Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

The leader of a notorious armed gang in Zamfara state, in northern Nigeria, is reported to have released more than 50 people who had recently been kidnapped.

Eyewitnesses saw buses full of hostages heading to the state capital, Gusau.

Officials have not said why the group's leader, Bello Turji, decided to release dozens of people.

It appears to be part of an effort to persuade the state government to grant him amnesty, local residents say.

The Nigerian Air Force says it has recently been targeting the bases of the criminal gangs behind the frequent kidnappings.

Two of the most wanted gang leaders had been killed, it said.

Image source, AFP

The popular Afrobeats singer Teni has dismissed rumours there was an attempt to kidnap her in Nigeria's southern Rivers state, after a video emerged, external over the weekend which showed a commotion during her performance there during which she left the stage.

Some people were running and loud bangs could be heard in the background.

Police later confirmed that shots were fired by security operatives to restore order and not kidnappers, according to Nigeria's Vanguard paper. , external

On her Instagram account, the popular musician expressed gratitude about escaping the incident safely.

"Myself and entire team are safe and back home now," she wrote.

"It all happened so fast there was no incidence of attempted kidnap," Teni continued. "A fight started out backstage and that lead to a stampede," she said.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Security forces in Sudan have deployed across the capital, Khartoum, and other cities ahead of new demonstrations.

Pro-democracy activists in Sudan announced fresh protests amid a deepening political crisis following the resignation of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok late on Sunday.

Protesters would be heading to the presidential palace until "victory is achieved" the Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA), a coalition of trade unions leading the campaign against military rule said.

Fifty-six people have died during protests since the military coup in October - most were shot by security forces.

The authorities have frequently blocked internet and phone services to prevent mass gatherings.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

A South African judicial panel that examined allegations of high-level corruption during former President Jacob Zuma’s tenure will hand over the first, external of its three-part report to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday.

The panel was chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and has been investigating allegations of “state capture”, corruption and fraud in the public sector during Zuma’s time in power between 2009 and 2018.

The remaining parts of the report are expected to be handed over to Mr Ramaphosa before the end of next month.

The group Democracy in Action has filed a case at the high court in Johannesburg against the submission of the report to Mr Ramaphosa, arguing he “is conflicted” and had been implicated in corruption.

Mr Ramaphosa has previously said he "resisted" corruption whilst he served as Mr Zuma's deputy, according to the Reuters News agency. , external

Zuma is accused, among other things, of allowing an Indian business family with close links to him to siphon state assets.

The former president and the family deny any wrongdoing.

He was sentenced to 15 months in prison in June after he failed to attend the inquiry, arguing that the chair of the panel was biased.

Zuma resigned in 2018, a year before his second term in office was due to end.

Read more:

• State capture: Zuma, the Guptas, and the sale of South Africa
• Two faces of South Africa's corruption battle

Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania and The Gambia are in Group F of the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Cameroon on 9 January.

Teenage Roma forward Felix Afena-Gyan misses out on Ghana's final squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The fire first broke out on Sunday and completely destroyed the National Assembly, or lower chamber.

Image source, Getty Images

The Kenyan branch of the American fast-food restaurant, KFC, has run out of fries it says.

“Ya'll loved our chips a little too much, and we've run out. Sorry! Our team is working hard to resolve the issue,” the chain tweeted on Monday., external

The cause of the shortage is a shipping delay caused by the pandemic, according to Business Daily Africa., external

“Ships have been delayed for more than a month now, but we are working hard to restore as the first containers are arriving in the port tomorrow,” the firm’s chief executive for East Africa, Jacques Theunissen, said in an interview with the business news website on Monday.

The company does not source potatoes locally, Mr Theunissen told them.

"The reason we cannot buy local at the moment is all suppliers need to go through the global QA approval process and we cannot bypass that even if we run out to ensure that our food is safe for consumption by our customers," Mr Theunissen continued.

On Twitter, some KFC customers expressed anger that the restaurant imports potatoes.

"This is unacceptable and a ridicule to our hardworking farmers across our Nation," one person wrote.

If they "cannot purchase the potatoes from Kenyan Suppliers, then we all have the moral right to #BoycottKFC" another wrote.

Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed the central bank governor and appointed a replacement.

The dismissal of Dier Tong Ngor was announced in a presidential decree read on the national broadcaster on Monday night.

No reasons were given for his sacking.

