France is planning to process asylum claims in Libya rather than wait for people to try and make the risky journey across the Mediterranean, the AFP news agency reports.

Libya is a major stopping point on the route for many migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

The UN's migration body, the IOM, external, says that more than 2,300 migrants have died trying to cross from North Africa to Europe so far this year.

AFP quotes French President Emmanuel Macron as saying: "The idea is to create hotspots to avoid people taking crazy risks when they are not all eligible for asylum."

Image source, EPA

Mohammud Ali Mohamed
BBC Africa, Nairobi

Somalia’s President Mohamed Farmajo has ordered an investigation following an incident in which Somali security forces opened fire on each other on Wednesday, resulting in the death of four of them.

Military officials at a security checkpoint opened fire on National Intelligence Service officers, who were not in uniform.

The incident has once again highlighted problems around the coordination of security in the capital, Mogadishu.

Sources said the fighting erupted after the soldiers blocked a convoy carrying a former Intelligence chief.

All the officers involved have been arrested, and police are reviewing CCTV footage

In a similar incident in May, a government minister was killed after soldiers opened fire on his convoy, close to the presidential palace.

Patrick Kihara
BBC Monitoring, Nairobi

Former Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis has suggested that Emperor Haileselasie’s monument be erected in front of the old hall of the Organisation of African Union (OAU) in the capital Addis Ababa, privately-owned Reporter website says, external.

The OAU was founded in Addis Ababa in 1963.

Ex-President Girma made the suggestions during an event to mark Emperor Haileselasie’s 125th birthday anniversary, organised by the Emperor Haileselasie’s Memorial Association.

The president was applauded after talking about all the contributions the emperor made to the country and making the suggestion about the monument.

The emperor was overthrown in a military coup in 1974, which led to the establishment of the Marxist Dergue regime.

His name was then removed from buildings and institutions around the country.

Image source, Hulton Archive

Martin Patience
BBC News, Nigeria correspondent

Nine Nigerian soldiers have been killed during an attempt to free people kidnapped by suspected members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, the military has said in a statement.

It added that it rescued a team of 10 researchers from the University of Maiduguri who were abducted in an ambush in north-east Nigeria.

They were in a convoy that was ambushed as it was returning to the city late on Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier, the state-run oil firm said three of the team had been rescued.

But it is yet to comment on the military's latest claim.

One eyewitness told the BBC that the army was downplaying the death toll.

He said several of the researchers had been killed and others were still missing.

Image source, AFP

Image source, Reuters

An outspoken member of South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) party, who has been charged with ill-discipline for speaking out against President Jacob Zuma, has complained about being persecuted.

In a Facebook post, external Makhosi Khoza complains she is suffering persecution:

She has received death threats warning her to stop pushing for a secret ballot when MPs vote on Mr Zuma next month.

Parliament and the police decided to provide security for her, but Ms Khoza has chosen not to accept it, according to her Facebook post.

Last week, the ANC said she had crossed the line and must face disciplinary action for speaking out against the president.

The new generation of Somali politicians take full advantage of social media to let the people know what they are up to.

But there have been some complaints that their accounts are full off selfies - so are they just showing off?

The BBC’s Mohammud Ali Mohamed explains which pictures are causing problems.

In the latest update on the health of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano State has said he is "in a much better condition".

He released a video message after he, and some other state governors, met the president in London.

Mr Buhari has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness in London since early May - his second trip for medical reasons this year.

His office also released photos of Wednesday's meeting:

Earlier this week we reported Governor Rochas Okorocha saying that the president was expected back in the country in "two weeks".

Mr Buhari's long absence has led some to question whether he will be able to resume his duties.

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the ex-wife of South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela, has denied that she gave permission to his doctor to write a book about his last years, Eyewitness News reports, external.

The book, written by Dr Vejay Ramlakan, was wihtdrawn by the publishers earlier this week "out of respect" for the family after complaints that it revealed personal details about his death in 2013.

Image source, AFP

Dr Ramlakan has defended the book saying that a member of the family gave him permission to write it.

There was some suspicion that it was Mrs Madikizela-Mandela who gave the doctor the go-ahead as the book suggests that it was her and not Graca Machel, Mr Mandela's wife at the time of his death, who was with him when the former president died.

But Mrs Madikizela-Mandela has denied that was behind the book's publication saying in a statement that she only agreed to give the author an autograph.

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