‘Double suffering’ when women targeted not only for gender, but also religion

‘Double suffering’ when women targeted not only for gender, but also religion
On International Women’s Day, one statistic you may not hear much is that 83% of global women identify with a religious faith. Pew Research asked people in 84 countries how often they pray; in half of them, substantially more women than men say they pray on a daily basis. And . . . Read More

65,000 children freed from armed groups in 10 years

At least 65,000 children have been released from armed forces and armed groups in the past 10 years, UNICEF said as leaders from around the world gathered in Paris on 21 Feb. to mark the anniversary of the Paris Commitments to end the use of children in conflict. “Ten years . . . Read More

African Church must ‘promote peace, forgiveness and reconciliation’

African Church must ‘promote peace, forgiveness and reconciliation’
Christian Centre in Abuja, Nigeria.World Watch Monitor African church leaders concerned by the devastating consequences of conflicts across the continent have pledged to focus on preventative efforts. The continent has been among the worst-hit by violent conflicts in recent decades. Countries in West and Central Africa have been particularly affected. . . . Read More

UPDATE: At least 23 killed in fresh attack in north of C. African Republic

UPDATE: At least 23 killed in fresh attack in north of C. African Republic
UPDATE (13 Oct.): Fighters from Central African Republic’s largely Muslim Séléka militia attacked refugees in Kaga Bandoro, in the country’s remote north on Wednesday (12 Oct.), reports Reuters. Thirteen people were stabbed or hacked to death, before U.N. peacekeepers repelled the attackers, killing at least 10 of them, officials said. Several . . . Read More

The murder of a French priest has horrified the world. The same thing happens to Christians in lesser-reported places

The murder of a French priest has horrified the world. The same thing happens to Christians in lesser-reported places
Rev. Jacques HamelEglise Catholique de Rouen The 26 July killing of a Catholic priest in his church in St. Etienne du Rouvray, France, once again has pushed jihadist violence into the headlines. The so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder, committed by two knife-wielding attackers who were shot and . . . Read More

EU alliance with ‘unsavoury’ African leaders

European politicians, under pressure to reduce the exodus of African refugees, have now begun providing equipment and training to the security forces of Sudan, whose President is wanted for war crimes, says . The magazine says it has seen leaked documents from talks that took place on 23 March between . . . Read More

US religious-freedom report urges government to add 7 countries to worst-offenders list

US religious-freedom report urges government to add 7 countries to worst-offenders list
What is happening? The primary US government agency on global religious freedom issued its annual report 2 May. It says “religious freedom abroad has been under serious and sustained assault” during the past year, and says America should add seven countries to its list of worst offenders: Central African Republic . . . Read More

Pope in Africa says conflict ‘feeds on fear, mistrust and despair’

Pope in Africa says conflict ‘feeds on fear, mistrust and despair’
For his first trip to Africa, Pope Francis is visiting Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic (CAR), from 25-30 November. The three countries all have predominantly Christian populations – Kenya about 80%, Uganda 85% and CAR 76% – with about 10% or so Muslim in each of them. But . . . Read More