Interregional migration, or the movement of people between geographic sub…
01 May 2019, Dossier May 2019
African bishops are aware that, when there is a massive…
01 May 2019, Dossier May 2019
There are areas of Africa where it is difficult to…
01 May 2019, News May 2019
Criticisms force governments to place restrictions on the Internet. Serious…
01 May 2019, News May 2019
Globally, in 2017, there were around 258 million international migrants,…
01 May 2019, Dossier May 2019
On his knees before President Salva Kiir and the Vice-Presidents…
01 May 2019, Churches May 2019
The Tapeth are a small ethnic group living with the…
01 May 2019, Culture May 2019
African migration patterns do not happen in a vacuum. Rather,…
01 May 2019, Dossier May 2019
Another so-called Arab – or at least North African –…
01 May 2019, News May 2019
It possesses great nutritional and medicinal values. The plant is…
01 May 2019, Culture May 2019
A poor woman takes a foreign mother into her house…
01 Apr 2019, Churches April 2019
If it is true that the Christian Europe of the…
01 Apr 2019, Dossier April 2019
From its very foundation, Debre Libanos grew in prestige and…
01 Apr 2019, Dossier April 2019
Twenty-five years after the genocide of the Tutsis in 1994,…
01 Apr 2019, News April 2019
Four years after the crisis sparked by President Pierre Nkurunziza’s…
01 Apr 2019, News April 2019
The Addis Ababa - Nairobi route, it’s often a necessary…
01 Apr 2019, News April 2019
Among the many Ethiopian monasteries Debre Damo deserves to be…
01 Apr 2019, Dossier April 2019
If we mention the monastery of Hayk (or Hayq) among…
01 Apr 2019, Dossier April 2019
Chinese high-tech companies are banking on Africa, especially on the…
01 Apr 2019, News April 2019
It is used as medicine, source of fibre, and wood.…
01 Apr 2019, Culture April 2019
The role of the bishops in the recent socio-political events…
01 Apr 2019, Churches April 2019
The Museum of African Civilisation was founded in Dakar: it…
01 Apr 2019, Culture April 2019
The new President’s first decisions tilt towards authoritarianism, which is…
01 Mar 2019, News March 2019
With Chinese technical and financial backing, a number of countries…
01 Mar 2019, News March 2019
The presidential election of 2019 will be a crucial test…
01 Mar 2019, News March 2019
His songs criticise the government and corrupt politics. Young people…
01 Mar 2019, Culture March 2019
Financed by Istanbul, it also contains other structures: a congress…
01 Mar 2019, Culture March 2019
It is an important plant for medical use. But it…
01 Mar 2019, Culture March 2019
The challenge to poverty in an area rich in oil.…
01 Mar 2019, Churches March 2019
About 700 Ethiopian refugees survive thanks to the work of…
01 Mar 2019, Churches March 2019
Ethiopia is Africa's second largest refugee hosting country with more…
01 Feb 2019, Churches February 2019
The 30 December presidential and parliamentary elections have ended up…
01 Feb 2019, News February 2019
Kamiti penitentiary in the outskirts of Nairobi hosts more than…
01 Feb 2019, Churches February 2019
After two years of interruption, the railway traffic has resumed…
01 Feb 2019, News February 2019
Kitty Phetla, ballerina and choreographer with Joburg Ballet, grew up…
01 Jan 2019, Culture January 2019
The feast of Timket or Baptism of the Lord is…
01 Jan 2019, Churches January 2019
The Limpopo River Basin is a fragile environment threatened by…
01 Jan 2019, Dossier January 2019
The Zambezi River is one of Africa’s main energy assets…
01 Jan 2019, Dossier January 2019
The Menjas live in the south-west of Ethiopia. They are…
01 Jan 2019, Churches January 2019
Hundreds children are begging in the streets of Kampala City. …
01 Jan 2019, Churches January 2019
The year 2019 looks extremely challenging in many countries of…
01 Jan 2019, News January 2019
The Senegal River is a main source of life and…
01 Jan 2019, Dossier January 2019
With the catchy rhythms of Afro-Pop, African artists are increasingly…
01 Jan 2019, Culture January 2019
The Niger River is the main source of life of…
01 Jan 2019, Dossier January 2019
Despite having lost both legs in a bomb explosion, Sr.…
01 Jan 2019, Churches January 2019
From a security point of view, in 2019 in Africa…
01 Jan 2019, News January 2019
Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Yazidi human rights activist and…
01 Dec 2018, News December 2018
Now popular in many countries, African wax cloth owes its…
01 Dec 2018, Culture December 2018
Many years ago, a local district officer gave a small…
01 Dec 2018, Churches December 2018
A 'no deal' Brexit could mean a temporary interruption of…
01 Dec 2018, News December 2018
Illegal fishing or unauthorized fishing is a scourge affecting the…
01 Dec 2018, News December 2018
The comfort of political correctness to the detriment of ecumenical…
01 Dec 2018, Churches December 2018
The Christmas cycle begins with a long period of fasting,…
01 Dec 2018, Churches December 2018
The security of the continent has now become a 'private…
01 Dec 2018, News December 2018
They are seers and traditional healers with a vast knowledge…
01 Dec 2018, Culture December 2018
More than one year after he was sworn in, the…
01 Nov 2018, News November 2018
The desert is not a no man’s land but the…
01 Nov 2018, Culture November 2018
The largest infrastructure project in East Africa is likely to…
01 Nov 2018, News November 2018
In the south of Madagascar live the Bara, a cluster…
01 Nov 2018, Culture November 2018
It is an herbaceous food legume belonging to the plant…
01 Nov 2018, Culture November 2018
She is the first female mechanic in the country. She…
01 Nov 2018, Churches November 2018
Every year, thousands of migrants and refugees arrive in Johannesburg…
01 Nov 2018, Churches November 2018
Negative impacts of deforestation require proactive interventions in order to…
01 Oct 2018, Dossier October 2018
It consists in a microcredit project for women and grants…
01 Oct 2018, Churches October 2018
Seventeen abandoned children have been rescued from wandering around the…
01 Oct 2018, Churches October 2018
The most common pressures causing deforestation and severe forest degradation…
01 Oct 2018, Dossier October 2018
Either the elections are rigged or they cannot take place…
01 Oct 2018, News October 2018
A beauty now, the patrimony of humanity. Most of all…
01 Oct 2018, Culture October 2018
The invasive plant is spreading rapidly, threatening the ecosystem, the…
01 Oct 2018, News October 2018
The Sidama people are a deeply religious ethnic group that…
01 Oct 2018, Culture October 2018
Some dioceses have had their priests killed and churches destroyed…
01 Oct 2018, Churches October 2018
In Africa, forests play a vital role in providing goods…
01 Oct 2018, Dossier October 2018
Political Battles Are Creating a Distraction from Main Problems Weakening…
01 Oct 2018, News October 2018
Vitex doniana (Family Verbenaceae) is a useful, multi-purpose tree providing…
01 Oct 2018, Culture October 2018
Man is aware that he did not create nature. The…
01 Oct 2018, Dossier October 2018
The issue of the redistribution of the land is splitting…
01 Sep 2018, News September 2018
Refugee teachers create a school for young people in South…
01 Sep 2018, News September 2018
The Teso (or Iteso, people of Teso) are an ethnic…
01 Sep 2018, Culture September 2018
Young Senegalese artist Ina Tiam takes fashion shoots in places…
01 Sep 2018, Culture September 2018
Exact rites mark the passage to an age group or…
01 Sep 2018, Culture September 2018
It is a medicinal plant whose therapeutic values undoubtedly have…
01 Sep 2018, Culture September 2018
The Catholic Church celebrates the bicentenary of its presence in…
01 Sep 2018, Churches September 2018
The increase of the population, the great demand of coal…
01 Sep 2018, News September 2018
Commonly known as bitter melon or bitter gourd, it is…
01 Aug 2018, Culture August 2018
Since his appointment in April, the new Prime Minister, Abyi…
01 Aug 2018, News August 2018
For 35 years now, Grégoire Ahongbonon has been helping African…
01 Aug 2018, Churches August 2018
The Kakwa people are a small minority group living in…
01 Aug 2018, Culture August 2018
Forests are rapidly vanishing in Zambia. The country's rate of…
01 Aug 2018, News August 2018
After the beginning of the crisis in Mali in 2012,…
01 Aug 2018, Dossier August 2018
If we analyse the actual reality of the continent from…
01 Aug 2018, Dossier August 2018
Apparently, the US government’s discretion on its military initiatives in Africa is due to two reasons. First of all, US public opinion is basically hostile to an excess of military intervention in stormy areas. Second,…
According to Feldstein, an analysis of the African situation leads to the conclusion that the US military strategy for this area is not based on a sound assessment of the reality. Confronting data provided by two…
The proximity of Yemen and its strategic geographic position have brought about the multiplication, in the region, of military structures of the various nations involved in the conflict or who have interests in commercial control.…
