Welcome back to BBC Africa Live, where we will bring you the latest news and views from around the continent.

BBC Africa Live
Flora Drury and Tara John

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

A reminder of today's wise words:

Click here to send in your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this photo of children sitting between Muslims praying in the Ivory Coast's economic capital, Abidjan, as the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end:

Image source, AFP

Five African nations are playing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

But don't worry if your country has missed out. We have created an interactive tool for you to pick your all-time African World Cup dream team from our shortlist, put together by a panel of BBC Africa football experts.

And after you're done, you can share your team with friends and get stats about your players' World Cup history.

Click here to get started.

Chris Ewokor
BBC Africa, Abuja

At least 10 people have been killed by suspected armed bandits in fresh attacks in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria.

Residents say two villages were invaded in Birnin Magaji local government area. This comes barely two weeks after 26 people were killed in a similar raid in another part of the state.

The suspected bandits invaded the villages at night when some residents had gone to bed.

They started firing indiscriminately, rousing many villagers from sleep and causing a huge commotion.

Some residents were cut down by a hail of bullets. Police in Zamfara confirmed seven people were killed in Dutsen-Wake and three in Oho village.

Raids on villages in Zamfara by suspected bandits have increased in recent weeks - heightening security concerns among residents.

Authorities say they have deployed heavy security in the area to carry out bush combing and patrol the area to avoid a further loss of lives.

Read more about the issue here

Ebere Ekeopara
BBC Igbo

The town is deserted when I arrive.

It is perhaps unsurprising: Ogbozinne Akpugo, in Enugu state, was where a community lynched its traditional ruler just a few days ago.

Fear of the police and reprisal attacks has caused people to seek shelter in neighbouring towns.

Local residents have told me how frustrations over the ruler's authoritarian style, along with allegations of police corruption, ended in his death.

The trouble began last year, when the traditional ruler, Igwe Steven Nwatu, refused to swear in elected members of the Ogbozinne Akpugo Town Union.

He allegedly said he could rule without the help of the union, the group of people elected or selected by the community to help with governance, as is common practice among the Igbo people.

The impasse led to him being taken to court by some of his subjects for alleged abuse of office and intimidation, with the help of policemen from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars).

But things came to a head on Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses told BBC Igbo the townspeople had gathered after a court hearing, planning to take their protest to the governor of Enugu state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

But then Mr Nwatu arrived, allegedly bringing with him armed Sars operatives, who shot sporadically to disperse the gathered crowd.

The villagers claim a man was knocked down and injured by the late Mr Nwatu’s car, which angered the crowd and led to his lynching.

Mr Nwatu was confirmed dead at Parklane General Hospital, Enugu.

Ebere Amarizu, a police spokesman in Enugu, told the BBC that there is no truth to the alleged role of the police in the escalation of violence.

Mr Amarizu said that the police is poised to fish out the perpetrators and will not be distracted by unfounded allegations.

Rana Jawad
BBC North Africa correspondent, Tunis

Image source, Reuters

Fierce clashes between rival armed groups have broken out in Libya’s "oil crescent", home to the country's biggest oil terminals.

The fighting, which broke out at dawn, is between the self-styled army based in the east of the country, known as the Libya National Army (LNA), and the Benghazi Defence Brigade, an umbrella group for a mix of fighters which includes Islamists.

It caused an oil storage tank to catch fire in the Ras Lanuf terminal, according to witnesses. Media reports citing oil industry workers also say the Es Sider terminal has been shut down.

The two terminals produce combined exports of just over 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

While the oil crescent is no stranger to armed clashes, it has witnessed a period of relative calm over the past year, which allowed the country’s crude oil exports to increase.

The area has been under the control of the LNA since late 2016.

Earlier this week, there were reports of airstrikes by the LNA, targeting units of the Benghazi Defence Brigade south of Ras Lanuf.

Image source, NIck Bailey

The body of a British horticulturalist, who was kidnapped with her husband in a case with suspected links to the Islamic State group (IS), has been identified by South African police.

Rachel Saunders, 63, and Rodney, 73, disappeared while looking for rare seeds in KwaZulu-Natal province in February.

Rodney Saunders' body was discovered days later in a river in the province and was positively identified in April.

The Hawks gave no details of where Rachel's body was located.

Suspects Fatima Patel, 27, and Saffydeen Aslam del Vecchio, 38, were arrested on 16 February.

They are alleged to have hoisted an IS flag in the reserve where the couple disappeared.

They remain in custody, along with a third suspect, Malawian national Ahmad Mussa, 36.

The fourth suspect, Themba Xulu, 19, was found in possession of the victims' mobile phones and was arrested - he struck a plea bargain and was given a suspended three-year sentence.

Read more: The mystery of the horticulturalists missing in South Africa

A Kenyan man was beaten to death by an angry mob after a woman's body was discovered crushed into a suitcase, the Daily Nation newspaper reports.

Residents in the western city of Kisumu reportedly attacked the man after noticing blood "oozing" from the suitcase early on Thursday.

