Africa highlights: Tuesday 3 January 2017 as it happened - BBC News

Summary

Burundi's government bans top human rights group
Ethiopian court sentences 20 Muslims convicted of terror-related offences
The Gambia's election boss 'goes into hiding'
Nigeria's government gives grants to poor amid recession
Senegal's parliament votes to reserve seats for diaspora
Ivory Coast given extra financial support for 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
Top South African mayor under fire over Taiwan visit
Email stories and comments to africalive@bbc.co.uk - Tuesday 3 January 2017

Live Reporting

Adelaide Arthur, Lamine Konkobo and Farouk Chothia

Ethiopian Muslims sentenced on terror-related chargespublished at 09:04 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January 2017
A court in Ethiopia has jailed a group of Muslims convicted of terrorism-related charges, as a leading Ethiopian publication tweets:
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The group was first charged in 2014 and convicted last month, the publication reports, external.
In August 2015, a court sentenced 18 Muslims, including clerics and a journalist, to up to 22 years in prison under controversial anti-terrorism legislation.
They were arrested three years ago over protests against alleged government interference in religious affairs.
Ethiopia's government has often been accused of stifling dissent.
It denies the allegation.
Image source, AFP
Image caption,
Some Muslims in Ethiopia have staged demonstrations against the government
Today's wise wordspublished at 09:00 AM
Our African proverb of the day:
Quote Message
The ram that moves backwards does so to bring more power."
A Yoruba proverb sent by Emmanuel Adeyemi, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
Click here to send us your African proverbs
Good morningpublished at 09:00 AM
Welcome to BBC Africa Live for our first edition of 2017. We hope you had a good festive break and wish you all the best for the New Year. We'll be here every working day so please do join us for the latest news and views from around the continent.