Summary

  • Catholic church finds more than 3,000 dead in Congo violence

  • Kenyan Primary school closes after pupils beat teachers

  • Somalia arrests 10 foreigners for illegal fishing

  • Thirteen soldiers accused of raping aid workers and killing journalist

  • UN tells Djibouti and Eritrea to solve border dispute peacefully

  • Tuesday 20 June 2017

  1. Scroll down for Tuesday's storiespublished at 18:08 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    We'll be back tomorrow

    That's all from the BBC Africa Live page today. Keep up to date with what's happening on the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or checking the BBC News website.

    A reminder of today's wise words:

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    Every success comes through trial."

    Sent by Nelson Iwegbue in Amai, Nigeria

    Click here to send us your African proverbs

    And we leave you with this picture of Ramadan decorations in Cairo, Egypt:

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  2. Burkinabe architect hailed in Londonpublished at 18:07 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Burkina Faso's Diebedo Francis Kere has become the first African architect to undertake the prestigious assignment to set up a temporary structure in London's Hyde Park.

    The temporary pavilion, which is an annual project, is visited by thousands of people over the British summer.

    Kere told AFP news agency that his circular structure was inspired by a tree in his hometown of Gando that serves as a central meeting point.

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    Every year a world-famous architect is asked to assemble a temporary structure in London's Hyde Park. Previous architects include Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel and Frank Gehry.

  3. Moves to ease Eritrea-Djibouti tensionspublished at 17:56 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    The African Union is sending a fact-finding mission to Eritrea and Djibouti as tension mounts over their disputed border at one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

    The UN and the regional body Igad have called for calm. But what's it all about?

    The tension has been driven by Qatar's move to withdraw its peacekeeping forces from the border.

    The peacekeepers had been in place since 2010 as part of efforts to resolve a dispute over the status of Dumeira Mountain and Dumeira Island, claimed by both Djibouti and Eritrea.

    Map showing disputed border area

    The two countries' armed forces clashed on the border in 2008. Both states later accepted Qatar's offer of mediation and the deployment of peacekeepers, though bilateral relations have remained strained.

    Now Djibouti has accused Eritrea of moving troops to the disputed border. Eritrea has not commented directly on this accusation, but without the Qatari troops there are fears that trouble could flare up again.

    Read more about where this could be heading in this piece by BBC Monitoring.

  4. Should couples be tested for sickle cell before marriage?published at 17:42 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Sickle cell disease is passed on genetically and now some in Nigeria are calling for mandatory sickle cell testing before marriage.

    The health commissioner in Nigeria's Sokoto State, Dr Balarabe Kakale, told BBC Focus on Africa the state government would back a new law if there was widespread support for it:

    Media caption,

    Some in Nigeria are calling for mandatory sickle cell testing before marriage

    But earlier today the head of the Sickle Cell Foundation in Nigeria Dr Annette Akinsete told the BBC's Newsday programme that such a law would just "increase stigmatisation" and lead to people hiding that they had the condition.

    Sickle cell disease is a condition which affects the shape of red blood cells. The blood cells can block blood flow and can cause severe pain.

  5. How can you be a patriotic Ugandan?published at 17:26 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Ugandan Investment Minister Evelyn Anite is being mocked on Twitter after she suggested that Ugandans should own a Uganda Telecom mobile SIM as a show of patriotism, the Observer newspaper, external reports.

    At one time Uganda Telecom was jointly owned by the Libyan and Ugandan governments, but it has been in trouble since the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi, says the BBC's Patience Atuhaire in Kampala.

    And there are other mobile networks to choose from.

    Ugandans have been using the hashtag #TweetLikeAnite with their own suggestions of patriotic acts:

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  6. Three al-Shabab suspects arrested in Mozambiquepublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Jose Tembe
    BBC Africa, Maputo

    Mozambican police say they have detained three suspects accused of belonging to Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabab.

    This is the first time an alleged al-Shabab militant has been detained in Mozambique.

    The spokesperson in the Cabo Delgado provincial police command, in the north of the country, said the three had been calling for people to disrespect authorities and carry knives for self defence.

    The Islamic Council of Mozambique has distanced itself from the three, describing them as members of a political group using the cover of Islam.

  7. Fresh clashes in CAR 'wound 35'published at 17:08 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    BBC World Service

    Aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres says at least 35 people have been wounded in fighting in the Central African Republic, a day after a ceasefire agreement was signed between the government and rebel groups.

    Clashes are said to have broken out in the town of Bria, north-east of the capital, Bangui, early on Tuesday.

    The truce signed in Rome, which included an immediate ceasefire, was intended to bring an end to several years of sectarian violence between Christian and Muslim militias.

  8. Kenyan teachers who were beaten by pupils 'refuse to return to school'published at 16:54 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    The Daily Nation, which carried the story about the primary school teachers who were beaten by their pupils (see earlier entry), now has an update.

