That's all from the BBC Africa Live page today. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or checking the BBC News website. 

A reminder of today's wise words:

Click here and scroll to the bottom to send us your African proverbs. 

And we leave you with this image of Morocco's cable-stayed "Mohammed VI Bridge", which is 950 metres long with two 200 metre high towers.  

Image source, AFP

Image source, AFP

South Sudan's Vice-President Riek Machar has called on troops loyal to him to stop fighting - about two hours after President Salva Kiir unilaterally declared a ceasefire. 

"I inform all troops who have been fighting and have been defending themselves that they should observe the ceasefire and stay in position," Mr Machar said on Eye Radio Juba. 

About 200 people have been killed since Friday when fighting broke out in Juba, the capital, between troops loyal to Mr Kiir and Mr Machar. 

Image source, AFP

Our Facebook readers, external are sharply divided over the Ethiopian government's decision to ban social media sites so that students are not "distracted" during university entrance examinations.  

Here are a sample of their views: 

Lesotho's authorities must launch a prompt and impartial investigation into the shooting of Lesotho Times editor Lloyd Mutungamiri, rights group Amnesty International, external has said in a statement. 

It added that Saturday's attack on Mr Mutunganmiri, who was critically wounded, was "deplorable". 

Amnesty said the authorities should bring to justice those responsible for the attack and ensure ensure that journalists can work freely in the mountain kingdom. 

The rights group added: 

 Mr Mutungamiri's wife said she had heard several gunshots and screams outside their home in the capital, Maseru, on Saturday the New Zimbabwe, external news site reported.

She added that when the shooting stopped, she ran out and found her husband slumped in the car bleeding profusely, it adds

Mr Mutungamiri was charged with defamation in September 2014 for reporting on alleged police corruption, but the case as never brought to court, Amnesty said. 

Image source, AFP

 A Sierra Leonean diplomat who was kidnapped in northern Nigeria has spoken for the first since he was freed on 5 July. 

Alfred Nelson-Williams, Sierra Leone's Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, said his life had been "constantly threatened" by gunmen who held him for five days, AFP news agency reports. 

The diplomat, addressing reporters in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, said he had  been stopped at a checkpoint by men wielding AK-47 rifles and dressed in military fatigues while travelling from Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to the northern city of Kaduna. 

Maj Gen Nelson-Williams, who is the former head of Sierra Leone's army, said he realised the checkpoint was fake when the gunmen demanded a contact "to which they would relay their demands", AFP reports. 

He gave the name of Sierra Leone's High Commissioner, Haja Afsatu Kabbah. 

 "I give all glory to God for my release as he was in control," Maj Gen Nelson-Williams is quoted as saying.

He said two arrests had been made, but he did not say who the abductors were, AFP reports. 

Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister Samura Kamara said no ransom had been paid and he was thankful "this was not a terrorist activity". 

James Copnall
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, Reuters

While South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has declared a cessation of hostilities, his army chief of staff has ordered his troops back to barracks. 

Any soldiers who does not go back - and continues to loiter or loot, as the army spokesman put it - will be arrested. 

So from the president's side, the message is this - the fighting is over, for now at least. 

Vice-President Riek Machar and his spokespeople have not yet responded. 

One thing is clear though - the conflict which broke out on Friday has killed many civilians and soldiers - and left the peace agreement in tatters.

See earlier post for more details

South Africa's public broadcaster, the SABC, says it will challenge the ruling by the country's media regulator ordering it to lift the ban on footage of violent protests.

The SABC will take legal advice with a view to challenging the ruling of the country's media regulator in the courts, board chairman Mbulaheni Maguvhe is quoted on the broadcaster's news website as saying, external. 

The SABC's management has been strongly criticised by some of its journalists for imposing the ban, saying it amounted to censorship. 

Earlier, SABC covered the ruling of the media regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa     

A media campaign group in South Africa has welcomed a ruling ordering public broadcaster SABC to lift its ban on showing visuals of violent protests in the country.

"It's great news for a Monday afternoon. It will be nice to see if the SABC board chair has the humility to apologise over the decision," Media Monitoring Africa director William Bird told the local News24 site.

"Importantly, it at least confirms what we had said all along, that the SABC's decision was blatant censorship. It was anti-democratic, offensive and it was undermining the SABC and our constitution," he added. 

