The Voice of the suffering in Africa

Kinga Schierstaedt, project coordinator for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Africa, traveled to the landlocked African nation of South Sudan. Bordering the Republic of Sudan, its larger neighbor to the north, South Sudan has suffered terribly from conflict and civil war in recent years. After returning from her trip, Schierstaedt spoke about the current situation in the country and the role played there by the Church.    South Sudan only gained independence from Sudan in 2011 and has ...

Catholics in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau held a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the troubled country.   Guinea-Bissau never quite achieved stability following its independence from Portugal in 1975, and division and conflict continue to affect the nation today, fueled largely by rampant corruption and money from the drug trade.   The day of prayer and fasting culminated in two eucharistic celebrations, during which Church leaders called on political authorities to listen to the concerns of the ...

A Nigerian bishop committed to helping families who have fled some of the country’s worst persecution and conflict marks the anniversary of his ordination with a heartfelt message of thanks to a leading Catholic charity.   In the decade since his episcopal ordination, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi has witnessed an explosion in the number of displaced families escaping extremists, including Fulani herdsmen who have seized vast swathes of lands, forcing entire communities to flee their homes.  In response, the bishop ...

Terrorism in eastern Burkina Faso has shaken the Diocese of Fada N’Gourma. Attacks in the parishes of Piéla and Saatenga caused many deaths and significant material destruction, and follow a pattern of terrorist violence that the country has seen since 2015. “The attacks are multiplying. We ask for your fervent prayer. Pray for the victims and for the fearful survivors,” asked a priest from the Diocese of Fada N’Gourma, speaking to the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in ...

Kidnapping for ransom has become an industry in Nigeria, and priests are often targeted.   On Sunday, October 27th, a priest was kidnapped at the minor seminary where he worked and was taken by armed bandits into bushes.   Armed gunmen broke into the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary, in the Diocese of Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria, at around 7:00 P.M. and fired shots into the air, causing panic among students and staff, according to a diocesan statement sent to Aid to the ...

Confidential sources contacted by ACN speak of a worsening of discrimination against Christian communities in two villages in the Mopti region of Mali. According to information received by the intentional Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), an Islamic extremist group that is active in the region has recently imposed a tax of 25,000 CFA Francs (about 40 dollars) on all Christians over the age of 18 in Douna-Pen, the largest Christian village in eastern Koro, Mopti.   This ...