    It has tweeted that the teachers don't want to work there anymore:

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  9. What's behind Congo internet outage?published at 16:46 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    ComputersImage source, Reuters

    An article in African Arguments, external ask if there are political motivations behind the internet being down in Congo-Brazzaville.

    Africa News reports, external that the internet first went down on 9 June and phone companies said it was due to a ship damaging an underwater fiber optic cable.

    But Brett Carter points out in African Arguments that the timeline for getting the internet back up - between two and seven weeks - means that the shutdown may well persist through legislative elections scheduled for 16 July.

    Before the presidential election in March 2016 the communication minister ordered telephone operators to cut all telephone, text messages and the internet.

    But it isn't clear if the government has ordered a block this time around.

    Internet rights campaigners Access Now says that the internet still only appears to be partially available - possible through satellite. They say it's challenging to identify the exact cause of the disruption.

    "Our measurement tools make it hard distinguish between a submarine cable being accidentally cut - which would take time to repair - and a government ordered disruption. Governments - and telcos - are rarely transparent about internet shutdown orders, and this needs to change" they say.

  10. Musical gems coming out of Somaliapublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    The record company behind the forthcoming release of archive recordings of Somali music has been teasing us with a few tracks that will be on the CD.

    Ostinato Records, external' compilation Sweet as Broken Dates, which is out in August, is a collection of tracks dug out by Vik Sohonie from the Somalia national radio archive that were squirrelled away to avoid being damaged in the civil war.

    The music from the 1970s and 1980s offers a glimpse into the country's past.

    Sohonie sees the compilation as a way to help change perceptions of Somalia and renew interest in a rich musical heritage.

    Listen to one of the tracks here:

    OkayAfrica, external has three more tracks you can listen to and an essay by Sohonie on how he came to find the music.

    And you can watch his Ted Talk here:

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  11. Police in Italy 'arrest Nigerian accused of human trafficking'published at 16:00 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Libya crossingImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Criminals take advantage of vulnerable migrants making the perilous journey from Libya to Europe

    A Nigerian known as "Rambo" has been arrested in Italy on charges of torturing and killing migrants held captive in Libya, Italian told AFP news agency.

    The suspect named John Ogais, 25, was traced to a reception centre in Calabria in southern Italy.

    He has been accused of belonging to a transnational smuggling ring, specialising in human trafficking, murder and rape.

    Detectives in Agrigento in Sicily have pulled together witness testimony from migrants who accuse Mr Ogais of torturing people held captive in a makeshift prison, with at least two men reportedly dying at his hands.

    He has made no comment about the allegations.

  12. The next most expensive African player?published at 15:48 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Liverpool are closing in on Roma and Egypt winger Mohamed Salah in a deal that could be worth a club record $49m (£39m).

    The 25-year-old has been a prime target for manager Jurgen Klopp and could join for a fee which would eclipse the $44m the Reds paid for Andy Carroll in 2011.

    Talks are ongoing, with Salah excited to play in the Premier League again after an unfulfilling spell at Chelsea.

    If the deal exceeds the $43m Liverpool paid for Sadio Mane, Salah will become the most expensive African player ever.

    The Egypt international almost joined Liverpool in 2014 but moved to Chelsea from Basle for $14m.

    Mohamed SalahImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Salah (r) could become the most expensive African player ever

    Read more: Liverpool in talks to sign Roma's former Chelsea winger

  13. Kenya asks if you love your country enough to pay your taxespublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Hands up who wants to pay tax?

    Most of us understand that government services have to be paid for but at the same time are reluctant to hand over hard-earned cash.

    So the question is: how can the tax authority persuade people to cough up?

    Kenyans have just 10 more days to fill in their tax returns and the revenue authority there have gone for a mixture of shame and obligation.

    Media personality Caroline Mutoka is part of their campaign, and she is being quoted in some tweets re-issued today.

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    But not everyone is convinced by this approach.

    One tweeter, for example, has questioned where the money goes:

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  14. Somalia arrests foreigners for illegal fishingpublished at 14:46 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    The authorities in Somalia's southern Jubaland state have arrested 10 foreigners - eight from Pakistan and two from Iran - for allegedly fishing illegally.

    Their boat was found drifting off the Somali coast.

    The men have been fishing in the area for the past four months and were found with 300 tonnes of fish according to a local official quoted by the Somali-language Jowhar News Portal.

    The police have told the BBC that they are now investigating.

    Illegal fishing off the Somali coast is a big problem and the difficulties it causes local fishermen has been cited as one of the reasons why some took up piracy.

  15. Nigerian jobseekers on the hunt for workpublished at 14:21 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Chris Ewokor
    BBC Africa, Abuja

    There are 11.5 million Nigerians who want a job but cannot get one, according to the country's statistics office. Or, put another way, that's 14.2% of the labour force.