The woman's throat had been slit, and she had been stabbed several times, the newspaper said.

The man was beaten to death after he tried to escape, a security guard said.

Kisumu County Commander John Kamau said the matter was under investigation.

Piers Edwards
BBC Africa Sport

Image source, Getty Images

African delegates are keen for Fifa to reintroduce a rotation system for World Cup hosting after Morocco failed to land the 2026 World Cup.

The North Africans lost out to the triple Canada, Mexico and United States bid, which won Wednesday’s vote by 134 votes to 65.

“Rotation would be a solution,” said Malawi FA president Walter Nyamilandu.

“We should ask for an amendment to the bidding process that would allow rotation to come back,” added Liberia FA president Musa Bility.

By the time the 2026 finals take place, Africa will have hosted just one of 23 World Cups - while Mexico alone will have staged three separate tournaments.

The 2010 finals in South Africa only came about after football’s world governing body introduced a rotation system in 2001.

This was pushed through by former Fifa president Sepp Blatter in response to South Africa’s narrow defeat in its attempt to stage the 2006 World Cup, which eventually took place in Germany.

Bility believes Fifa could be tempted by the reintroduction of the system, which was abandoned in 2007.

“I think this would be acceptable to Fifa because the World Cup is about taking football to the people,” the Confederation of African Football Executive Committee member told BBC Sport.

“There is inequality in the status of countries around the world so you need laws that will allow the tournament to rotate. You saw the margin of the vote – there was no way Morocco was going to win.”

Liberia was one of several African countries which did not vote for the Moroccan bid.

Morocco’s comprehensive defeat to the "United Bid" has left several African delegates wondering when, if ever, the continent will stage football’s greatest event again.

• Read more: Canada, US & Mexico joint bid wins right to host tournament

Zimbabweans have been packing into courtrooms around the country, waiting to hand over their registration papers so they can stand in next month's national elections.

"Nomination courts" are sitting across the country, allowing people to submit their paperwork so they can be considered as candidates in the council, parliamentary and presidential elections.

Among those who have already filed are current President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

According to The Herald newspaper, another three would-be presidents have also successfully put in their registration, including former vice-president Joice Mujuru:

This will be the first election in decades where former President Robert Mugabe will not be standing as a candidate.

Mr Mnangagwa, who took over from Mr Mugabe last November, has promised free and fair elections.

Confused about what is happening in Cameroon?

Luckily, the BBC's Africa security correspondent Tomi Oladipo is here to help with this handy explainer.

People have gathered in the streets of DR Congo to pay a final tribute to a pro-democracy activist killed in a house fire at the weekend.

Luc Nkulula, 33, was one of the founders and most vocal members of Lucha, a pro-democracy group.

He was laid to rest today, his coffin accompanied on its final journey by supporters in the city of Goma, where he lived.

Timo Mueller, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, shared these videos:

Nkulula came to prominence after he was arrested several times during protests against President Joseph Kabila remaining in power after his term ended in 2016.

You can read our earlier story on Nkulula's death by clicking here.

Image source, AFP

The sons of a man stabbed to death in a South African mosque have described how they tried to stop the attacker and save their father.

Ismail Bassa, 72, was reportedly killed as he slept in the mosque, in Malmesbury, north of Cape Town, when an unknown man launched the deadly assault early this morning.

According to his widow Zainab, the rest of the family were at home next door when someone began banging on their front door at about 02:30 local time (00:30 GMT).

Mrs Bassa told South African news site TimesLive , externalher sons, Suad, 30, and Faizel, 24, immediately rushed to the mosque "with some heavy equipment" like sticks and "tried to keep the guy inside the mosque".

We tried to help him, but the guy stabbed my brother," Suad told News24, external. "We chased him down... and police found him."

The man, reported to be of Somali origin, was eventually shot dead by officers, who have launched an investigation,

Mrs Bassa, 59, was today trying to come to terms with her loss.

"My husband talked to everybody, he loved kids, it's a great loss for me, as well as for the community, to pass away in a masjid [mosque], murdered, slaughtered," she told news agency AFP.

"That [mosque] was his second house - you would always find him in the mosque. He left last night and said: 'I'm going now, I'll buy you another Eid dress'."

• Read Africa Live's earlier post on the attack by clicking here.

Image source, AFP

The government of the Central African Republic (CAR) says the acquittal and release of former DR Congo Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba is a failure of international justice.

Bemba was released from prison in Belgium yesterday after being acquitted of war crimes committed in CAR during 2002-3 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) last Friday.

The ICC has since been forced to say “there was no political agenda” or conspiracy behind Bemba’s release.

Patrick Tshibuyi, who is in charge of ICC outreach in DR Congo, said the court had acted within its "legal framework".

"Noting that Bemba had served more than 80% of his maximum possible sentence, the chamber considered it was disproportional to continue his detention,” he added.

However, he is not quite free yet. According to Anna Holligan, the BBC's Hague reporter, Bemba is unable to actually leave custody until three separate Belgian government departments have signed his release off.

Reports say Bemba could be considering a presidential bid in DR Congo’s election due in December.

He lost a 2006 run-off to incumbent Joseph Kabila, who is barred from seeking re-election.

• Read more: Bemba militia victims to share $1m fund

Jose Tembe
BBC Africa, Maputo

Panic spread through the northern Mozambique city of Pemba on Wednesday as reports of terrorists storming a supermarket emerged on social media.

According to the posts, the group of armed men - possibly related to the armed Islamist militant group which has been on a murderous rampage through the province of Cabo Delgado - had taken hostages.

Schools and businesses quickly shut their doors, terrified they might be next.

Only, it never happened. Or at least, that is what local police believe.

Cabo Delgado's police commander Joaquim Sive explained: “We were informed that a supermarket was being robbed with the use of a firearm. We sent police contingents to investigate.

"However, after entering the building cautiously, and going through it, room by room, we found nothing that would suggest there were criminals in the premises.

"This conclusion is still preliminary. With the management of the mall, we are going to determine what actually happened."

The only person shot, he added, was a private security guard, reportedly by one of his colleagues.

"We regret all this, which left the entire city startled," he added. "The feeling of insecurity in Pemba was generalised. But, indeed there no episodes that can justify such concern.”

• Read more: How Mozambique’s smuggling barons nurtured jihadists

Mayeni Jones
BBC Focus on Africa

A Danish man has pleaded not guilty to killing his Nigerian wife and daughter at their home in the commercial capital Lagos.

Peter Nielsen is accused of killing his wife, a singer known as Alizee, and their three-year-old daughter, in April in the upscale neighbourhood of Banana Island.

Prosecutors say his wife suffered head injuries while the young girl was found poisoned.

The woman's relatives and campaigners against domestic violence organised protests before Mr Nielsen's previous court appearances.

The case, which has been covered extensively in the Nigerian media, has been adjourned until October.

Ibrahim Aydid
BBC Monitoring

A German aid worker who was abducted early last month from Mogadishu is reportedly being held in the Mudug region of central Somalia.

Reports are saying that the woman is in the hands of armed men in an area about three miles (5km) from Hobyo district.

One of the residents of the area where the aid worker - a nurse, who was working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - is being held told the media she was in the hands of about 10 abductors.

He says the abductors have built tents in a place that consists of hills and caves.

According to the IRCR, the nurse had been delivering first aid training for local responders and caring for Somalis at hospitals, health clinics and places of detention when she was seized.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Ethiopia's decision to fully accept and implement a peace deal which should see it hand disputed territories to Eritrea is "undemocratic", a member party of the coalition has said.

The government announced its intention to accept the 2002 border commission ruling, which awarded disputed territories, including the town of Badme, to Eritrea, earlier this month, hoping to end a dispute with its neighbour which sparked Africa's deadliest border war in 1998.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) said it endorsed the decision but accused the government of making it "without the involvement of ally organisations".

The TPLF was for many years the dominant partner in Ethiopia's ruling EPRDF coalition and Tigray has administered Badme since the war ended in 2000.

In a statement, the TPLF said the government was "wrong" to have made the public announcement.

And in an apparent reference to recent changes in the army and the government, the TPLF said the coalition's rules had been flouted, and called for recognition of “veteran leaders”.

It also accused Ethiopia's new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of failing to "recognise our veteran leaders".

Mr Abiy is from the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization (OPDO), another of the four parties which make up the EPRDF.

• Read more: Why Ethiopia could be on the verge of a new dawn

Mayeni Jones
BBC Focus on Africa

The Nigerian police has granted permission for the National Human Rights Commission to carry out an independent audit of detention cells across the country.

Nigeria's inspector general of police says the inspections will enable the commission to oversee the human rights situation of detainees, and assess the state of police cells in the West African nation.

The announcement comes amid renewed outrage on social media following allegations of extortion, violence and arbitrary detention by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, commonly known as Sars.

Following a public outcry last year, Nigeria's police chief ordered an investigation into the unit in December, but the results have not yet been made public.

Image source, AFP

Two people have been stabbed to death in a "brutal" attack on a South African mosque where worshipers were preparing to pray.

The attacker, who was armed with "a big rambo knife", struck as people gathered in Malmesbury mosque, north of Cape Town, at about 03:00 local time (01:00 GMT) this morning, PC Henry Durant told South Africa's News24, external.

"The suspect just got up and started stabbing the people," he explained.

PC Durant said the attacker, a foreign national in his 30s, "was not in a hurry - he was very calm".

However, when police arrived on the scene, he refused to hand over his weapon, police spokesman Lt Col André Traut said.

"[He] charged at the police who tried to persuade him to hand himself over. He ignored the calls and tried to attack police," Lt Col Traut said.

"He was shot and killed in the process."

South Africa's Muslim Judicial Council said in a statement it was "shocked to its core to learn of a brutal attack", explaining the two victims had been observing I'tikaaf when they were killed.

I'tikaaf prayers are held over the last 10 days of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Business24 explains., external

The council said another man was injured.

• This is a developing story. Check back with Africa Live for all the latest details throughout the day.