Summary

  • Police raid headquarters of Uganda's main opposition FDC party

  • Opposition leader Kizza Besigye detained by police

  • Air strike targeting Islamic State militants in Libya kills at least 30 people

  • At least four lions escape from wildlife park in Kenya's capital

  • Ghana bus company says speeding caused deadly bus crash

  • Get Involved: #BBCAfricaLive

  • Email stories and comments to africalive@bbc.co.uk - Friday 19 February 2016

  1. Scroll down for Friday's storiespublished at 18:09 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    We'll be back on Monday

    That's it from us this week. 

    Listen to the Africa Today podcast and keep up-to-date with developments across the continent on the BBC News website.

    Today's African proverb was: 

    "The way you bring up a child is how it ends up being."

    Click here to send your African proverbs.

    And we leave you with this picture of peace and love taken by the BBC's Ley Uwera at the Amani festival in Goma, DRC.

    One love written on cheekImage source, Ley Uwera
  2. Uganda's opposition leader still in detentionpublished at 18:05 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Catherine Byaruhanga
    BBC Africa Uganda correspondent

    As night has fallen in Uganda, the opposition leader Kizza Besigye is still in police custody after he was arrested following a police raid on the offices of his party's headquarters in the capital, Kampala.

    I have spoken to the police and they refuse to confirm where he's being held, but his wife has said on Twitter that he is at a police station in Nagalama, about 35km outside of the city - a long way from the tense situation here.

    Mr Besigye's lawyer has also confirmed his whereabouts.

    The police accuse Mr Besigye of trying to announce false results, and that's what they'll be charging him with.

    Military policeImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    Trouble broke out in Kampala after the arrest of Kizza Besigye

    Emotions are running high in different parts of the country as we're hearing of similar scenes to the ones in Kampala in the eastern city of Mbale.

    And in the west, in Kasese, there have been clashes between opposition supporters and security forces.

    Some people are complaining that Thursday's election was not free and fair, and the election commission needs to address some of those concerns.

    The commission says that it wants to see the evidence that the process has not been fair.

  3. The girl who took her family to court to stop forced marriagepublished at 17:57 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Balkissa Chaibou dreamed of becoming a doctor, but when she was 12 she was shocked to learn she had been promised as a bride to her cousin.

    She decided to take her own family to court. 

    The odds were against her as she is from Niger, the country with the highest rate of child marriage in the world.

    But once in court, Balkissa's uncle denied he was forcing her into a marriage, saying it was a misunderstanding.

    Read her full story: The girl who said 'no' to marriage

    Balkissa Chaibou
  4. How to insult a politicianpublished at 17:47 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    When opposition politicians heckled South Africa's President Jacob Zuma during his State of the Nation speech last week it took Elizabeth Ohene by surprise.

    As a former government minister in Ghana, she knows the affair is more muted in her country, Ghana.

    Here's the scene in South Africa's parliament after opposition EFF MPs were told to leave:

    walkout in South African ParliamentImage source, Getty Images

    Compare it to the scenes in Ghana's State of the Nation address:

    Ghana ParliamentImage source, Getty Images

    She thinks that South Africa's politicians could learn a thing or two about subtle insults:

    Quote Message

    You are not allowed to call an honourable MP a liar, but everybody knows that when a parliamentarian says a colleague has been "economical with the truth", it means the person has told a lie.

    Read her whole article: How to insult a politician

  5. Six thousand Mozambicans flee to Malawi after fightingpublished at 17:40 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Mozambique is one of Southern Africa's rising stars, rich in gas and coal, but despite this, it's been plagued by rising tensions and violence between the Frelimo government forces and opposition Renamo. 

    In recent days more than 6,000 people have fled into neighbouring Malawi, to escape fighting in the north.

    But, as the BBC's Karen Allen reports the Mozambican government is keen to play the situation down, refusing to recognise those leaving as refugees:

  6. US air strike gives message to IS militantspublished at 16:52 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Rana Jawad
    BBC North Africa correspondent, Tunis

    If all or most of those killed in the US airstrike are indeed militants from the so-called Islamic state group, then it is a significant development.  

