Ameyu Etana
BBC Afaan Oromo

Image source, AFP

Ethiopia has accused Twitter of targeting accounts that are critical of Tigray rebels amid an intensifying war in the northern part of the country.

It is a "concerning trend", according to the Ethiopian prime minister's spokesperson Billene Seyoum.

''We have reason to believe that Twitter is targeting and suspending pro-Ethiopia voices that are raising awareness about the TPLF atrocities and its lies,'' she said.

Both sides have made claims in the conflict that the other party denies.

Ethiopian and Eritrean activists have used social media outlets to shape the narrative about the war.

Earlier this month Twitter temporally removed its trends function in Ethiopia, citing ''the imminent threat of physical harm''.

But some activists complained that this occurred when a pro-government hashtag was trending.

#NoMore was against perceived foreign intervention in the conflict.

The government has sent a "formal complaint" to Twitter, according to a quote from spokesperson Billene Seyoum in the AFP news agency.

Twitter has said it remains "neutral to political identity and ideology".

It says "safety" is its top priority.

Eritrea also complained to Twitter after its leading activist, who was part of the #NoMore campaign, was suspended.

Samba Cyuzuzo
BBC Great Lakes

The Democratic Republic of Congo army has confirmed it is carrying out joint operations with Ugandan special forces against a rebel group.

The confirmation came just a day after the DR Congo army spokesperson had denied the presence of Ugandan troops in the country.

The change of position has attracted criticism from members of the public.

The spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said the operations were agreed upon after evaluation.

Uganda on Tuesday said it was taking part in the joint operation against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has links to the Islamic State group. It has been blamed for last month's suicide attack on Uganda's capital, Kampala, which killed four people.

Uganda said it had carried out air strikes on ADF bases and the Congolese army said the joint operation was aimed at securing those rebel positions.

The ADF operates in both countries.

In June, DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni met at the two border town of Mpondwe, where they agreed on a partnership to fight ADF, but the how and when were not announced.

In 2017, the Ugandan and Congolese armies successfully fought together against the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) that had implanted itself in eastern DR Congo and caused insecurity in the region.

Read more: Inside view of the ADF

Ferdinand Omondi
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, AFP

The Ethiopian government says its forces have claimed control of numerous strategic towns previously held by Tigrayan rebels.

Government forces have broken a rebel defence line and recaptured several towns in north-western Amhara Regional State, according to Ethiopian state television.

Gains by the military in Afar and Amhara would be a blow to Tigrayan forces, who had threatened to either march southwards on the capital, or eastwards and threaten a road linking landlocked Ethiopia to the port in Djibouti.

The military campaign, now being led in person by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, was registering resounding victories, according to Communication Service Minister Legese Tulu.

The claims cannot be independently verified.

The rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) is yet to respond.

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, Reuters

The Nigeria Government has commenced the enforcement of mandatory vaccination against Covid-19 for all civil servants.

The enforcement comes amid fears of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.

At the gate of the federal secretariat in Abuja crowds of people were locked out of their offices as they were asked to present proof of their vaccinations.

The civil servants were asked to submit PCR test results that were not more than 72 hours old as an alternative before being allowed access.

A vaccination stand had been set up close to the secretariat main gate for those who were willing to get vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Canada has banned travellers from more African countries including Nigeria over fears of the spread of the new Covid variant.

The boat was carrying more than 50 people, most of whom were heading to an Islamic religious event

Derartu Amelo
BBC Monitoring

The Chinese foreign minister has arrived in Addis Ababa for an official visit to Ethiopia as western nations urge their nationals to leave the Horn of Africa country over the escalating conflict in the north.

Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen welcomed the Chinese foreign minister on arrival at the airport.

In the absence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is at the frontline leading the fight against rebels loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), Mr Wang is expected to hold discussions with Mr Demeke.

China has previously highlighted its opposition to external "meddling" in the internal affairs of Ethiopia as the latter faces growing pressure from the US and some European countries over the conflict in the north and a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Image source, Getty Images

The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says it has detected the Omicron variant in travellers from South Africa who arrived in Nigeria last week.

In a press release, external, the body warns that it is a matter of "when, not if" more cases are identified.

The organisation says its research suggests that given the likely high transmissibility of the variant, it is imperative to introduce measures to curb community transmission like "increased COVID-19 testing".

Earlier this week, the government of Canada said that it had discovered two cases of the variant from two passengers from Nigeria.

However, the Nigerian health authorities said that it was investigating the issue to get more details.

Canada has now added Nigeria to the list of countries where travellers are barred from entering into its territory, following the discovery.

Omicron has been rated by the World Health Organization as a "variant of concern".

Image source, AFP

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has lashed out at African countries that have followed western countries in restricting travel to and from southern African states.

He said it was unfortunate, and that he would have preferred if they did not react like their former colonisers over the discovery of the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

“I am concerned and of course out of respect to them, I mean they have their reasons. But we would like to have a discussion with them in a way where we would prefer that they do not react like our former colonisers, who are very quick to close Africa down,” he told journalists ahead of his visit to West Africa.

Rwanda, The Seychelles, Mauritius, Egypt and Angola are some of the African countries that closed their borders soon after the discovery of the new variant.

The Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on 24 November, and has since been identified in other countries.

South Africa has been condemning travel bans imposed against it and neighbouring countries as unjustified and not based on science.

Nick Mwendwa steps aside as president of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) after being charged with four counts of fraud.