 South Africa's media regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s (Icasa), gave SABC one week to reverse its decision  

See our earlier post for more details

Image source, AFP

There's been swift reaction from a South Sudanese peace campaigner to the unilateral ceasefire declared by the government:  

The ceasefire in South Sudan was announced on state television by Minister of Information Michael Makuei on behalf of President Sava Kiir, as this tweet shows:  

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has declared a unilateral ceasefire to end fighting between his forces and those loyal to Vice-President Riek Machar, in the capital, Juba a media group has tweeted:  

Image source, AFP

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been on an African charm offensive, visiting four nations in a bid to tie up energy and trade deals and remind the continent of their cultural bond.

Historic ties stretch back to British and Portuguese colonial rule, when a large number of Indians migrated to Africa. But how do things stand now?

Find out by reading this BBC article 

Image source, Getty

South African swimmer and Olympic champion Chad le Clos has revealed that both his parents have cancer.  

Le Clos said his mother, Geraldine, had undergone a double mastectomy in recent weeks after her breast cancer returned.

He added that his father, Bert, has prostate cancer and has lost 30kg in weight in the past six months.

"Having my mum and dad healthy would mean so much more than winning a gold medal," said Le Clos.

He won gold in 2012 in the 200m butterfly at the London Olympics and is set to defend his title in Rio in August.

He tweeted confirmation of the news:

Read more on this story here: 

About 200 people have been killed in four days of fighting in South Sudan between government forces and those loyal to Vice-President Riek Machar. 

But what is behind the fighting?          

Image source, AP

French President Francois Hollande has given his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma the digitised recordings of the Rivonia Trial which led to anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela being sentenced to life in prison. 

The audio recordings of the 1963-1964 court case - the most significant political trial in South Africa's history - were restored by France's National Audiovisual Institute as their quality had been deteriorating, AFP news agency reports. 

Mr Zuma received the digitised recordings during a state visit to France, saying they would "safeguard an invaluable part of South African history for generations to come". 

Mr Mandela was released in 1990 after 27 years in prison.

He served one term as South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999 and died in 2013 aged 92.  

Read: Six things you did not know about Mandela

Image source, AP

A spokesman for South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has told BBC Arabic that his office will announce a ceasefire shortly. 

 About 200 people have been killed since Friday in fighting in the capital, Juba, between troops loyal to Mr Kiir and his rival, Vice-President Riek Machar. 

Read: Five obstacles to peace

Ibrahim Aden
BBC Africa, Mogadishu

Image source, AP

Somalia's militant Islamist group al-Shabab has taken control of the port city of Merka after government forces withdrew without giving reasons. 

Residents said its fighters are now in the centre of Merka, which lies about 110km south-west of the capital, Mogadishu.

Milton Nkosi
BBC Africa, Johannesburg

Image source, AFP

South Africa’s national broadcaster SABC has been ordered by the country's media regulator to lift its ban on broadcasting visuals of violent protests.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa made its ruling after civil society lodged a complaint against SABC, accusing it of censorship similar to that seen during minority rule. 

Communication Minister Faith Muthambi had defended the ban, saying it would go "a long way to discourage attention-seeking anarchists". 

The ban was imposed after more than 20 schools were torched in South Africa's Limpopo province in May during protests over the demarcation of new municipal boundaries ahead of crucial local government elections next month.

Read: Is South Africa’s public broadcaster using apartheid tactics?

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced plans to finance a cancer hospital in Kenya, The Star Kenya reports, external.

Speaking during a joint press conference with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday, Mr Modi said the plans would also include supplying medical equipment and medicine to hospitals across Kenya.

"I understand healthcare is a key priority for President Uhuru Kenyatta," he added.

Mr Kenyatta said Kenya was working towards building a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant with India's support.

Image source, AFP

Twin brothers have been accused in court in South Africa of planning to blow up a US mission and Jewish institutions in the country, the BBC bureau in Johannesburg reports. 

Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie were each charged with three counts related to terrorism when they appeared briefly in court today, initially covering their heads with hooded jackets.. 

The 23-year-old twins will remain in custody until their next court appearance.

They have not yet pleaded to the charges. 

The provisional charge sheets say they may be linked to the militant Islamic State group, and were planning to cause explosions at a US mission and Jewish institutions.

The alleged conspiracy to commit the crimes took place on three occasions between 2015 and 2016, the charge sheet says.

The elite police unit, Hawks, said they attempted to travel to Syria last year, and had been under surveillance for some time.

They were arrested, along with two others, during a raid of homes in Azaadvile and Newclare, two suburbs  near Johannesburg, the main city. 

The elite police unit, Hawks, said it had confiscated a number of items, including computers and mobile phones, during the raids.

See earlier post for more details