    Today in the capital, Abuja, the Nigeria Job Fair and Business Expo is trying to address that with exhibitors looking for new talent.

    Stall at job fair

    The two-day event is aimed at bridging employment gaps in the country and help to connect young unemployed people with potential employers.

    The organiser, Fortunes Dynamics Foundation, believes unemployment is a significant contributor to the rise in social unrest and crime.

    However, there are concerns that many graduates and job seekers lack the required skills and so cannot take advantage of the job offers.

    Last month, Nigeria's former President Olusegun Obasanjo to BBC Africa Business Report that unemployment was the greatest challenge facing the continent.

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  16. At least 10 killed in Somalia car bomb attackpublished at 13:47 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    BBC World Service

    Officials in Somalia say at least 10 people have been killed in a bomb attack in the capital, Mogadishu.

    A vehicle laden with explosives was rammed into a security barrier outside a government building in the southern district of Wadajir.

    Islamist militant group al-Shabab said in a statement carried by the SITE intelligence agency that they were behind the attack.

    Al-Shabab wants to force out African Union peacekeepers, topple the government and impose its strict version of Islam.

  17. Ugandan virtual lawyer wins innovation prizepublished at 13:45 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Barefoot Law's Joy Birabwa talks to boda-boda operators in Kampala on 19th May 2017Image source, King Baudouin Foundation
    Image caption,

    The legal service is for ordinary people, like boda-boda drivers

    A Ugandan service where you can get law advice through texts and Facebook messages has won a €75,000 ($84,000; £66,000) Belgian innovation prize.

    BarefootLawstarted in 2012 and now responds to over 30,000 legal questions each month. Ugandans can ask lawyers questions on SMS, Facebook, Twitter, Skype and email.

    They are hoping to expand to more face-to-face services in places that aren't connected to the internet.

    BarefootLaw was one of three winners of the King Baudouin African Development Prize, who all won the same prize money.

    Another joint-winner, Farmerline, makes software for small-scale farmers across 10 countries to keep them informed on the market prices for their crops.

    Freda Akoma Yeboah from Farmerline explains to Douglas Adjei how the Mergdata service works at Douglas' farm in Gyinase, Kumasi, GhanaImage source, King Baudouin Foundation

    And the third joint winner, Kytabu, developed an android app for students across East Africa to rent digital textbooks.

    Tonee Ndung'u explains how the Kytabu App works to form one students in Dr Buconyori Free Methodist Boys School in Soy, Kenya, on 6th June 2017.Image source, King Baudouin Foundation

    The chair of the King Baudouin Foundation, Thomas Leysen, said the winners have "set a new precedent on how technology can change lives across Africa”.

  18. UN blames new militia for Congo deathspublished at 13:36 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Imogen Foulkes
    BBC News, Geneva

    Zeid Ra'ad al HusseinImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein accused the authorities of being complicit in deaths

    The UN human rights commissioner has called for an independent inquiry into violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following what he said were horrific atrocities committed in central Kasai province.

    Speaking in Geneva Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein accused the DR Congo authorities of being complicit in ethnically inspired violence and said UN investigators had identified 42 mass graves.

    The UN says its investigators found evidence that hundreds of villagers from the Luba and Lulua ethnic groups had been killed. Many of them, including young children, were shot dead or hacked or burned to death.

    The investigators claim a new militia, the Bana Mura, is responsible for the atrocities.

    The UN believes that the militia was set up specifically to support the Congolese authorities.

    The UN also accuses the opposition Kamuina Nsapa militia of killing civilians thought to be loyal to the government, and of recruiting children as young as seven, many of whom are committing acts of violence themselves, apparently under the influence of drugs.

    Violence erupted in Kasai last August, after the death of a local leader during fighting with security forces.

    Since then the UN estimates that more than a million civilians have been displaced.

  19. The other side of Kenya's Dadaab refugee camppublished at 12:41 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    We reported earlier about the Somali refugees who are returning to the large Dadaab camp complex in north-east Kenya because of harsh conditions in Somalia.

    Our reporter Bashkas Jugsodaay said that things will not be that easy back at the camp.

    But on World Refugee Day Twitter account Humans of Dadaab is trying to present a different image of the camp:

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  20. Phil Ofosu-Ayeh: Wolves sign Ghana defender from Eintracht Braunschweigpublished at 12:22 British Summer Time 20 June 2017

    Wolves have signed Ghana defender Phil Ofosu-Ayeh from German side Eintracht Braunschweig on a free transfer.

    The Germany-born 25-year-old will start a three-year contract at the Championship club on 1 July.

    Ofosu-Ayeh is the second defender signed by new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo since he took charge at Molineux on 31 May.

    Phil Ofosu-Ayeh playingImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Phil Ofosu-Ayeh helped Eintracht Braunschweig finish third last season in Bundesliga 2

    Find all the latest football transferson our dedicated page.