Africa highlights: Wednesday 26 October 2016, as it happened

Summary

Ghana soldiers to be disciplined over illegal escort for president's brother
Islamic State militants take control of Red Sea port in Somalia
Nigeria's President Muhammdu Buhari wants to borrow $30bn for infrastructure projects
The Gambia is to pull out of the International Criminal Court
Crashed Cameroon train 'broke speed limit'
Ugandan comic becomes "funniest person in Africa"
Kenyan marathon runner Rita Jeptoo has her two-year ban doubled
South Africa gives Mamelodi Sundowns players a winning bonus
Email stories and comments to africalive@bbc.co.uk - Wednesday 26 October 2016

Live Reporting

Clare Spencer, Lamine Konkobo and Lucy Fleming

Kenya marathon runner Rita Jeptoo's ban increasedpublished at 10:50 British Summer Time 26 October 2016
Image source, Rita Jeptoo
Image caption,
The ruling means Rita Jeptoo forfeits her 2014 Boston and Chicago Marathon titles
Kenyan marathon runner Rita Jeptoo has just had her competition ban extended, our sports reporter has tweeted:
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Jeptoo became Kenya's first high-profile athlete to fail a test when she tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug EPO in 2014, receiving a two-year ban.
She said at the time that she may have been prescribed some banned substances at a local hospital after a road accident.
The three-time Boston marathon winner's original ban was set to expire at the end of this month.
She is now banned until 30 October 2018 and has also been fined 15,000 Swiss francs ($15,145, £12,396) as a contribution to the IAAF's legal fees and expenses.
Crashed Cameroon train 'broke speed limit'published at 10:39 British Summer Time 26 October 2016
Image source, AFP
Image caption,
Packed carriages flipped over at high speed
The train which crashed last Friday in Cameroon, killing at least 79 passengers and wounding 600 people, was travelling at an "unusually" high speed, a top official of the French company that runs the railway line says.
The train was on its way from the capital, Yaounde, to the port city of Douala when carriages flipped over.
Eric Melet, Africa chairman of Bollore, is quoted by BBC Afrique as saying:
Quote Message
When it was near the station where the crash happened, it was travelling faster than the speed limit at that point."
Shortly after the crash was reported, Cameroon President Paul Biya told state TV that an "in-depth inquiry" into the causes of the accident had been ordered.
On Tuesday, a court also announced a criminal investigation to establish responsibilities in the possible causes of the accident.
Early suggestions seemed to blame the crash on overcrowding.
The train was operated by Camrail, a local subcontractor of French company Bollore.
Relatives identify victims of Kenyan guesthouse attackpublished at 10:21 British Summer Time 26 October 2016
Idris Situma
BBC Swahili, Nairobi
The bodies of those who died in the attack on a guesthouse in Kenya's north-eastern town of Mandera yesterday have been flown to the capital, Nairobi.
Relatives and friends are now at the Chromo mortuary in the city to identify them and Red Cross officials are on hand to help and comfort them.
On Tuesday, the Somalia-based al-Shabab militant group said it was behind the raid which killed 12 people, two of whom were actors in a touring group.
A local official blamed a home-grown militia for the attack.
Is this the funniest man in Africa?published at 10:03 British Summer Time 26 October 2016
Image source, Laugh Factory
Image caption,
You can go to the Laugh Factory website to vote for "Salvado"
BBC Newsday presenter Alan Kasujja, who is from Uganda, got a bit of a shock this morning when he interviewed his friend and compatriot Patrick Idringi.
They've known each other for a while but our presenter sounded slightly taken aback that Mr Idringi, who is a stand-up comedian, had been labelled the funniest man in Africa.
“You were living in denial before. I’ve always been funny,” joked Mr Idringi, whose stage name is "Salvado".
However, later in the interview he conceded: "I didn’t know I was that funny."
He's gained the label as he is the only African to get through to the semi-final of the Funniest Person in the World, external competition at a Hollywood comedy club called the Laugh Factory.
He beat comedian Pablo Kimuli to represent Uganda in the semi-finals.
The other African countries in the competition - Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan and Tunisia - were all eliminated in round one.
We'll have to wait until December to see if he is crowned.
Have a listen to the interview at, 48 minutes into this Newsday clip.
Is the ICC really humiliating Africans?published at 09:13 British Summer Time 26 October 2016
Image source, AFP
Image caption,
The ICC's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, is a former Gambian justice minister
The Gambia has said that it pull of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the tribunal of persecuting and humiliating Africans.
Gambian Information Minister Sheriff Bojang said the ICC was "an International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of colour, especially Africans".
Reacting to the announcement, Sainey Marenaha, a Gambian journalist based in Senegal, told the BBC Newsday programme:
Quote Message
Most African heads of state feel that the court is only targeting them instead of Western leaders. People like [former President] George Bush of the United States and [former Prime Minister] Tony Blair of the UK were alleged to have committed hideous crimes and mass violation of human rights during the invasion of Iraq.
Quote Message
So ordinary Africans will tell you: 'Hey! We feel that there is something suspicious about this court. We have never seen - in the 10 years' existence of the court - a single European leader tried for crimes against humanity.'"
The Gambia's decision to leave the war crimes court follows that of South Africa and Burundi earlier this month.
Get involved: Let us know your views on the ICC using the #BBCAfricaLive on Twitter, via WhatsApp: +44 7341070844 or email: africalive@bbc.co.uk.
Read more: Is this the end of the ICC?
Mamelodi Sundowns receive heroes' welcomepublished at 09:02 British Summer Time 26 October 2016
Mamelodi Sundowns have arrived back home in South Africa to a heroes' welcome after winning the African Champions League in against Egyptian team Zamalek in Alexandria on Sunday.
Thousands of football fans gathered at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to welcome them.
People have been tweeting videos from the welcome reception:
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Each player received about $1,450 (£1,190) from the sports minister:
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Wise wordspublished at 09:01 British Summer Time 26 October 2016
Today's African proverb:
Quote Message
The fly was living before the dog’s ear got cut."
A Liberian proverb sent by Caroline Smart in New York, the US
Click here to send your African proverbs.
Good morningpublished at 09:00
Welcome to the BBC Africa Live page where we'll be keeping you up-to-date with news and trends from across the continent.