A top policeman in Tanzania's commercial capital of Dar es Salaam has told residents to go to work tomorrow because authorities will not allow a planned anti-government protest to go ahead, The Citizen newspaper reports.

Police chief Sweethbert Njwele said: "there will be no demonstration... we are well spread ...our region will be safe."

Seven people were arrested in the north-eastern city of Arusha for their alleged role in planning the country-wide protests.

Organisers of the demonstrations accuse President John Magufuli of being a dictator.

They say his government has been silencing critics, and that Mr Magufuli has passed laws undermining freedom of expression.

Favour Nunoo
BBC Pidgin

Image source, AFP

Two social workers are under investigation in Ghana for allegedly faking the death of a day-old baby and then selling her for $3,600 (£2,600).

The suspects - a probation officer and justice administration officer - were helping the baby's mother after she sought assistance from the social welfare department in the Ashanti region after her boyfriend abandoned her during her pregnancy.

Ashanti police spokeswoman Juliana Obeng said that after the woman gave birth in hospital, the suspects allegedly took the new-born to another hospital under the guise of treating rashes on her body but they returned with news of the baby’s death.

Meanwhile, they are alleged to have sent the baby to a children's home in Kumasi, from where she was later put up for sale.

The two provided no evidence of the dead baby, but allegedly succeeded in manipulating the mother to stay with the probation officer for two months.

They allegedly sold the baby on 3 February and shared the money, police said.

The suspects are currently out on bail, while being investigated on charges of stealing a child and conspiracy to steal a child.

The baby was found this week and is in "proper care", police said.

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya's Aboud Omar has told BBC Sport he wants to complain to Fifa over his sacking by Bulgarian club Slavia Sofia.

Club president Ventseslav Stefanov claimed: "[Omar] learned the most vulgar phrases in Bulgarian and began to address them to his team-mates."

However Omar, 25, denied he insulted coaches and players at the club or that he disrespected Bulgaria.

"I'm ready to go to Fifa or the courts because he [Stefanov] said some things that are not true," Omar insisted.

"The president is not in the dressing [room] most of the time so I don't know where he got all his information from."

Omar said his problems with the club began a few months ago when he decided not to extend his contract with the club as his deal was running out.

He also insists he walked out of the club rather than being sacked by them.

Nigeria has ambitious plans to turn the vast north-eastern Sambisa forest - a hideout for militant Islamists - into a tourist centre, its army chief Lt Gen Tukur Buratai has said.

He said that the military would work with the country's National Park Service to help with the restoration of the forest, where tourists could enjoy the wildlife.

Islamist militants Boko Haram have used parts of the 60,000 sq km (37,000 sq miles) forest as a hideout as they conduct an insurgency in the north-eastern part of the country.

The Nigerian army has however claimed several times that it has kicked out the militants from the massive forest.

An aide to President Muhammadu Buharu tweeted the military chief's comments:

Our BBC Hausa colleague, Jimeh Saleh, travelled with Nigeria's army to the forested area in 2015. Watch his report below:

Umaru Fofana
BBC Africa, Freetown

Image source, Umaru Fofana

Serious fighting has broken out in Sierra Leone's parliament, just as the swearing-in of new MPs was getting under way following general elections last month.

Members of the All People's Congress (APC) disrupted proceedings because 16 of their number had been asked to leave the chamber after a high court injunction against them.

Image source, Umaru Fofana

So chaotic and uncontrollable was the situation that the clerk announced a brief adjournment. The police were also called in.

APC members were either taken out forcefully or left in protest. The swearing-in of other MPs then got under way..

The APC is the biggest party in parliament, but it lost the presidency to Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People's Party.

Robert Misigaro
BBC Africa

Image source, Other

There’s tension at a camp in western Rwanda for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo after Rwanda security forces entered the camp this morning.

According to refugees at the Kiziba camp, the security forces want to arrest some of their leaders accused of masterminding demonstrations and acts of disobedience against the Rwandan authorities.

Image source, Other

Two months ago, the refugees marched to the headquarters of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in the town of Karongi to protest against bad living conditions and asking to be repatriated to DR Congo.

Rwandan security forces used live bullets to disperse them, killing around 11 and injuring many others, according to the UNHCR.

Image source, AFP

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo, for a fifth day as regional leaders warn of a potential political crisis.

The protests were prompted by a new electoral law which would prevent former president Marc Ravalomanana from running for office.

His supporters headed for the High Court with a petition calling for the current president Hery Rajaonarimampianina, to resign.

Last weekend two protesters were shot dead by the police and the demonstrators are demanding an investigation.

Madagascar belongs to the Southern African regional body, SADC, and it is worried about a potential political crisis.

A coup in 2009 led to months of unrest which took a heavy toll on Madagascar's economy.