Image source, Getty Images

Calls for a peace walk by Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu aimed at healing the city after the state government dismissed the Lekki report have been termed "disrespectful".

The panel report that police intentionally shot protesters was dismissed by the Lagos government as "assumptions and speculations".

Mr Sanwo-Olu said the city needed to heal, hence his proposal for a peace walk.

Nigerian entertainers Folarin Falana popularly known as Falz and Debo Adebayo also known as Mr Marcaroni rejected the governor's invitation.

"This suggestion of a 'walk for peace' sounds like a joke and a very disrespectful one at that. People were murdered in cold blood and absolutely no iota of justice has been served more than a year after. How can there be peace without justice?" Falz wrote., external

"I humbly decline the invitation of Mr Governor. The Government themselves set up a panel. The panel has made recommendations. I believe that genuine peacemaking will begin by first implementing the recommendations of the panel. Then we can begin to trust the government," Mr Marcaroni tweeted., external

One of the panel's recommendations was that victims of police brutality during the EndSars protests be compensated, a matter the governor said was being implemented.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Nigerian officials have confirmed that nine more bodies from the Tuesday boat tragedy have been recovered on Wednesday morning.

This brings the death toll to 29 so far.

The search and rescue operation is ongoing.

It involves the police, the fire service and members of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps as well as local volunteers.

Hundreds of distraught parents and other relatives have gathered at the site.

Police at the location have told the BBC that the number of survivors rescued so far is still seven.

Victims of the boat accident were mostly Islamic school pupils - aged between six and 12 - travelling to a religious ceremony in the town of Bagwai.

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Burkina Faso has given details of a major regional security operation launched with Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo last week.

The aim was to stem the jihadist insurgencies ravaging parts of West Africa.

Burkinabe Defence Minister Maxime Kone said almost 6,000 troops had been deployed in the four countries' borderlands, arresting 300 people and seizing vehicles, weapons, ammunition and drugs.

He said dozens of Islamist militants were killed and that five jihadist bases had been destroyed in his country.

The details can't be independently verified, but this week-long operation arose from a security deal the countries signed in 2017.

More than 70 people have been killed in militant attacks in Burkina Faso in November, prompting a public outcry.

Most other countries in the Sahel region have also suffered losses.

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, AFP

Nigeria’s Lagos state government has released a “white paper” on a report by a judicial panel set up to investigate police abuses and deadly violence at the Lekki toll gate last year.

The white paper is the official document of the government’s analysis and proposed response to the report.

The government has denied that nine persons were killed at the toll gate when soldiers stormed the protest ground to disperse the protesters. It described the finding that the nine were shot dead as “assumptions and speculations”.

The judicial panel of inquiry submitted its report to the state governor two weeks ago.

A leaked version of the report indicted the Nigerian army and the Lagos government in the killing of unarmed protesters and a cover-up of the 20 October 2020 incident.

It described the killings as a “massacre”.

Nigeria's Information Minister Lai Mohammed last week denied there was a massacre and called the report "fake".

The Lagos government on Tuesday said it accepted 11 out of 32 recommendations. It accepted six others with modifications and rejected one.

It’ said that 14 of the recommendations fell outside the powers of the state and would consequently be forwarded to the federal government for consideration.

Reacting to the report for the first time on Tuesday, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said it reopened a deep wound.

He said he had initiated a peace walk in efforts to ensure harmony in the state.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, AFP

A boat carrying more than 50 people has capsized in the northern Nigerian state of Kano.

Police say 20 bodies have been recovered and seven people rescued so far following the accident on Tuesday evening.

Officials and residents told the BBC that the boat was carrying dozens of people from the village of Badau to the town of Bagwai, where they were due to attend an Islamic religious ceremony.

Many of the victims were pupils.

A police spokesperson in Kano state says a search and rescue operation is under way. Those rescued so far have been taken to a hospital for medical attention.

It’s not yet clear what caused the boat to capsize.

In Nigeria, such accidents are often blamed on overloading and poor maintenance of the boats as well as a lack of proper regulation by the authorities.

At least seven girls drowned when a boat overturned in neighbouring Jigawa state barely two weeks ago.

In May, more than 100 people died in Kebbi state in a similar accident.

Shingai Nyoka
BBC News, Harare

Image source, Getty Images

Zimbabwe has reimposed a lockdown and mandatory quarantines for all travellers amidst rising Covid cases and to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.

The country has recorded over 130,000 Covid cases and about 4,700 deaths since the pandemic began early last year.

The authorities cited growing public complacency that they believe will only worsen as the festive season approaches.

There is also the fear of a fourth wave.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa reimposed a curfew from 21:00 to 06:00 local time.

All international travellers will be required to be tested on arrival and to quarantine at a state-designated facility all at their own cost.

All businesses will be required to close at 19:00.

The restrictions are a blow to the tourism industry, which had anticipated a normal festive season.

The measures will be reviewed in a fortnight.

Our African proverb of the day:

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Mohamed Isa Omar, one of two survivors of last week's disaster, tells the BBC he saw people drown.

The Gambia has witnessed a flourishing of democracy but its curious election system remains unchanged.

It urges those who are unwell and the over-60s to delay international travel to areas with community transmission.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now. We'll be back on Wednesday morning Nairobi time.

Until then there will be an automated service and you can find the latest updates on the BBC News website, or listen to our podcast Africa Today.

A reminder of our African proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this shot from Tuesday's demonstrations in Khartoum - where tear gas has been fired at protesters and there are also unconfirmed reports of live bullets also being used:

Image source, AFP