This plant plays important role in various communities for the treatment of numerous diseases and disorders including heartburn, coughs and respiratory complaints. Ekebergia capensis (Meliaceae Family) is widespread in the sub-Saharan countries in Africa, including Senegal, Ethiopia,…
The parish of St. Francis Xavier in the outskirts of Maputo: a centre of Christian and social commitment. Two Comboni Missionaries lead the parochial community. The parish of St. Francis Xavier is located in the chaotic…
The Congolese government is considering to declassify areas in two national parks to allow oil exploration in them. The Kinshasa government is determined to open the national parks to oil exploration. An inter-ministerial committee should…
African cuisine offers a wide range of dishes of great flavour and variety. Food is an occasion for gathering together, for celebrating and sharing. A short culinary journey across the continent. The famous couscous, a dough…
It is one of the well-known popular plants which is often used in traditional medicine. This veritable multipurpose tree is also often grown to protect the soil. This medium-sized deciduous tree is widely distributed in warm…
Started in a Comboni Parish Our Lady of Africa in Mbuya in the outskirts of Kampala, the ReachOut Ugandan Health Initiative has changed the lives of many people with HIV. We visited the project. When…
According to UNESCO, Lake Chad has shrunk by 90 percent since 1963, with enormous environmental, economic and social consequences for the surrounding region. A plan to replenish it through the transfer of waters from the Ubangi…
One evening, Mamadou Touré had just left the disco and was walking back home when a child came up to him and told him that he was very hungry. Mamadu could not remain indifferent, and since…
When a child is born among the Lugbara people in the north-western part of Uganda a special ceremony called Cikiri is performed. The name-giving always has a special meaning for the family and for the clan. Among…
Pope Francis has written a new Apostolic Exhortation on “the call to holiness in Today’s World”. The Latin title “Gaudete et Exsultate” which translated into English means “Rejoice and Be Glad.” The words are taken…
In Africa, there are thousands of myths to explain what reason cannot explain. In a lot of them, God made man from clay, as in the Bible. In some, life and death are brought to…
According to the opposition, the referendum would be a “death warrant” for the 2000 Arusha Peace Agreement and increase the risk of a civil war. The constitutional referendum scheduled for the next 17 May could prolong…
A sound formation, pastoral competence, a political vision and single-mindedness are the distinctive traits of Mons. Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, the new coadjutor bishop of Kinshasa. The appointment of Mons. Fridolin Ambongo Besungu as coadjutor Archbishop…
The 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia will be the greatest sporting show on earth this year. Between 14 June to 15 July, 32 team will make billions of people dream, enjoy…
Congo’s most popular politician, the former governor of Katanga, Moise Katumbi, might be excluded from the presidential race. For the last two years, the 53 years old flamboyant Congolese business and former governor of Katanga,…
Under the Guise of Security and Resources Niger Has Attracted Ever More Foreign Intervention. And Not All of It is Benign. Niger, until not long ago a forgotten and poor country on the margins of…
In the end, Mons. Peter Okpaleke resigned. He was rejected by local priests and a group of Christians because he didn’t belong to the Mbaise ethnic group, predominant in the small diocese of Ahiara, in…
In the north of Togo and the north-east of Benin in the Atacora Range live the Betammaribe, also called Somba, a people with a history of great hunters and warriors. Here we take a brief…
This ethnic group of agro-pastoral herders live in arid or semi-arid territories where they graze their flocks, build their villages and cultivate their crops. The vastness of their land, which seems to go over the…
It is commonly known as Jamun or Jambul. It is a multipurpose tree which is highly valued for its medicinal uses, edible fruits, strong heavy timber and good fuelwood. Its use as a source of medicine…
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, the chief opposition leader, met in Nairobi, on 9th March. In the words of the two politicians, this meeting marks the beginning of the end of the political…