Mayeni Jones
BBC News, Lagos

An aide to Nigeria's controversial senator Dino Melaye has denied that the lawmaker jumped from a police vehicle in the capital, Abuja, to escape, saying he was pushed.

Mr Melaye was being taken to court in the southern city of Lokoja when Tuesday's incident happened.

Police say that his supporters in two cars had intercepted the police vehicle, allowing Mr Melaye to jump out through the window.

They said they later tracked him down at a private hospital, where they re-arrested him and took him to the national hospital in Abuja.

Mr Melaye is no stranger to controversy. He is currently fighting to remain a senator seat after a petition of almost 200,000 voters demanded his dismissal.

His supporters claim the arrest and move to oust him are the result of a political spat with the governor of Kogi state Yahaya Bello, even though both of them are members of the ruling party.

Police said last month that Mr Melaye is wanted for questioning over allegations that he had given weapons to kidnappers. He, however, denies the allegation.

He was criticised last year for his appearance in a music video depicting his lavish lifestyle.

The song features lyrics like "100 cars in the parking lot like I'm Dino".

The video shows rapper Kach pretending to eat dollar bills, displaying expensive cars, a mansion, jewellery and shoes.

In 2016, the senator released a video of himself dancing and singing what is now known as the "ajeku iya song"- a Yoruba proverb which states that if you confront someone bigger than you, you are bound to be badly beaten up.

Mr Melaye represents the Kogi West constituency.

Imogen Foulkes
BBC News, Geneva

Image source, AFP

The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that the fight against malaria has stalled for the first time in a decade.

To mark World Malaria Day the WHO is calling on affected countries to renew their efforts at malaria prevention and treatment.

Malaria claimed almost 500,000 lives in 2016, the latest year for which there are figures, most deaths occurred in sub Saharan Africa.

Between the year 2000 and 2015, huge strides were made in the fight against the disease: deaths fell by 48%. But in 2016 that downward trend stalled.

One reason: mosquitos are becoming resistant to the insecticide used in bed nets. But complacency, failing health services, and lack of funding are problems too.

WHO says the world cannot afford to neglect malaria: with over 200 million cases worldwide, the disease takes a huge toll on families, communities, and economies.

To really beat malaria, more investment, and more innovation in prevention and treatment are needed.

Tomi Oladipo
BBC Africa security correspondent

Mass graves have been discovered in Rwanda, 24 years after the country's genocide left about 800,000 people dead.

Locals believe that graves contain the remains of close to 3,000 people who went missing in their area during the genocide.

Their discovery comes just a week after an official mourning period for the victims of one of the world's worst modern-day tragedies.

Volunteers have been spearheading the excavation this week after they were told of the location by a woman who said she had seen bodies dumped there more than two decades ago.

Image source, AFP

Relatives of genocide victims have also been sifting through the site looking for any signs their loved ones might have been buried there.

But the discovery has also raised questions in the Rwandan media about why the people who knew about these sites did not reveal their existence all this time.

Some of those convicted for taking part in the genocide have already completed their sentences and have been released from prison.

Read: Rwanda genocide: 100 days of slaughter

Elizabeth Ohene

Image source, AFP

As the 50th birthday of Swazi King Mswati III approached on 19 April 2018, all indications pointed towards something dramatic taking place.

King Mswati III being who he is, many speculated he might outdo himself and marry two or three new brides at once rather than adding just one to the 13 he already had, as is his normal practice.

As things turned out, the big announcement had nothing to do with the king acquiring a new wife. He simply announced he was changing the country's name from the Kingdom of Swaziland to the Kingdom of eSwatini, which simply means "land of the Swazis" - in other words, Swaziland.

If the monarch wanted to be really brave he could have followed the example of the late military leader of the country once called Upper Volta, Thomas Sankara, who jettisoned that colonial name in favour of the somewhat dramatic Burkina Faso, which means "the land of the upright men".

Or, King Mswati III could have renamed his country whatever the Swazi rendition is for "the land of many wives".

Read my full Letter from Africa here

Image source, Getty Images

Police in Tanzania have arrested seven people in the south-eastern city of Arusha for their alleged role in planning an anti-government protest tomorrow, BBC Swahili reports.

The city's deputy police boss, Yusuph Ilembo, told reporters that the "government will not allow an illegal protest being planned by a few people to destabilise the country".

Organisers of the protest accuse President John Magufuli of being a dictator. They say that his government has been silencing critics and that that he has passed laws that have undermined freedom of expression.

The arrests come amid a travel advisory by the UK foreign office warning, external its citizens to avoid large crowds in Tanzania tomorrow.

The chief organiser of the event is popular online activist Mange Kimambi.

She has two million followers on Instagram and over the past year-and-a-half has used her profile on the social media site to promote Mr Magufuli back when he was a presidential hopeful, but to now to call for "the mother of all anti-Magufuli protests".

