Summary

  • Machel calls for African unity after xenophobic attacks

  • Row in Togo after family's 48-year rule extended

  • Inquiry into French troops accused of CAR child abuse

  • Burundi blocks social media as protests continue

  1. Heading for a third term?published at 14:42 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Read a profile of Burundi's footballing, born-again, farming president, who wants to run for a third term - ambitions which have sparked protests in the central African nation.

    Burundi's President NkrunzizaImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    President Nkrunziza has his own football team called Hallelujah FC

  2. 'Created in your image'published at 14:35 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    The memorial service in South Africa for the Mozambican killed in xenophobic violence is drawing to a close.

    The congregation has just sung Tswarelo ya dibi tsaka, meaning "Forgive me for I have sinned" - and in the closing prayer the priest says: "Remind us Lord that we are all created in your image."

  3. 'You are evil'published at 14:27 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    A family representative of the Mozambican killed in xenophobic violence in South Africa has condemned his murderers.

    "You are robbers because you left us broken. You are evil. You didn't hear him pleading for mercy," the representative said at the man's memorial in Johannesburg.

    The stabbing to death of Emmanuel Sithole, also known as Manuel Jossias, was caught on camera and caused global outrage.

  4. Machel in tearspublished at 14:20 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    Graca Machel, Nelson Mandela's widow, broke down in tears as she walked back to the table after a powerful speech at the memorial for the fellow Mozambican killed in xenophobic violence in South Africa - and she was not the only one.

    "We, mothers [and] wives, we have to carry, with courage, the responsibility of teaching our children," she said.

    "There will be a time when all of us can enjoy respect, love and care."

  5. Name rowpublished at 14:11 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    Nelson Mandela's Mozambican widow Graca Machel has been dealing with the controversy around the name of the Mozambican killed in xenophobic violence in Alexandra township near Johannesburg.

    "We accept that Emmanuel Sithole is not his real identity but for today let's call him Sithole! There are Sitholes here and in Mozambique," she said, at his memorial in Johannesburg.

    "Emmanuel Sithole is a citizen of Southern Africa! The whole region is in pain," she added.

    South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has said Emmanuel Sithole was a fake name, and the killed man's real name was Manuel Jossias.

  6. 'Created by colonisers'published at 14:04 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    Nelson Mandela's widow Graca Machel has strongly argued in favour of immigration at the memorial for a fellow Mozambican killed during the recent anti-foreigner violence in South Africa.

    "Migration is in our blood. The borders were created by colonisers. They mean nothing to us because we are one," she told the crowd in Johannesburg.

  7. 'Self-hate'published at 13:58 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    Graca Machel, the Mozambican widow of Nelson Mandela, says the recent xenophobic violence in South Africa was an expression of "self-hate" inculcated by the brutal system of apartheid.

    "The anger expresses itself as an anger against foreigners but tomorrow it will express itself against South Africans themselves," she said at a memorial for a Mozambican man killed in the violence.

  8. Machel speakspublished at 13:51 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    Graca Machel, the Mozambican widow of Nelson Mandela, is addressing the crowd at the memorial for Emmanuel Sithole, the Mozambican killed in xenophobic violence, and also referred to as Manuel Jossias.

    "I stand before you as an African mother in pain. I am in pain. I am in deep pain," she said.

    Ms Machel received applause and women ululated when she said: "I am South African. I Mozambican. I am Zambian. I am Zimbabwean..."

  9. 'One death too many'published at 13:40 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC News, Johannesburg

    Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau has been speaking at the memorial for Emmanuel Sithole, the Mozambican man stabbed to death during xenophobic violence in South Africa earlier this month.

    "A single death of a dear brother is one too many," he said.

    The funeral costs of Mr Sithole, also known as Manuel Jossias, would be covered by the city, and it would help to repatriate his remains to Mozambique, Mr Tau added.

  10. Immigrant's memorial underwaypublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC News, Johannesburg

    Choirs are singing at the memorial in Johannesburg for Emmanuel Sithole, the Mozambican man also known as Manuel Jossias, killed during the recent xenophobic violence in South Africa. Graca Machel, the Mozambican wife of South Africa's late President Nelson Mandela, is present.

    Choir at memorial 29 April 2015
  11. 'Somali livestock record'published at 13:26 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Somalia exported a record five million head of livestock to markets in the Gulf of Arabia last year, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) says.

    This is the highest number of live animals exported from Somalia in the last 20 years, it said, external.

    camels wait at Mogadishu's seaport to be exported to Saudi Arabia - archive shotImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Many camels are exported to the Saudi Arabia each year

    This was thanks to heavy investments in animal disease prevention backed by the European Union and UK.