    This is not the first time American jets have targeted extremist militants there.

    But it is the single largest death toll inflicted on the group in Libyan territory.  

    It will not significantly degrade their capabilities in the country, nor necessarily prevent future attacks and suicide bombings.  

    However, in the short term, it could act as a deterrent for would-be militants from continuing to stream in from countries like neighbouring Tunisia.  

    In recent months, Islamic State has increasingly viewed Libya as safe, and an easy territory to operate from. 

    This air strike tells them otherwise.

  7. Kerry urges Uganda's president to 'rein in police'published at 16:51 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    US Secretary of State John Kerry has called up Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni urging him to  "rein in the police and security forces".

    A statement from the State Department, external said he emphasised that "Uganda's progress depends on adherence to democratic principles in the ongoing election process".

    The call came after main opposition leader Kizza Besigye was arrested at his party's headquarters, and the security forces used tear gas to quell his supporters.

    Uganda troubleImage source, EPA

    The police say Mr Besigye was detained because he was announcing results of the election when that was the role of the electoral commission.

  8. 'Bardo museum attacker targeted' by US in Libya bombingpublished at 16:28 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Frank Gardner
    BBC Security Correspondent

    The US Department of Defence has said that suspected Islamic State member Noureddine Chouchane, who was targeted in this morning's air strike in Libya, was linked to the March 2015 Bardo Museum attack in Tunis, in which 22 people were killed.

    It added that "it would be safe to say he was also linked to the Sousse beach murders [in Tunisia] of July 2015".

    Sousse maemorialImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Thirty-eight people were killed in the attack in Sousse, Tunisia

  9. Museveni still winning with 62% as count continuespublished at 16:21 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    More results from Uganda's presidential election are being announced by the electoral commission, with the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni maintaining roughly 62% of the vote:

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  10. Ivorian FA 'deplore' Aurier's homophobic commentspublished at 16:10 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Tamasin Ford
    BBC Africa, Abidjan

    Serge Aurier

    The Ivorian Football Federation has come out against Ivorian footballer and Paris St Germain player Serge Aurier for making homophobic comments about his teammates and manager.

    They released a statement saying: 

    Quote Message

    The president of the Ivorian Football Federation and the executive committee deplore the attitude of the player Serge Aurier; an attitude that is unpleasant for the offended people and for the club."

    It went on to say they understand Aurier's punishment but they call on the sympathy of the club to make sure the "talented young player" doesn't make the same mistake again.

    This statement is in contrast to compatriot Didier Drogba who came out to defend his former teammate.

    The defender was suspended indefinitely on Sunday and has apologised.

  11. Kenya's plan to deal with dopingpublished at 16:04 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Nick Cavell
    BBC Africa Sport

    The Kenyan government has outlined its timeline to implement an anti-doping bill that it hopes will see the nation avoid a possible ban from this year's Olympics. 

    While it admitted there have been delays to the passing of the bill it hopes parliament will now approve the law as early as next Wednesday.

    Last week the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) gave Kenya two months to bring in new legislation in order to bring it into line with its anti-doing guidelines.

    This followed Kenya missing an initial deadline to prove they were doing enough to combat drug taking.

    Newspaper frontpagesImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Explusion from the Olympics would be a big blow for Kenya after the country topped the medals table at last year's athletics world championships

  12. Arrest warrants lifted for 15 accused of plotting Burundi couppublished at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Prime Ndikumagenge
    BBC Africa, Bujumbura

    Burundi's prosecution has lifted the arrest warrants for 15 people who were wanted for their alleged role in last May's attempted coup.

    The news originally broke when this notice was circulated on social media:

    letter

    Prosecutor General Valentin Bagorikunda has confirmed that it is true.

    The people whose warrants for arrest have been lifted include an opposition coalition leader, the speaker of the national assembly and the deputy president.

    Many of them went in exile following repression of their protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to run for a third term in April.   

    The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is visiting Burundi next week.

    So it could be a concession by the government which has been under pressure to hold inclusive dialogue with the opposition.

  13. Besigye was 'stopped from announcing results'published at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Uganda's police say that the country's main opposition leader Kizza Besigye was arrested along with two party colleagues to stop them from "announcing purportedly final results of the presidential election".

