Paulos Do Manuere, a staunch Catholic, doesn’t forget the Thursday in 2013 when he received a fully funded scholarship from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to study civil engineering at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. “I was astonished to…
Is American influence waning in Africa?
American Christians may think of Africa most often as a mission field, but the continent now plays a prominent role in global politics too. “Look, this forum is about building connections. It’s about closing deals. And above all, it’s about the…
Amid Sudan war and elsewhere, water scarcity threatens lives
Within just a few days of the recent outbreak of war in Sudan an essential resource, water, became a scarce commodity. The scarcity continues to this day in parts of the North African country, making life a living hell for…
In Mozambique, informal economies are springing up around Pentecostal pilgrimages
Formal jobs with decent wages are scarce in Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest nations, a place where the once-dominant Catholic Church is losing ground to open-air nondenominational Pentecostals who specialize in the appealing Prosperity Gospel. Conditions are dire for…
Sudan’s worsening conflict raises alarm of another humanitarian crisis
More than 400 people have been killed and 3,500 injured after fighting broke out between Sudanese armed forces and a paramilitary unit in Khartoum and other parts of the northeastern African country. The violence has claimed the lives of three…
A tragic tale of death on the Mediterranean Sea amid Tunisian and British migrant backlash
February and March have been deadly months for migrants traveling through the Mediterranean Sea, continuing the history of what has been called one of the most dangerous travel routes on earth. Within the past two months, at least 100 people…
Africa’s freelance prophets are breaking free of denominations
Zikode Phiri calls himself a “freelance prophet.” He has just completed a tour of France and Britain for “private prayer” clients — laying on hands, casting out demons, and interpreting dreams for those who have paid for his visa and…
A war beyond borders: The rippling effect of the Ukraine war on Africa
When Russian President Vladimir Putin made good on his threat to invade and unleash war on Ukraine Feb. 24, 2022 — one year ago today — not many people in Africa, thousands of kilometers away, imagined they would pay a…
Pope Francis arrives in Africa on a two-nation tour seeking peace amid decades of conflict
Pope Francis arrived in Democratic Republic of Congo today, marking the first papal visit to the African nation since John Paul visited there in 1985 when the country was known as Zaire. This is the beginning of a six-day, two-nation…