Tamoke the robot has been brought in to ease Kinshasa's traffic jams.

If it is successful in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it could be rolled out elsewhere.

Mohanad Hashim
BBC Africa

Calls for nation-wide civil disobedience across Sudan to protest the 27-year rule of President Omar al-Bashir are gaining momentum among Sudanese at home and in the diaspora. 

Following a recent strike on the 27 November, political activists took to social media to arrange for another nationwide strike to protest recent harsh economic measures that led to a rise in the price fuel, electricity, medicines and food.

The calls for national civil disobedience have irked President Bashir, who in a recent public appearance ridiculed what he called keyboard activism and dared “those hiding behind their screens to take to the streets” and see what fate they would face.

While the origin of these calls is not known, opposition political parties and figures have rallied to support the move.

On Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, Sudanese are sharing content and engaging in a large-scale digital awareness campaign. 

This tweet shows leaflets about civil disobedience action ready for distribution: 

People are also sharing memes poking fun at Mr Bashir and posters calling for the strike as well as patriotic songs, tips on how to organise, messages of solidarity, statements by doctors and journalists pledging support for the move:

There are even appeals for help from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to help activists in case the government shuts down the internet next week:

Image source, Facebook

Many of those calling for a strike were born during Mr Bashir's rule and 70% of the country’s population is under 30. 

Young people are uploading videos, notes and posts over what civil disobedience means and how to best organise it and avoid confrontations with the regime, which could become violent. Protests against price hikes in 2013 left dozens dead and injured.

The strike is being organised to coincide with the anniversary of the country's declaration of independence on 19 December 1955.

This tweet shows the front page of a newspaper on that day with the headline "Sudan has become a sovereign independent state":

Because no organised political entity was behind these calls and because of the lack of independent media in the country, Sudanese social media is also rife with rumours and disinformation.

But activists appear to be working hard to identify such content and warn against it.  

Attempts by the government’s security forces, digital surveillance teams and pro-government online activists - dubbed the “electronic chicken” - to derail the protests appear at this stage only to be strengthening their supporters' resolve.

Image source, AFP

Joseph Kabila is meant to step down as president of Democratic Republic of Congo next week when his mandate runs out. 

But instead the election has been pushed back to 2018.

So Bloomberg have asked why Mr Kabila is clinging on to power, external - and one suggestion is that it is to protect his business interests.

Their investigation shows his family control more than 120 permits to dig gold, copper, cobalt and diamonds.

Family members also have stakes in banks, farms, fuel distributors, airline operators, a road builder, hotels, a pharmaceutical supplier, travel agencies, boutiques and nightclubs, Bloomberg found.

"Another venture even tried to launch a rat into space on a rocket", they add, without providing further details.

But Mr Kabila’s chief diplomatic adviser, Barnabe Kikaya Bin Karubi, told Bloomberg the accusation was false:

Image source, Ecowas

West African regional grouping Ecowas says it is committed to a peaceful outcome in The Gambia, where it is trying to persuade President Yahya Jammeh to step down.

A senior Ecowas official had previously said military intervention would be "conceivable" if diplomacy failed.

Mr Jammeh - who initially admitted defeat in the presidential election - made a u-turn earlier this week and is now demanding that fresh polls be organised under the supervision of a "God-fearing" electoral commission.

That prompted Ecowas to send four heads of state to Banjul in an attempt to convince him to accept his defeat. 

But the delegation left The Gambia without making any headway. 

The UN special envoy for West Africa has since warned that Mr Jammeh could face sanctions if he insists on hanging on to power.

Image source, Google

The UN says 117 civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been killed by the armed forces in the Kasai-Central province between 22 July and 30 October. 

According to French broadcaster RFI, external, the UN has repeatedly been alerted to deadly incidents in the province where government forces clashed with militiamen loyal to a tribal chief, Kamwina Nsapu. 

The militiamen are said to have been attacking symbols of the state in the area.

UN investigators said civilians were shot dead by soldiers in extrajudicial killings.  

The UN says crimes blamed on the militiamen were difficult to document because it was not safe for investigators to travel to areas where the alleged incidents took place, RFI says. 

An army spokesman declined to comment on the UN findings, RFI reported. 

Sammy Awami
BBC Africa, Dar es Salaam

Image source, Twitter

Tanzanians are tweeting in support of Maxence Melo, the co-founder of the whistle-blowing website Jamii Forums, after he was arrested for not giving them details of the users of the site. 

Yesterday police took Mr Melo to his office and home to search for the users' details they are demanding.  

Supporters are using the hashtag #FreeMaxenceMelo:

Mr Melo's lawyer says the search was against his consent and the police didn't even have a warrant.