    In a statement, spokesperson for the police in the capital, Kampala, Patrick Onyango said that this was in accordance with electoral law saying that it amounted to "disturbing public order".

    He also called on "peace-loving Ugandans to exercise restraint" while waiting for the final results from Thursday's presidential and parliamentary elections.

    Police van taking Mr Besigye awayImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Kizza Besigye was driven away in a police van after his party's headquarters were raided

  14. Cameroon market attackers 'kill 19 people'published at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    In our 10:57 post we reported that two explosions had gone off in a market in the far north of Cameroon. 

    At least 19 died in the attack local sources have told AFP news agency.  

    Two female suicide bombers carried out the attack, the officals added. 

    No-one has said they were behind the attack yet.

  15. Painted at Niger election ralliespublished at 14:49 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Ishaq Khalid
    BBC Africa, Niamey, Niger.

    Today is the final day of campaigning in Niger ahead of Sunday's presidential and parliamentary elections and people are out at rallies:

    rally
    crowd

    Some have even covered themselves from top to toe in body paint:

    boy in body paint
    body paint

    President Muhamadou Issoufo is being challenged by 14 candidates. 

    One of the opposition candidates, Hama Amadou is in detention for alleged child trafficking from neighbouring Nigeria.

    He denies the allegation, and his supporters say his detention is politically motivated. 

    If you want to catch up quickly on the country's big issues, this video explains that in 60 seconds:

  16. Besigye 'arrested over press conference'published at 14:32 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    The wife of the arrested Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye says she has spoken to him.

    He told her why he thinks he was detained: 

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  17. US embassy in Uganda in tells US citizens to 'stay off' Kampala streetspublished at 14:15 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    The US embassy in Uganda's capital, Kampala, has told US citizens to "stay off the streets for the remainder of the day", in an announcement on Facebook, external.

    Screen grabImage source, Facebook

    This comes after police raided the headquarters of the main opposition FDC party and arrested its leader Kizza Besigye.

    The US embassy has also tweeted a message to the police and army:

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    Police at FDC officesImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    The police forced their way into the FDC compound

  18. Many Ugandan ministers lose parliamentary seatspublished at 14:06 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Our attention has mainly been focussed on the fallout and results from Uganda's presidential election, but there has been another story developing in the parliamentary election.

    A large number of cabinet ministers have lost their  seats.

    These include:

    • Defence Minister - Crispus Kiyonga
    • Justice Minister - Kahinda Otafiire
    • Information Minister - Jim Muhwezi
    • Education Minister - Jessica Alupo
    • Attorney General - Fred Ruhindi

    Uganda's New Vision newspaper is reporting that 17 ministers and junior ministers have lost their seats in all.

    But the BBC's Patience Atuhaire says that this does not mean that the ruling NRM is about to lose its majority.

    Ugandan voterImage source, AFP
  19. 'Thirty-eight killed' in US air strike targeting IS in Libyapublished at 13:38 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Rana Jawad
    BBC North Africa correspondent, Tunis

    A military source in Sabratha, western Libya, which was hit earlier by a US air strike, has told the BBC that 38 people have been killed, and most of them were Tunisian nationals. 

    He was unable to confirm if all were part of the so-called Islamic State group, but said he believed many were.

  20. Ghana bus crash survivor found among dead bodiespublished at 13:19 Greenwich Mean Time 19 February 2016

    Charles Ekow Izeme, a survivor of yesterday's bus crash which killed 71 people when it crashed into a lorry, was found among the dead bodies.

    Charles Ekow Izeme

    Mr Izeme recounted to the BBC's Sammy Darko how the crash happened:

    Quote Message

    The vehicle hit three bulls and the driver lost control and ran into the tomato lorry.

    The bus company has put the problem down to the driver going too fast rather than there being a fault with the vehicle.

    Mr Izeme said that before he was rescued he remembers hearing shouts of "Jesus" and then he saw people removing bodies on top of him.

    He was taken to a hospital in central Ghana and treated for head injuries, and his clothes were drenched in blood.