Connect with us

Musings From Abroad

Pope Francis apologises for cancelled Africa trip, regrets disappointing Sudanese, Congolese Catholics

Published

on

Catholic pontiff, Pope Francis, on Sunday, apologised to the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, over his cancelled visit to the two African countries because of his bad leg and walking problems, and said he was hopeful his condition would improve and he would still embark on the visit at a later date.

The Vatican had announced on Thursday that the visit which was scheduled for July 2-7 had been postponed indefinitely because of the 85-year-old pontiff’s knee ailment, which forced him to use a wheelchair for more than a month or manage to walk around with the help of aides.

The Vatican said the trip was postponed “in order not to jeopardize the results of the therapy that he is undergoing for his knee”.

Vatican officials had also said the Pope has been receiving several injections a week for the ailment, as well as physical therapy, and that he had hoped to be able to regain at least a partial ability to walk before the trip was due to start.

In an address before thousands of faithful at the St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Sunday, the Pope said he regretted disappointing the Sudanese and Congolese Catholics who were looking forward to the trip.

“I feel great regret that I had to postpone this trip, which I am still very keen to make.

“I ask you to pardon me for this. Let us pray together that with the help of God and with medical treatment, I can come to you as soon as possible. We are hopeful,” he said, directly addressing the people and authorities of both countries.

Referring to his ailment which is believed to be a torn ligament, as “problems with my leg”, Pope Francis said he also suffers from sciatica which caused him to limp even before the flare-up of the knee problem.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Musings From Abroad

UN Security Council deliberates stance on Sudan war

Published

on

The UN Security Council is discussing a British-drafted resolution calling on Sudan’s warring parties to stop hostilities and permit safe, quick, and unimpeded assistance supplies across borders and front lines.

 

The world’s largest relocation crisis began in April 2023 when the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces engaged in a power battle ahead of a planned transfer to civilian administration.

 

Waves of ethnically motivated violence have resulted, with the RSF mostly to blame. The RSF has blamed the action on rogue actors and denies causing harm to civilians in Sudan. Two RSF generals were named last week by a Security Council committee in the first U.N. sanctions levied during the ongoing conflict.

 

 

“Nineteen months into the war, both sides are committing egregious human rights violations, including the widespread rape of women and girls,” Britain’s U.N. ambassador, Barbara Woodward, told reporters at the start of this month as Britain assumed the Security Council’s presidency for November.

 

 

“More than half the Sudanese population are experiencing severe food insecurity,” she said. “Despite this, the SAF and the RSF remain focussed on fighting each other and not the famine and suffering facing their country.”

 

 

According to diplomats, Britain wants to vote on the draft resolution as soon as possible. A resolution must receive nine votes or more to pass and not be vetoed by the United States, France, Britain, Russia, or China.

 

 

Nearly 25 million people, or half of Sudan’s population, require aid, according to the U.N., since 11 million people have abandoned their homes and famine has spread to displacement camps. Of those, around 3 million have departed for other nations.

 

In its draft language, Britain “demands that the warring parties immediately cease hostilities” and “demands that the Rapid Support Forces immediately halt its offensives” throughout Sudan.

 

 

It also “calls on the parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate the full, safe, rapid, and unhindered crossline and cross-border humanitarian access into and throughout Sudan.”

 

Additionally, the draft urges that assistance deliveries continue to be made through the Adre border crossing with Chad “and stresses the need to sustain humanitarian access through all border crossings, while humanitarian needs persist, and without impediments.”

 

Sudanese authorities have permitted the U.N. and relief organisations to enter Darfur through the Adre border crossing for three months, ending in mid-November.

TV

Continue Reading

Musings From Abroad

South Africa worry Trump’s victory might affect climate fight

Published

on

South Africa’s environment minister has expressed concern about the potential effects of Donald Trump’s victory on climate change negotiations.

The demise of Germany’s coalition government this week and Trump’s election coincide with COP29 negotiations to address global warming, which experts credit for this year’s devastating hurricanes, floods, and heatwaves.

“We are concerned about America because we don’t know what they’re going to do … how (it) is going to approach COP,” South African Environment Minister Dion George told Reuters.

“Mr. Trump said that he would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, but we don’t know what will happen,” George added in a telephone interview on Friday.

International partners are concerned that the prospect of an administration led by Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, will de-motivate poor and middle-income countries who want rich nations to shoulder more of its financial burden.

South Africa, which is one of the world’s top 15 greenhouse gas emitters and accounts for 30% of the continent’s emissions, has accepted $11.6 billion from rich nations, mainly in loans, for a switch from coal to renewable energy.

This is seen as a potential model for other ‘Global South’ countries who say financing pledges of $100 billion, which took years to come through, are insufficient.

“It’s certainly not enough. We need another target,” George said. “But then the question is: as the voter base is shifting in developed economies, are they actually going to pay it?”

The South African minister said he had been reassured by German officials that Europe’s stance at the COP29 climate talks will not be hurt by Berlin’s political crisis.

George said that Jennifer Morgan, Germany’s state secretary for international climate action, had contacted him to say it will be up to the European Union to maintain leadership.

“Their position is not changed and that is how they will approach COP,” George said, adding: “They’re on Team Europe. The European Union and German have clearly set out their objectives.”

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Metro5 hours ago

World Bank pledges $3b to support Zambia’s development goals

The World Bank Group has pledged to avail Zambia with approximately $3 billion to support the country’s development goals under...

Sports5 hours ago

Kenyan marathon legend Kipchoge advises young athletes to prioritize success over money

Kenyan marathon legend, Eliud Kipchoge, has advised young athletes to place success ahead of quick money and riches. The former...

Culture5 hours ago

Tyla set to drop new single ‘Tears’ on November 20

South African “Ampiona” crooner, Tyla, is set to thrill her fans to her new single titled, “Tears’, which is set...

Uncategorized15 hours ago

1,172 Nigerians killed, over 1,000 kidnapped in nine months— NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has put the figures of Nigerians killed and kidnapped by non-state actors from January...

Tech17 hours ago

Bolt invests $107m in Nigeria to boost safety standards

Ride-hailing platform, Bolt, has announced an investment of $107 million in its bid to boost safety and service quality in...

Sports1 day ago

South Africa’s FA president Danny Jordaan arrested on fraud, theft allegations

The President of South African Football Association (SAFA), Danny Jordaan, has been arrested on allegations of fraud and theft. Jordaan,...

Metro1 day ago

Chinese mining giant CNMC set for $1.6 billion investment in Zambia

A Chinese mining giant, China Nonferrous Metal Mining Company (CNMC), has announced the investment of over $1.6 billion in Zambia,...

Metro1 day ago

Mpox immunisation scarcity slows Kinshasa’s epidemic fight

A lack of mpox vaccine doses has prevented the Democratic Republic of the Congo from starting a campaign in the...

VenturesNow1 day ago

After decades of imports, Nigeria ends oil importation

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has declared that it has finally stopped the long-standing practice of importing petroleum...

Politics1 day ago

Ghana’s Supreme Court reinstates ruling party’s majority

The ruling New Patriotic Party regained its majority in the legislature ahead of the Dec. 7 election after Ghana’s Supreme...

Trending