  12. Abducted UN staff freedpublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Three people working for the UN peacekeeping mission in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, who were kidnapped last week, have been freed, the African Union's department for peace and security has tweeted, external.

    "GoodNews", it said. They have "been released unharmed" and "arrived safely in #Goma".

  13. Nigeria's muted response to executionspublished at 12:46 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Aliyu Tanko
    BBC Nigeria analyst

    The Nigerian government's nonchalant attitude towards the execution of three of its nationals in Indonesia on drug-smuggling charges is not surprising.

    Many Nigerians are in prison around the world for their involvement in drug-related or other crimes. So, the government seems to be tired of pleading on behalf of citizens who have not been good ambassadors for their country.

    Sylvester Obiekwe NwoliseImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise was among the Nigerians executed in Indonesia

  14. African diet tips?published at 12:30 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    A rural African diet may reduce the risk of bowel cancer, a study co-authored by Jeremy Nicholson of Imperial College London has found.

    He told the BBC's Newsday programme that he was prompted to do the study because the incidents of bowel cancer are 60 times higher in African-Americans than it was in Africa.

    A maize farmer in South Africa 2013Image source, AFP
    Image caption,

    A rural African diet is considered high in fibre

    It just two weeks the two groups who swapped diets had changed physiologically, he said.

    • 20 African-Americans in Pittsburgh were fed maize meal, beans, mango, fruits and vegetables

    • 20 South Africans in KwaZulu-Natal were fed sausages, hash browns, burgers and chips

    "The African-Americans didn't like it very much and the Africans loved it. I'm afraid the Western diet is quite attractive because it is fatty and has a lot of flavour in it," Mr Nicholson said.

    Do you agree? Do you think an African diet is healthy? Tweet your diet tips and photos of your favourite meals using the hashtag #BBCAfrica.

  15. New Guinea coach namedpublished at 12:27 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    BBC sports reporter Oluwashina Okeleji tweets, external: "Ex #France international Luis Fernandez, 55, has been appointed the new coach of #Guinea. He's signed a 20-month contract."

  16. Army vs police?published at 12:02 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    As diplomatic efforts to end the crisis in Burundi are stepped up (see earlier post) protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term are continuing for a fourth day. In this photo sent by the BBC team in the capital, Bujumbura, demonstrators are seen raising their hands to avoid being attacked by police:

    Protesters in Bujumbura, Burundi, 29 April 2015

    Protesters believe the police are fiercely loyal to the president, and have come down hard on them:

    Riot police in Bujumbura, Burundi on 29 April 2015

    The demonstrators say the army is neutral, and police do not attack them when soldiers are present:

    Security forces and protesters in Bujumbura, Burundi on 29 April 2015
  17. Top governorspublished at 11:43 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    A survey of Kenya's best governors is published in today's Daily Nation newspaper.

    Machakos county and its governor Alfred Muta emerged as the overall winner, with 61.5% in the poll that surveyed some 28,000 people, external.

    Daily Nation front pageImage source, Daily Naton

    Meanwhile President Uhuru Kenyatta is still under fire in the Star , externalover his appointment earlier this week of new board members for state-owned companies.

    Star front pageImage source, The Star
  18. Deadly attack in Malipublished at 11:33 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    Alex Duval Smith
    Bamako, Mali

    Tuareg rebels in Mali say they are behind a dawn attack in Goundam, west of the ancient northern town of Timbuktu, that left three people dead.

    Goundam residents said two vehicles pulled up at a military camp and headed straight for the divisional commander's house. They shot him dead as well as his son and his deputy. They then stole a military vehicle.

    The attack comes in the wake of an offensive on Monday in the east of Mali, where pro-government militias retook the town of Menaka, which had been held by secessionist Tuareg rebels since 2012.

  19. 'I love Hitler' rowpublished at 11:30 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    South Africa's Business Day newspaper reports, external that the University of the Witwatersrand has referred its main student leader, Mcebo Dlamini, for possible disciplinary action after he said on social media that he "loves Hitler".

    The student is refusing to apologise over the controversy.

  20. Flash floods in Kenyapublished at 10:49 British Summer Time 29 April 2015

    A Kenyan delivery driver caught up in the flash floods that have hit the town of Narok west of the capital, Nairobi, has sent some photos of the town. He was trying to make the delivery for Cola Cola:

    Flooding in Narok town, Kenya
    Narok town - Coke kiosk
    Cars in Narok

    The driver says some of the company's drink kiosks were washed away in the gushing waters - and cars are struggling to cope with the rising waters:

    Cars in Narok
    Aftermath of flooding in Narok town, Kenya
    Aftermath of flooding in Narok town, Kenya