Read: Licence to blog: Will 'Swahili WikiLeaks' have to close?

Young Ugandan entrepreneur Christine Namubiru Mutebi is the co-founder of 1620 Footsteps, a design company finding success transforming car interiors with African fabrics.

Watch her story below:

Flamboyant Nigerian senator Dino Melaye is back in police custody after he attempted to escape by jumping out of a police vehicle in the capital, Abuja, while being taken to court in the southern city of Lokoja, the Vanguard news site reports. , external

In a dramatic incident on Tuesday, the Vanguard reports that two cars belonging to the senator's accomplices blocked the police vehicle he was travelling in, allowing him to escape.

It says that Mr Melaye jumped through the window and escaped with his accomplices.

He was then taken to a private hospital where doctors declared him unconscious, the newspaper reports.

Police, however, trailed him to the location and moved him to the national hospital in Abuja.

They also arrested two doctors at the Zanklin Hospital who had given the medical assessment of the senator's state, the report says.

A local TV station has shared this picture of the senator on a stretcher.

It is not clear why police are targeting the senator, but last month police said he was wanted for questioning over allegations that he had given weapons to kidnappers. He denies the allegation.

Mr Melaye is often referred to as the “singing senator” as he likes to take to social media to mock his political opponents in song.

Richard Conway
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

One of Fifa's most senior executives, Senegalese national Fatma Samoura, has been reported to the organisation's powerful ethics committee.

Samoura, who was appointed secretary general of football's world governing body by its president Gianni Infantino in 2016, is accused of alleged breaches of its ethics code relating to "duty of disclosure, co-operation and reporting" and "conflicts of interest".

The claims stem from allegations relating to Morocco's bid to host the 2026 World Cup. The North African country wants to host the tournament but is up against a North American joint effort comprising Canada, the USA and Mexico.

Members of a Fifa World Cup evaluation taskforce - which recently visited the bidding countries - are said to have discovered an undeclared family link between Samoura - whose full name is Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura - and the former Liverpool forward El Hadji Diouf, who is working in an ambassadorial role for the Moroccan bid.

Both Samoura, 55, and Diouf are from Senegal. They are both now the subject of an ethics complaint.

A senior Fifa source has told BBC Sport the allegation is "tenuous", while Samoura said she is "fully aware of this upcoming complaint" and has "a good idea who is conveying this message".

She added: "The whole country of Senegal will laugh at Fifa Ethics... because everyone in my country knows the origin of El Hadji Diouf."

The same senior source, who wishes to remain anonymous, also alleges Infantino "encouraged" the evaluation taskforce to find evidence that could block Morocco's candidacy.

It is claimed Infantino was motivated to do this as he favours the rival North American bid given the enormous financial advantage it has over its African rival.

In response to the allegation a Fifa spokesperson told BBC Sport: "The bidding process for the 2026 Fifa World Cup has been designed to evaluate the bids against objective criteria and to avoid a return to the secret and subjective decisions of the past."

"The process is as fair, objective and transparent as it can get as demonstrated with the publication of the bid books, all bidding documents and the scoring system."

Today's African proverb:

Welcome to BBC Africa Live, where we resume our coverage of the latest news and views from around the continent.

That's all from BBC Africa Live for today. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast, which will include more details on today's opposition rally in DR Congo, or check the BBC News website.

A reminder of today's wise words:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this picture from Abidjan in Ivory Coast:

Image source, .

The UK foreign office has warned, external its citizens to avoid large crowds in Tanzania on Thursday ahead of a rumoured anti-government demonstration.

The statement says in part:

Tanzania has been gripped by talk of a mass protest against President Joseph Magufuli for weeks.

Police have however warned that they will respond with force to any demonstration.

The organiser of the event is popular online activist Mange Kimambi.

She has two million followers on Instagram and over the past year-and-a-half has used her profile on the social media site firstly to promote President John Magufuli back when he was a presidential hopeful, and later to call for "the mother of all anti-Magufuli protests".

Image source, Getty IMages

Sub-Saharan African immigrants in the US are often more educated than those in the UK, the respected US-based Pew Research Center has found.

A total of 69% of immigrants in the US, aged 25 or older, have some college education, compared with 49% in the UK. The percentage is lower in France (30), Portugal (27) and Italy (10), the other three top Western destinations for sub-Saharan African immigrants.

Many sub-Saharan African immigrants entered the US through its diversity visa programme, which requires applicants to have at least a high school education.

Its other findings include:

• 63% of US-born nationals in the US had some college education, lower than the 69% among sub-Saharan African immigrants

• 30% of UK-born nationals had some college education, again lower than the 49% among immigrants in the UK

• Sub-Saharan African immigrants in the US were younger, with a median age of 38 years versus 42 in the UK.