A string of private financiers has met a considerable part of the public debt of the Seychelles in exchange for the creation of two large protected areas. This is the first time this financing technique…
Amulets are an important part of an African's life, from birth to death. They are obligatorily worn in some stages of life and are considered sacred objects in African culture. Rebel groups have used amulets…
Rebecca Bitrus, a former Boko Haram captive, shares with us her experience but above all the strength of her faith during captivity – and how she managed to survive. She speaks slowly. In her right…
China’s and other emerging countries’ appetite for raw materials is causing a railway mania in Africa and is transforming it into a new frontier. Over the last few years, Africa has become a new frontier with…
The plant is commonly found distributed in the Sub-Saharan Africa. It is widely gathered from the wild and used locally in traditional medicine. Aspilia Africana C.D. Adams (Family Asteraceae) enjoys a folk reputation in African traditional…
It took almost four decades for the people of Nigeria to rediscover one of three lost original copies of this picture of Princess ‘Tutu’ painted by artist Ben Enwonwu in 1974. The painting which had…
The roots of puppet shows in Africa are as old as the myths and legends. Today, they are used very much in education but also as a way to condemn political power and corruption. According…
Ethiopia is passing through a period of turmoil due to ethnic tensions. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has just resigned. The new prime minster will be elected this month. The role of the Army. The country…
A tiny group of Christians in a predominantly Moslem environment, determined to forge ties of friendship and dialogue in a society that still bears the wounds of thirty years of civil war. A Comboni Missionary…
After the phenomenon of Moroccan foreign fighters joining the ranks of the Islamic State, now the jihadist threat comes mainly from the Sahel, where Al-Qā'ida in the Islamic Maghreb has consolidated its power and where…
The conflict diamonds issue is dying down, but new challenges are emerging. Will Africa be able to add value to the rough product ? Will the industry be able to cope with the threat of synthetic…
Land grabbing and the scarce revenue generated by agriculture are forcing Burkinabe farmers off their land. The De La Salle Brothers in Burkina Faso have launched a project called the Lasallian Centre for Training in…
Despite the bloody repression of the pro-democracy marches organised by roman catholic organizations and the profanation of churches on the last 31 December, the number of demonstrators was even larger on the 21 following January.…
The Tharaka are one of the nine ethnic groups that make up the Meru of Kenya. They number 100,000 and occupy the low plains between the slopes of Mount Kenya to the west and the…
At recent EU-AU summit of Abidjan, much attention was focussed on the tragedy of migrants sold as slaves in Libya, revealed by CNN. But for Mauritanian abolition campaigner Biram Dah Abeid, this is only the tip of…
Every year, young students from Madagascar participate in the sports and cultural competitions that take place on the occasion of the National Days of Catholic Education. Inhabitants of Toamasina, the populous port city of eastern Madagascar,…
The Baganda or Ganda are the largest single ethnic group in Uganda representing approximately 20% of Uganda’s total 34.7 million population. They occupy the central part of the country which was formerly called the Buganda…
The Mossi are the most numerous ethnic group in Burkina Faso with 6.2 million members making up 40% of the population. Mossi wisdom notes. For the Mossi, wisdom consists in respecting traditional practices and customs. 'If…
Pelargonium sidoides is a small geranium-like plant which is commonly referred to as 'South African geranium' or Umckaloabo in the Zulu language. It is highly regarded by traditional healers as one of the major curative…
When we visited the Anthropological Museum of Luanda we were fascinated by a small statue known as 'The Thinker', which is the cultural symbol of Angola and to which an evocative apologue is linked. The National…
The Jesuits in Africa are 1,600, and they work in 34 countries. They are mainly involved in the fields of education, management of natural resources, prevention of AIDS, and assistance to refugees. In addition, they…
Among the many cultural dances of the Acholi people, who live in the northern region of Uganda, the Bwola dance is known as a royal dance performed before the chiefs. Unlike many tribes in Uganda that…
