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Africa

Historic cities. Senegal. Saint Louis. The Venice of Africa.

Saint Louis, washed by the Senegal River and the Atlantic Ocean, is the most aquatic city on the West African coast. Today Saint Louis is a city of 250,000 inhabitants. Its charm is unquestionable, it is one of those places where you feel good as soon as you arrive, without knowing exactly why. Built and…

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African art and sense of beauty.

When you look at some African art, you may wonder whether what you see is fine art or something else. African scarification is part of African art, which is mainly iconographic. In traditional African art, colours are not only used for aesthetic purposes. They have deep meanings. African art is functional, community-orientated, depersonalised, and contextualized.…

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African Cinema. Looking to the future.

Moving from specialised sections to the international scene. The great variety that exists in the different African filmographies. A look at Senegalese cinematography. We talk about it with Senegalese Fatou Kiné Sène, former president of the African Federation of Film Critics. Kiné Sène’s interest in cinema began in her childhood. “Every Wednesday, films were shown…

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Historic cities. Niger. Agadez, “’to pay a visit”.

 “Where the weight of centuries can be felt in every street and where you can smell the aroma of history”. Salt, gold, slaves and ivory were the most sought-after products from West Africa: once they reached the shores of the Mediterranean, they were sold and exchanged for manufactured goods and cereals that returned south of…

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Madagascar. The mission with the monk’s habit.

How can a monk be “missionary” if, by vocation, he is called to withdraw from the world and therefore is not in direct contact with the population? Father Christophe Vuillaume, a Benedictine of the Mahitsy monastery in Madagascar, answers. In a precise sense, the two terms “monk” and “missionary” seem to contradict each other. But…

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Horn of Africa. Egyptian arms supplies to Somalia raise dangerous tensions with Addis Ababa.

Egypt and Somalia are increasing their military cooperation to pressure Ethiopia over their respective concerns: the Renaissance Dam on the Nile and recognition of the breakaway state of Somaliland. In this volatile context, Turkey, which has good relations with all sides, could help defuse tensions. On 23 September, officials in Mogadishu confirmed to the press…

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South Africa. A Rainbow nation that needs to be reinvented.

The loss of the absolute majority by the African National Congress (ANC) is the most serious setback in the region for a movement that led the wars of liberation against white regimes. Could something similar happen in neighbouring countries?  The South African elections last May marked a turning point in the history of Southern Africa.…

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Uganda. Ngabi Clan the King’s Massage Therapists and Herd’s men.

Buganda Kingdom is found in Central Uganda and it’s the largest and oldest traditional kingdom in Uganda today. This kingdom is made up of 52 clans that make up the tribe of the Baganda People. Each clan has roles and duties in the Kabaka’s Place. We look at the Ngabi clan. The Ngabi (Antelope) Clan…

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DR Congo. On the verge of collapse.

Tshisekedi hires mercenaries, recruits militias, urges foreign armies to assist the Congolese troops to fight the rebel offensive but nothing seems to stop it. Since the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels resumed the war in the eastern province of North Kivu in 2021, the DRC government has lost large swathes of territory. By September 2024, the rebels…

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Towards a Christianity with an African face.

Economic autonomy and autonomy of thought. These are the prerequisites for facing the great challenges that the Church of Africa is experiencing today. The Vice-rector of the Catholic University of West Africa, Father Benjamin Akotia, talks to us about it. Father Akotia is originally from Togo, but he is used to discussing and exchanging views…

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Sudan. Art against war.

Marked by decades of political instability and conflict, Sudanese artists narrate the complex reality of their country through works that reflect their identity, originality and resilience. Riahiem Shadad is an art curator. He owned an art gallery in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, called Downtown Gallery, where nine artists from his country were represented. However,…

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Herbs & Plants. Combretum molle. A source of medicinal mumuye gum.

It has been used in traditional medicine since time immemorial for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. Indeed, almost every part of this plant (roots, leaves, seeds, twigs, and stem bark) has been used in African traditional medicine for the treatment of  various ailments  and diseases. Combretum molle is commonly referred to as…

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Advocacy

Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari. A Steward of the Marañón…

The river is sacred to the Kukama people, who believe that their ancestors reside on the river floor.  They are ready to protect the Marañón…

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Baobab

A Wise Grandmother.

Like the other farmers, Taro also grew rice, wheat, and vegetables, living in peace and contentment. However, things never remain the same. One time, there was no rainfall,…

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Youth & Mission

Comboni Youth Jubilee. To live is to hope.

From 24 to 27 July, hundreds of young people from the Comboni youth movements across Europe will gather in Milan, Verona, and Florence, Italy, in preparation…

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