Worrying reports suggest dozens of protesters arrested in Gambia’s capital, Banjul, last month are still in detention and have been tortured, the UN says.

It is very difficult to confirm what’s going on in The Gambia because of a lack of press freedom in the small West African nation.

Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN human rights commissioner, said there were reports that family members were not allowed to visit the prisoners and some were being denied access to medical care.

The authorities should release those detained “for simply having exercised their rights to freedom of expression, opinion and assembly”, Mr Colville said in a statement.

He also reiterated the UN’s call for an investigation into the reported death in custody on 14 April of Solo Sandeng, head of opposition United Democratic Party’s youth wing - which prompted the protests.

Two other female opposition figures feared to have died had been found in custody - but were reportedly in very bad condition, he said.

The government should also clarify the whereabouts of Alhagie Ceesay, director of the Teranga FM radio on trial for sedition, who was last seen alive on 11 April, Mr Colville said.

Image source, AFP

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo have fired tear gas to disperse several thousand supporters of powerful opposition figure Moise Katumbi the country's second city Lubumbashi, the AFP news agency reports.

They are angry that he has been charged with hiring foreign mercenaries.

The protesters were gathered outside a courthouse where dozens of lawyers had arrived to give their backing to Mr Katumbi, who has denounced the allegations against him as "a grotesque lie", AFP adds.

Mr Katumbi is a millionaire businessman, who owns TP Mazembe - one of Africa's top football clubs.

Earlier this month he declared his intention to run for president in November's elections.

Read: Could football boss Moise Katumbi become DR Congo president?

Commercial essay writers are prepared to help those who can't be bothered.

One UK-based essay wizard from the Democratic Republic of Congo has revealed to the BBC that he charges about £2,500 ($3,600) for a dissertation. 

He says he has a particular motive for the work he does - revenge.

He has an MBA and a PhD from a leading British university, and says he has applied for more than 300 jobs as a lecturer or researcher, but has got nowhere.

He believes he's a victim of racial discrimination.

Mr Jezek describes a network of black academics from African backgrounds that are unable to find work in universities.

Read more on the BBC News website.

It looks like a shopping mall has collapsed in Ogun State in south-western Nigeria.

Western Post Nigeria says, external it was a four-storey shopping plaza.

It is not clear if anyone is trapped under the rubble.

We also don't know why the building collapsed. 

But, a civil engineer who has studied why so many buildings collapse previously told the BBC that builders quite often use cheaper materials which aren't strong enough to withhold multi-storey buildings.

Pumza Fihlani
BBC News, Johannesburg

The lawyers representing the gold miners in South Africa believe today's high court ruling marks the first step towards justice (see 09:06 post).

It paves the way for what would become the largest class action in South African history.  

Most of the miners who allegedly contracted silicosis while working underground have been unable to work for many years and are dependent on government grants for a living.

The claims, going back decades, also involve former miners from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho.

A number of gold companies have been named in the suit including Anglo American, one of two companies which reached a $30m (£21m) suit with 400 miners in a separate silicosis case.

It is not clear if this class action will be settled out of court, but for the miners who say they have waited for too long, a speedy resolution would be a form of justice.

Image source, AFP

African entrepreneurs should focus on designing rather than building phones, Luke Mckend, country director for Google South Africa, says.

He was asked the question about whether phones and computers ought to be manufactured in Africa on our Google Hangout

The question came from a comment on our Facebook page, external.

You can watch the hangout about digital skills here:

Rwanda national cricket captain has just broken the Guinness World Record for the longest time spent batting in the nets. 

  Eric Dusingizimana has spent a whopping 51 hours batting. 

He was raising money to build the first international cricket ground in Rwanda.  

Dusingizimana even asked his president to bowl during the marathon:  

President Paul Kagame didn't tweet back.

This might not be the end. 

Just before he broke the record Rwanda's New Times newspaper suggested he wouldn't give up straight away:

Image source, Reuters

Zimbabwe’ President Robert Mugabe must have felt loved during his visit to Uganda.

He received a standing ovation from other African heads of state at a dinner last night after the inauguration of President Yoweri Museveni.