General Elections in Egypt, Sierra Leone, Mali, Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo. Possible political instability in South Africa. Crucial year in Gabon. In North Africa, one of the main challenges is the improvement of the…
Indigenous Africa offers examples of alternative ways to reach peace. It is the way of truth, social forgiveness, and integration. A reflection from Laurenti Magesa, a Tanzanian theologian. Peace does not mean the absence of…
In 2018 several African states will have to face a series of challenges at the security level. In some cases, their governments will have to manage different threats simultaneously. Some of these threats have been…
Africans have a big and rich diversity of cultures, beliefs, languages and ways of life. From this background the conception of beauty is not uniform throughout the continent. Two big parameters can be used as…
Tensions are rising since end 2016 in the English-speaking part of the country. Local bishops deplore a « barbaric » repression A curfew has been imposed at Bamenda, the capital of the English-speaking North-West of Cameroon, on the…
It belongs to the Pedaliaceae plant family and is commonly referred to as devil’s claw, grapple plant, or wood spider. It is a rare, highly valuable plant which is only found widely spread in the…
Gubissa, the naming ceremony for the eldest son, is an important moment of the social life of the Borana people, an ethnic group living in northern Kenya. The celebration is held between six months and two…
The Nacala Women’s Polytechnic School, which is run by the Comboni Missionary Sisters, was established about twenty years ago and it has become a reference point in the country. Its goal is to provide Mozambican…
The French justice will investigate on accusations against BNP Paribas’s financing of weapons which may have been used to perpetrated the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Other banks may have to respond to similar charges. Twenty-three…
Malawi is a country with over 10 tribes each with different cultural traditions and beliefs. Historically almost all Malawian tribes migrated from somewhere else with the indigenous ‘Akafula’ or ‘dwarfs’ being the original tribes. The Chewa…
Places sacred to both Christians and Moslems where the faithful tend to join together and pray. Moslem devotion to Our Lady. Christians who visit the holy tombs of Moslems to beg their intercession, Moslems making votive…
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent health problems led to the emergence of Nigeria’s health problems. This African country showed some weak spots that could cause instability if the transition of powers at the top levels…
Among the Borana, an ethnic group that lives in northern Kenya, there are three funeral celebrations: the day of the burial, two weeks after the death and one year later. The role of the eldest…
The Chewa people are the matrilineal society where married men are used to playing a marginal role. Marriages follow a matriarchal system where the man moves from his parents and lives with his wife at…
She has helped deliver 34,000 babies. Close friendship with a Moslem Imam; she has lived in the country for more than half a century. Witness to much suffering but also to great hope like that…
Last funeral rites in many Ugandan tribes and cultures is marked as a way of celebrating the life of the deceased and to some it also marks the end of the mourning period after a…
It is a multi-purpose tree that has been used for more than 4,000 years as food, human and veterinary medicine, and in art and crafts. The plant is highly valued for its potent effect in…
A contemplative community inserted into the social texture of the village, through prayer and work, gives testimony of the presence of the Kingdom of God. At last we reached Natitingou, in the heart of the Atakora…
Sister Nathalie Kangaji has never been ready to accept injustice. She has been fighting for ten years as coordinator of the Legal Aid Center (CAJJ)…
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0nce upon a time, the bat and the bush-rat were great friends. All day long they would go hunting in the bush together, dodging between the…
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It doesn’t take much to make young people missionaries. Even those who are most frail, limited and troubled can be missionaries in their own way, for…
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