Africa
Nigeria: crime and violence
Kidnappers have started contacting families for ransom after scores of people were kidnapped in northern Nigeria, in an outbreak of crime unconnected to Boko Haram. Criminal gangs raid villages and steal cattle in…
DRC: Ebola outbreak
The Democratic Republic of Congo is braced for a gruesome battle, this time against the deadly virus Ebola. Congolese authorities declared the outbreak in the northwest region on 8 May; so far three…
Kenya: dam burst kills many
A dam burst in Kenya on 9 May after heavy rain, causing huge destruction and killing at least forty people. The breach happened on farmland 120 miles northwest of Nairobi. The dead are…
Nigeria: gunmen attack bishop
The Bishop of Makurdi, Nathan Inyom, was attacked by gunmen in Nigeria’s Benue state on 6 May. None of the five passengers (who included his wife Becky and his chaplain) was injured, but…
More than just English lessons
The UN has declared South Sudan a famine nation. People receive food, humanitarian aid, and English lessons. A pastor passionately shouts slowly in English to the community attending English classes. In Juba there…
South Africa: car crime crisis
Many lives are being lost in car crimes and road accidents. Road deaths are a national crisis, with 134,000+ killed over 10 years. Vehicle crime hotspots are Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town, and Durban.…
Tunisia: potential for change
There are many Christian ministries in Tunisia but only one officially recognised Christian body, a training ministry called the Augustine Association, which managed to get registration during the upheaval of the Arab Spring.…
Niger: ministry through medicine
Statistics state that on average every woman in Niger has 7.5 children, and almost 50% of these are currently under five and malnourished. Over 1.5 million people were affected by food insecurity last…
Switzerland: Congo aid conference
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) boycotted a UN donor conference in Geneva that was seeking to raise £1.2bn for the country. Over 13 million Congolese need humanitarian aid. It is a catastrophic…
Nigeria Update: Justin Welby’s mediation progresses
Last month, Archbishop Justin Welby offered to do what he could towards peace negotiations in Nigeria as violence escalates. Last week we reported that Justin, ‘once again exhorted President Buhari and other authorities,…