His co-founder, Mike Mushi, says the police didn't take anything but made copies of several documents

They arrested Mr Melo on Tuesday for not disclosing the identities of people who posted in Jamii forum.

But today they failed either to release or take him to court.

Under Tanzanian law, suspects may only be held by police for 24 hours before either being taken to court or released.

Image source, AP

Police in Somalia's capital Mogadishu say they believe the suicide attacker who blew his explosives-laden car up earlier was targeting a senior police officer, AP news agency reports.

The attacker detonated the massive bomb after his car overturned during a high-speed chase by police near the presidential palace. 

The attacker was killed and the senior police commander's three bodyguards were injured, a Somali police officer said. 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but Somalia's Islamic extremist group al-Shabab frequently carries out such attacks. 

See earlier post for more details

Image source, AP

Image source, Reuters

Cyril Ramaphosa, deputy leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), has said he is ready to lead the party.

"It would be very humbling to get into a key position like that, to lead. I am available to stand," he told local radio station Power FM.

But he was coy about what direction he would take, saying: "We not there yet, as the saying goes in English, do not count your chickens before they hatch."

A wealthy businessman - and a former trade unionist - he has been President Jacob Zuma’s ANC deputy since 2014.

He said he would tour party branches to hear whether members believe he is the right person to lead.

Mr Ramaphosa was given a boost last month when he won the support of the country’s biggest trade union.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said it wanted Mr Ramaphosa to succeed Mr Zuma as head of the African National Congress (ANC) when the governing party chooses its next leader in December next year.

Cosatu does not have voting power in the ANC, but boasts about two million members.

President Zuma is under pressure from within the ANC to resign following allegations of government corruption.

Mr Zuma denies any wrongdoing and is believed to want his former wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is currently chair of African Union commission, to take over from him. 

Read more: Who is Cyril Ramaphosa?

Police have confirmed that Valentina Guebuza - daughter of former Mozambique president Armando Guebuza - has been shot dead and her husband arrested, reports say.

Ms Guebuza was shot with a pistol at home on Wednesday night, a police spokesman said.

Zofimo Muiuane is being held for suspected involvement in the alleged murder, Destak, external reported.

Police spokesman Inacio Dina told journalists:

Image source, Getty Images

The government in DR Congo has told the country's football association to suspend league competition from Thursday until further notice.

The move comes amidst fears that the end of President Joseph Kabila's mandate next week will spark violence.

One popular chant heard at games warns Kabila that his mandate is over.

Kabila is required by constitutional term limits to step down on 19 December but he has said he plans to stay on until at least April 2018, the earliest the government says an election originally planned for last month can be organised.

Read more on BBC Sport.

The number of would-be migrants travelling through Niger to reach Libya and from there Europe dwindled to less than 2,000 in November from 70,000 in May, the European Union (EU) says. 

The EU says this is the result of effective collaboration with authorities in Niger, AFP news agency reports. 

The EU signed a deal with Niger alongside Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and Ethiopia under which the West African country committed to preventing would-be migrants attempting the perilous crossing. 

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, _

The daughter of former Mozambique president Armando Guebuza, Valentina Guebuza, is reported to have been shot dead in the capital Maputo.

Her husband, Zofino Muiuane has been arrested by police, the Diario de Noticias, external newspaper reported.

The shooting is said to have taken place on Wednesday.

Ms Guebuza, who was 36, is said to have been shot several times and died of her wounds on the way to hospital.

Mr Muiuane was arrested in one of Maputo's city squares, the newspaper said.

Ms Guebuza was listed as the seventh most powerful young woman in Africa by Forbes, external magazine in 2013 and held a strong of positions in telecommunications companies and family businesses, Sapo24, external reported.

Mr Muiuane is a businessman who once worked with British American Tobacco.

The couple married in 2014 at a ceremony with 1,700 guests including South Africa leader Jacob Zuma, the King of Swaziland Mswati III and Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of the Angolan president.

They had a daughter last year.

Armando Guebuza stepped down as president in 2014 after serving two terms.

A suicide car bomb has exploded at a checkpoint near Somalia's national theatre in the capital Mogadishu, police have told Reuters news agency. 

Witnesses said the explosion was followed by gunfire. The national theatre stands about 500 meters (yards) away from the presidential palace. 

There was no immediate word on whether anybody else was killed or injured.

"The bomber blew up the car after police ordered him to stop at gunpoint. We are investigating," Abdikadir Hussein, a police officer, told the news agency. 

The explosion also destroyed the front wall of a nearby restaurant, he added. 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but al-Shabab militants have been trying to disrupt Somalia's ongoing parliamentary elections, due to end on 29 December. 

Al-Shabab also wants to drive out African Union peacekeepers, topple Somalia's Western-backed government and impose its strict version of Islam. 

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