Uganda’s state-run New Vision newspaper said , externalthe 92-year-old Zimbabwean leader walked in a few minutes after the opening prayer.

“Everyone sprang to their feet and cheered,” the paper said. 

For Zimbabwe’s state-owned Herald, this confirmed “his status as an African legend, external”.

Among the other leaders at the dinner where leaders from South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Niger and Equatorial Guinea. 

The New Vision did not say whether Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir was there.

But his presence at the swearing-in ceremony earlier on Thursday angered Western delegates. 

Image source, Reuters

US, European and Canadian diplomats left abruptly when Mr Museveni made disparaging comments about the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Mr Bashir is wanted by the ICC on charges of genocide, which he denies.

Read the BBC News story for more. 

Image source, AFP

More on the confidential report to the UN Security Council seen by Reuters (see 09:03 post).

The report by UN experts also accuses Rwanda of continuing to support Burundian rebels seeking to oust President Pierre Nkurunziza.

It says that training, financing and logistical support for the rebels did not stop last year, as some Western officials have assumed.

The UN Security Council sanctions committee is to discuss the report later today.

Rwanda denies claims that it is meddling in Burundi.

President Nkurunziza was elected for a third term in July last year, but his controversial decision to run again sparked months of violence – and it is exactly a year since he survived a coup attempt.

For more read Alastair Leithead's piece: Burundi's tit-for-tat killings spread fear

Umaru Fofana
BBC Africa, Freetown

Adverts bearing the portrait of Emmerson Bockarie - a singer whose latest lyrics tackle corruption in Sierra Leone - have been attacked. 

Image source, Umaru Fofana

Even though the adverts for mobile company Airtel bear the faces of three other artists, only Mr Bockarie's face was cut out.

His face was removed from billboards or covered with graffiti in more than four areas of the city.

The singer told me that he's unperturbed by the attacks:

His latest song tackles corruption in high places:

Abdourahmane Dia
BBC Afrique

Image source, AFP

France's President Francois Hollande is making his third visit in four years to the Central African Republic (CAR), a former French colony.

His trip, which will only last a few hours, is just a few weeks after CAR's new President, Faustin Touadera, was sworn in. His election is seen as an important step towards restoring peace after several years of deadly religious unrest.

The decision to end French military operations in the CAR by the end of the year will likely be the main topic of discussion.   

The French presidency says the visit demonstrates Mr Hollande's commitment to support peace and stabilisation efforts in the country.

Since 2013 there has been fighting between mainly Muslim Seleka rebels and mostly Christian anti-Balaka militias.

Civil society leader Boniface Gonabana-Ndele told the BBC that the issue of the disarmament and reinsertion of armed groups should be discussed during Mr Hollande's visit. 

Many in the capital, Bangui, are also hoping that the alleged sex abuse cases involving French troops will not be ignored.

Join our Google Hangout today where we will be discussing whether digital skills could change your world.

The country director for Google South Africa, Luke Mckend, the founder and creative director of African Digital Art, Jepchumba, and Tim Rimbui, the chief executive of audio production company Waabeh, will be with us.

We start from 09:00 GMT. 

So get involved in the discussion, send us your questions through Facebook, external and follow the event:   

South Africa’s high court has ruled that more than 40 lawyers, representing hundreds of former and current mineworkers, can launch a joint case against gold mining companies.

The miners say they contracted silicosis, an incurable lung disease, from years of working in the mines.

Image source, AFP

Read the BBC News story for more

A confidential report by UN experts, seen by the Reuters news agency, reported that several officers in the Democratic Republic of Congo said North Korea had supplied troops and police with pistols.

They also said North Korea had sent 30 instructors to provide training for the presidential guard and special forces.

A UN arms embargo prevents North Korea from importing or exporting weapons and training.

An arms embargo on DR Congo requires states to notify the UN Security Council sanctions committee of any arms sales or training.

The experts said they found that several Congolese army officers, as well as several police deployed abroad in a UN mission, appeared to have North Korean pistols.

Image source, AFP

Here's today's African proverb:

Image source, AFP

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