The Voice of the suffering in Africa

A priest has warned that terrorists are “sneaking” into villages after a suspected suicide attack in northeast Nigeria resulted in multiple deaths. Father Joseph Fidelis, from the Diocese of Maiduguri, told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that attacks by extremists had been happening in nearby villages for two weeks before a devastating attack on March 16, which saw 28 killed. Fr. Fidelis said, “On Sunday night, they attempted to infiltrate the town, but the military sighted ...

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will visit Algeria, making this the country’s first-ever visit from a current pope. Leo, an Augustinian by formation, will visit Algiers and Hippo Regius – the historical name of Annaba – following in the footsteps of St. Augustine. In this interview with Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Michel Jean-Paul Guillaud of Constantine-Hippone speaks about expectations for the visit and how the Church endures in the mostly Muslim nation of Algeria. ...

The only diocese in Mauritania has just celebrated its sixtieth anniversary. Bishop Victor Ndione, who has led the Diocese of Nouakchott for two years, tells Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the challenges of being a pastor in a transit country marked by clandestine migration, as well as the Church’s lack of resources. What is it that makes your diocese unique? The Church in Mauritania, which has just one diocese established in December 1965, comprises around ...

Thousands of Catholics in northeast Nigeria have returned to church in defiance of fear, following more than 15 years of violent insurgencies. Bishop John Bakeni and Bishop Oliver Doeme of the Diocese of Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that worshipers were coming back “in their thousands, not hundreds.” Whuabazhi Pilgrimage Center – which ACN helped build – has seen record numbers attending. The bishops said: “People come back healed…it’s a ...

In the Taraba State region, according to Church figures, over 100 people have been killed and 90,000 displaced since September 2025. Following a fresh massacre, the Church in Nigeria’s Middle Belt has again called for action to address extremist violence. Ten villagers died in Tuesday’s February 10 attack on Mchia in Taraba State, northeastern Nigeria, apparently carried out by militant members of the Fulani herder community. On February 12, senior clerics from Wukari Diocese – Fr. Anthony Bature, Fr. James ...

Over the past days, several Catholic organizations and dioceses have issued calls for the government to deploy more military and police personnel to stem the bloodshed and criminality that holds sway over large parts of the country. The Catholic Church in northern Nigeria has intensified its public pressure on the government in recent days, following a new wave of attacks in the country’s north and central regions that have left hundreds dead and many more abducted. On February 3, over ...