He has also prayed for and end to wars in Africa.

There was a heavy African flavour to the traditional Christmas message read by Pope Francis.

He prayed for migrants seeking refuge from violence and better lives for their families, and urged the United Nations to take more muscular actions to deal with their plight.

And he prayed for peace in Burkina Faso where a Christmas Eve attack by jihadis has left 35 people – many of them women – dead.

He also prayed for South Sudan, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger and Nigeria.

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He will not, however, travel beyond the capitals of Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius.

ends intro

Pope  Francis is adamant that the authorities in the three countries he’s visiting should not splash out on hosting  him. He wants only the most basic requirements.

Nevertheless the Mozambique government has spent R5-million getting ready for the papal visit.

Campaigning is underway for elections there in a fortnight.

Smaller parties have started slowly because money they are due from the electoral commission is late.

Residents of Beira, still recovering from cyclone Idai that killed more than 600 people six months ago are disappointed they will not get to see the Pope. 

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He  has told the authorities in South Africa’s eastern neighbour to provide only his basic needs accommodating him.

Speaking in Portuguese, Pope Francis sent a message of peace to Mozambicans preparing for elections on October 15.

He says his heart reaches out to all the people of that country, even though he won’t be able to travel beyond its capital Maputo.

It was hoped he would visit the cyclone-hit parts of the country where at least 600 people died earlier this year.

The Pope moves on from Mozambique to Madagascar and Mauritius.

Pope John Paul II visited Mozambique when the country was still at war 31 years ago.

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Pope Francis has kissed the feet of South Sudan’s leaders appealing to them as brothers to keep the peace.

South Sudan has been at conflict almost since splitting from Sudan which ended Africa’s longest running civil war.

A peace signed between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar last September could end this.

On the other hand it could fail as many previous deals have.

Pope Francis has literally gone his knees urging the men in Juba to settle their differences – and deal with the complications posed by a coup among compatriots-turned-neighbours

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The period of preaching, prayer and contemplation is designed to bolster the flagging peace deal signed last February in Africa’s youngest country.

The retreat is led by Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

Salva Kiir and Riek Machar are joined by three vice president and South Sudanese church leaders.

The International Crisis Group warns that the peace deal inked in February is faltering.

In terms of it, Kiir and Machar are due to  enter a unity government tomorrow.

Since splitting from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has been torn by conflict that’s cost 

400 000 lives and uprooted a third of the 12-million population.

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In Mozambique, which was hit twice by the wind and water, people are still being plucked from trees or rescued from roofs.

Hundreds have died and the toll could exceed 1000.

The worst weather disaster to strike the southern hemisphere has changed forever the lives of millions who have lost family members, homes and livelihoods.

Pope Francis, speaking in the Vatican yesterday, appealed for international help.

The governments of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi acknowledge that the disaster is too big for them to handle unassisted.

Food and clean water is an immediate need in affected areas.

Unless immediately addressed, disease and even more deaths are inevitable.

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No group has immediately claimed responsibility for this particularly brazen drive-by shooting.

ends intro

The attack in Nasr City is a break from the usual terror operations in the restive northern part of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

Militants have occasionally struck farther south and also on the mainland — such as in last month’s massive suicide bombings in Tanta and in Alexandria. Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.

This latest drive-by attack comes two days after Pope Francis wrapped up a historic visit to Egypt during which security was exceptionally tight, with police swarming Cairo’s streets.

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He says France will closely follow developments where the UN peacekeeping force is holding the line and will never abandon the former colony.

ends intro

Visiting Bangui yesterday French defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian tells the CAR parliament some French troops will remain in Central African Republic as part of the 13 000 strong UN peacekeeping mission.

President Faustin Archange Touadera briefed him on

a new outbreak of violence  that left 25 people dead last week.

Central African Republic descended into conflict in 2013 when the mostly Muslim Seleka rebels who overthrew the Christian president committed atrocities.

A deadly backlash by the Christian anti-Balaka militia against Muslim civilians followed.

Pope Francis visited the CAR last year to appeal for calm.

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Pope Francis has expressed his deepest sorrow about what appears to be worst incident of its kind with as many as 700 Europe-bound people drowned off the coast of Libya.

Once again, Italy’s taken the lion’s share of rescue operations sending 17 boats to the site of the capsized boat where hundreds died.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi says his European colleagues must meet this week to discuss a united approach to dealing with what he’s calling a plague in our continent and modern slavery.

The 20m long boat was believed to be carrying up to 700 migrants, and only 28 survivors have been rescued.

Up to 1 500 migrants are now feared to have drowned this year alone in the Mediterranean

About 16 000 have reached the Italian Island of Lampedusa.

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