Image source, Reuters

More than  200 people are reported to have been killed in South Sudan since a new round of fighting broke out between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his rival, Vice-President Riek Machar. 

Mr Machar returned to Juba in April to take his seat in a new unity government to end conflict which erupted in 2013.

So why has the fighting resumed? 

It seems a disagreement at a checkpoint between rival soldiers led to a shootout in which five soldiers died. This quickly escalated into serious fighting. Tensions have been high since April, when Mr Machar returned to Juba under a peace deal following a two-year civil war. He took about 1,300 bodyguards with him and they were supposed to start joint patrols with forces loyal to President Kiir. But a lack of trust between the two sides means the patrols have not begun.

Will it become a new civil war?

There are concerns that what we are seeing is a repeat of what happened in December 2013. The two-year civil war started then after clashes between rival soldiers in Juba and degenerated into nationwide ethnic conflict in which thousands died. So far, Mr Kiir and Mr Machar have called for calm.

What can the international community do?

The international community played a major role in the creation of South Sudan and has tried to exercise some influence since independence in 2011. The UN and US have called for an immediate end to fighting, a call echoed by the East African regional group, Igad, which brokered the recent peace deal. Igad foreign ministers are in emergency talks in Kenya to consider ways to end the conflict. 

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has telephoned South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar, urging them reign in their forces to end fighting, Sudan's Radio Dabanga reports. 

South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July 2011, and has been hit by unrest since then.  

Image source, AFP

Read: South Sudan's men of dishonour

Kenya's The Star newspaper has dedicated it's Monday editorial cartoon to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.

Over the past few days hundred of people have been killed in clashes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing Vice-President  Riek Machar.

The BBC Focus on Africa radio editor has tweeted that Uganda's military has been deployed to prevent the conflict in neighbouring South Sudan from spreading to its territory:   

A journalist who worked in the office of South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has been killed in the fighting in the capital, Juba, a media group has tweeted:  

Two officials from South Sudan Premier League football champions Atlabara have been killed in the renewed fighting in South Sudan.

William Batista, the secretary general of the club, and Leko Nelson, the team manager, were killed over the weekend.

South Sudan FA President Chabur Goc broke the sad news on Sunday evening.

Read more on the story here:

Image source, other

When young Eritreans finish their education, they enter national service. Some go to the military, most into civilian jobs. 

They have no idea when they'll be released. A United Nations Commission of Inquiry recently described this as enslavement, a crime against humanity. 

Eritrea says it's no such thing, that it's an essential part of developing the country and keeping enemies at bay. 

National service is one reason why so many Eritreans flee their country - last year, more people left Eritrea for Europe than from any other African country. 

BBC World Service Africa Editor Mary Harper gained rare access to Eritrea. This is her report from the capital, Asmara.  

A journalist has been tweeting that government troops in South Sudan have shelled a camp where people have been taking refuge since violence broke out in the capital, Juba:  

Kerry Allen
BBC Monitoring

The news that two Chinese peacekeepers have been killed and six more have been injured in South Sudan is headline news in China's media today. 

Reference News, a leading newspaper specialising in international affairs, has highlighted on its front page that tensions existed on the eve of South Sudan's fifth anniversary of independence. 

Image source, Reference News

National broadcaster CCTV also aired footage, showing China's involvement in the peacekeeping mission.

 China deployed hundreds of troops to South Sudan in 2015.   

It shows on-site footage of the attacks filmed from within its battalion.

Image source, CCTV

Thousands have also been talking about the fighting online. On the popular Sina Weibo microblog, over 6,000 users have posted using the hastag#ChinesePeacekeepingSoldierSacrificed.

Many have been posting a candle emoji to commemorate those who have died in the fighting. 

Image source, Sina Weibo microblog

A media group in South Sudan is tweeting about casuaties from the fighting in the capital, Juba:  

Police in Nigeria are investigating the killing of a female preacher in the capital, Abuja.

Mrs Olawale Elijah was killed in Kubwa, a suburb of Abuja, whilst on her early morning preaching rounds on Saturday. 

Eyewitnesses say they found her hacked to death and left in a pool of blood in an Abuja street.  

Christian leaders are suggesting that her killing was linked to extremism.

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder.

A Chinese-owned television station has tweeted the government's reaction to the killing of two of its peacekeepers in South Sudan:   

Image source, AFP

India's Prime minister Narendra Modi has been holding talks with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi, on the final leg of his African tour. 

The two leaders are discussing boosting ties between African states and India.

Mr Modi  was given a ceremonial guard of honour when he arrived at State House in Kenya's capital.

Apart from Kenya, he has also visited Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.

A media group in South Sudan's capital, Juba, has tweeted that shooting has died down in the city: 

US actor Forest Whitaker has called on the international community to intervene to end the latest outbreak of violence in South Sudan. 

In a tweet, he says:  

A Chinese soldier with the UN peacekeeping force in South Sudan's capital, Juba, has been killed, according to a tweet by China's state-owned television station:  

Sunday's Euro 2016 final between hosts France and Portugal was obviously a European affair but it had a distinct African flavour.

Eder, who scored the winning goal for Portugal was born in Guinea-Bissau but brought up in Portugal.

The BBC's Steve Crossman spoke to him after the game:

This is Africa, external reports, along with Eder, five other Portuguese players were African emigrants or children of emigrants. There were 11 such players in the French team, it adds.

Read more about the match: Portugal 1-0 France

Police in South Africa say they have taken a "big step forward in the fight against terrorism" by arresting four suspects during night-time raids in two suburbs near the main city, Johannesburg, on Saturday. 

The arrests followed "protracted investigations" by the elite Hawks police unit and intelligence agencies after the four were identified for attempting to travel to Syria - where the militant Islamic State (IS) group is fighting - last year. 

Two of the suspects are due in court today on terrorism-related charges, and the other two on firearms and explosives-related charges, police said in a statement, external. 

Hawks head Lieutenant General Mthandazo Ntlemeza said the arrests do not mean that the terror threat facing South Africa had ended. 

He added:

Fighting has broken out again in South Sudan, just hours after the UN Security Council called for an end to the violence. 

A reporter in the capital, Juba, told the BBC gunfire and large explosions could be heard all over the city; he said heavy artillery was being used. 

Over the past days, hundreds of people have been killed in clashes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those supporting Vice-President Riek Machar. 

UN compounds and civilians have also been targeted, something the Security Council said could constitute a war crime. 

The fighting has stopped flights to and from Juba airport. 

An Associated Press journalists is tweeting from the city:

A UN worker has posted this short video this morning, on the holiday marking independence day (which was on Saturday):

And other residents are tweeting updates:

Read: We want peace - and ice cream 

Image source, AFP

Ethiopia has blocked social media sites during university entrance examinations to prevent students from being "distracted", a government spokesman has told AFP news agency.

Some end-of-year examination papers were posted online last month forcing the exams to be scrapped. 

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Viber have been inaccessible in the country since Saturday, AFP reports.

"It's blocked. It's a temporary measure until Wednesday. Social media have proven to be a distraction for students," government spokesman Getachew Reda is quoted as saying. 

 Prominent Ethiopian blogger Daniel Berhane condemned the move: