Service)- “This is another important step towards solving the crisis” said Fides sources with regard to the decision of Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to allow main Opposition leader Alessandre Ouatt ...
• 27 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - UNHCR starts repatriation of 58,000 refugees from Congo Republic to Democratic Congo, Equateur province Rome (Fides Service) - At the moment, the province of Equateur is the only one in Democratic Congo where the United Nations High Commission for Refugees is assisting the repatriation process of refugees. In the past two ...
• 27 April 2005
  AFRICA/SUDAN - Villages torched in Darfur, growing fear among the homeless. UN High Commission for Refugees sounds the alarm Rome (Fides Service) - The United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR has expressed serious concern for new cases of burned abandoned villages in Darfur to discourage the villagers to return home. At the end of ...
• 26 April 2005
  AFRICA/TOGO - “Moderate optimism after agreement to form national unity government” say Fides sources Lome (Fides Service)- “People are beginning to go out into the streets more confident that life is returning to normal” local Church sources in Togo told Fides. Togo is living a serious political crisis with presiden ...
• 26 April 2005
  AFRICA/UGANDA - A missionary in northern Uganda tells the tragic tale of girl soldiers Gulu (Fides Service)- “Every day we live the tragedy of little girls abducted by rebels” said Comboni missionary Fr Tarcisio Pazzaglia in northern Uganda where the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army Uganda are no ...
• 25 April 2005
  AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - “Respect civilians” says human rights organisation to UN peacekeepers in Bunia, main town in Ituri Bunia (Fides Service)- Justice-Plus, a civil society organisation based in Bunia, has called on UN peace keepers in the region to “avoid killing civilians”. Bunia is the main town in Ituri in north east of Democratic ...
• 25 April 2005
  AFRICA/TOGO - Uncertainty about the results of presidential elections in Togo; Opposition denounces fraud Lome (Fides Service)- In Togo where presidential elections were held yesterday the situation is very tense. “The Opposition has accused the government of fraud” Fides was told by local Church sources which ask to rem ...