Cameroonian Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala, whose body was found in a river at the beginning of the month, did not take his own life but was "brutally murdered", according to the Catholic Bishops Conference in Cameroon.

At the time a suicide note, which said in French “I am in the water”, was found in his car. But investigators were trying to determine if Bishop Bala wrote it and under what circumstances.

Citing the deaths of other clergy, the bishops said this is one more murder, and one too many".

There is no official comment on the cause of the bishop's death.

Image source, Getty Images

Rights body Amnesty International has condemned the arrest of man yesterday in the coastal city of Bizerte for smoking during the fast month of Ramadan.

The man was caught smoking outside a court house yesterday and has been charged with "public indecency".

Heba Morayef, the head of Amnesty in North Africa, said in a statement the arrest was absurd, external:

The statement said four other men had been arrested and sentenced to one month in prison after eating in public on 1 June.

While there is no law against eating or drinking in public during Ramadan, the issue comes up every year in Tunisa, AFP says.

On Sunday a number of Tunisians went out on the streets of the capital, Tunis, demanding the freedom to eat and drink in public during Ramadan, AFP reports.

We posted earlier that pupils of a primary school in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, had blocked a major road after one of their fellow pupil was reportedly killed in a hit-and-run accident.

The Daily Nation is now reporting that the pupils from St Ann's school stopped the traffic after a road safety warden was hit by a car yesterday morning. Another pupil was also injured in a separate incident.

The report says that the pupils chanted “we want justice for our colleagues" and "no bumps, no learning" and also called on the government to declare the area an accident a black spot, which means that some safety measures would be put in place:

We've been reporting that the former Congolese rebel Bosco Ntaganda is due to give evidence at his war crimes trial in The Hague.

But his lawyers have now asked for an adjournment:

Our reporter in The Hague says that Mr Ntaganda's lawyers are arguing there is no case to answer:

Nick Cavell
BBC Africa Sport

Image source, Get

African champions Cameroon suffered a demoralising 4-0 loss to Colombia in a friendly late on Tuesday evening as the Indomitable Lions prepared for the Confederations Cup, which kicks off on Saturday in Russia.

The match was played in Spain with Real Madrid star James Rodriguez among the scorers for Colombia. Their other goals came from Jose Izquierdo and a brace by centre back Yerry Mina.

Cameroon, who rested several key players, were reduced to 10 men when striker Robert Ndip Tambe was sent off three minutes into the second half for retaliation.

The Confederations Cup features the six continental champions as well as next year’s World Cup hosts Russia.

Also involved in the eight-team event are World Cup winners Germany, who Cameroon play in their final group match.

The Indomitable Lions opening fixture is on Sunday against Copa America winners Chile before playing Asian champions Australia.

The World Health Organization has identified two outbreaks of polio, external in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It said there was a high risk the disease would spread.

The strain of polio involved emerges in areas with poor vaccine coverage.

Polio infections mainly affect young people and can result in permanent paralysis.

Despite a global campaign to eradicate it, the disease remains endemic in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Image source, AFP

Today's session at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the trial of former Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda has now got under way.

Mr Ntaganda is due to start giving evidence in his own defence soon.

You can follow it here, external on the ICC website.

But who is the defendant nicknamed The Terminator?

Pupils at a primary school in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, have blocked a major road after one of them was reportedly killed in a hit-and-run incident yesterday.

People are sharing pictures and videos of the schoolchildren marching on the road and stopping traffic:

The World Health Organization says that at least 3,000 people, external, including many pedestrians, die on the roads in Kenya every year.

Nearly 100 migrants have been rescued after being abandoned trying to cross the desert in northern Niger, RFI , externalreports.

Jeune Afrique, external quotes a local newspaper as reporting that the 92 people, who were picked up by the army, were on the verge of dying.

The migrants are now being looked after by the International Organization for Migration in Dirkou, northern Niger, RFI says.

It quotes IOM head of mission Giuseppe Loprete as saying:

He added that these migrants were saved because they were abandoned near a well.

Two weeks ago, 44 migrants trying to cross the desert to reach Libya died of thirst.

Clarice Fortune
BBC Africa

Image source, AFP

Congolese ex-rebel commander Bosco Ntaganda is due to give evidence today as his trial resumes at the International Criminal Court.

The man once dubbed "The Terminator" will take the stand almost two years after the court case began.

He is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo.

The prosecution says that between 2002 and 2003, his rebel forces rampaged through the country's s gold-rich Ituri Province, murdering and raping civilians.

In 2015, he pleaded not guilty to 13 charges of war crimes - including the conscription of child soldiers under the age of 15 - and five counts of crimes against humanity.

His defence team plans to call 109 witnesses and 4 experts. This is one of the reasons the trial is expected to go on for several months.

If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison.

Read: Profile: Bosco Ntaganda the Congolese 'Terminator'

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