He was replaced by Moses Makur Deng who has been a director-general in charge of banks’ supervision and research at the bank.

South Sudan’s economy is driven by oil, which accounts for nearly 90% of the country’s national budget.

The economy is in a bad shape due to the conflict and the drop in global oil price as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.

Some South Sudanese online have welcomed the appointment of Mr Deng and urged him to improve the economy.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Pro-democracy activists in Sudan have announced fresh protests amid a political crisis deepened by the resignation of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on Monday.

At least three protesters were killed on Sunday after thousands of demonstrators opposed to military rule took to the streets, according to a doctor’s union.

The number of protesters killed since October's military coup has risen to 56.

The Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA), a coalition of trade unions leading the campaign against military rule, said protesters “will be heading to the presidential palace until victory is achieved”.

“You will not rally alone on 4 January! The Sudanese Professionals’ Association and wage workers are with you,” it said in a Facebook post.

The country’s de facto head of state, Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, told military leaders yesterday that the army was the "nation's safety valve" and that it will "protect the democratic transition”.

UN envoy to Sudan Volker Perthes has said he regretted Mr Hamdok’s decision to step down and called for dialogue.

“The lack of trust among Sudanese actors needs to be overcome through a meaningful and inclusive dialogue. Unitams [the UN mission in Sudan] stands ready to facilitate such a process,” he said.

Mr Hamdok’s resignation plunged Sudan into further uncertainty and could embolden pro-democracy groups as it hands the military complete control of the country.

Image source, AFP

Liberian opposition figure Alexander Cummings says forgery allegations against him in a case filed by a party in an opposition coalition are "unfounded and political".

The Monrovia City Court has issued an arrest warrant against him to answer to the crime of forgery and criminal conspiracy linked to the alleged forgery of the coalition’s documents.

The case against Mr Cummings was brought to court by Benoni Urey of the All Liberian Party (ALP).

The ALP accuses him of forging the coalition agreement document by editing and replacing a section on how parties can exit the coalition.

Mr Cummings told the BBC's Focus of Africa programme that the ALP wanted to leave the coalition and accused Mr Urey of being used by the government to create disunity within the opposition.

"This action will leave us undeterred, we are determined to run our political course and make our case to the Liberian people to make Mr [George] Weah a one-term president," he said.

But Mr Urey said a crime had been committed and the ALP had to seek redress in court after internal mechanism to resolve disputes failed.

He said there had been many disagreements within the coalition but most parties were ready to work together.

"We want to preserve that coalition ... I can assure you that in a few days of weeks we will form another group because the Liberian people want us to do that," he told Focus on Africa.

President Weah will be running for a second term in next year’s general elections.

Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi and First Lady Isaura Nyusi have tested positive for Covid and are in isolation.

A statement from the presidency said Mr Nyusi and his wife had decided to isolate in accordance with health guidelines after testing positive, even though they were not showing symptoms.

It said they had decided to do the tests after "several activities we’ve done over the past few days".

Coronavirus cases have been rising in recent days.

The country has so far recorded more than 193,000 Covid-19 cases, 2,031 deaths and 158,680 recoveries.

Image source, AFP

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Guinea's main opposition leader says more than 100 of the country's political parties will present a joint demand for a return to civilian rule to the military junta that seized power in September.

Cellou Dalein Diallo told a news conference that the Collective of Political Parties had agreed a timetable for a political transition.

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) is demanding elections within six months.

It suspended Guinea from the regional bloc after President Alpha Condé was deposed in a coup nearly four months ago.

On Monday the United States dropped Guinea, along with Ethiopia and Mali, from a Africa trade preference agreement over human rights concerns.

Image source, AFP

Tunisia's interior ministry has said a detained former justice minister is suspected of “terrorism”.

Noureddine Bhiri of the Ennahdha party was detained over the weekend.

He has refused food and medicine and was transferred to a hospital on Monday where he is reported to have continued with the hunger strike.

Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine said on Monday that there were reports of acts of terrorism prompting the authorities to act.

The Ennahdha party has been at crossroads with President Kais Saied after he sacked the prime minister and suspended parliament last year.

A party member and activists have said Mr Bhiri’s health is at risk as he has a chronic illness and has been denied professional care.

His wife is quoted by the AFP news agency saying that he had suffered a heart attack and that she was denied access to him.

African music from the 1980s is being digitised thanks to a young Parisian producer.

One day after a fire at the parliament building in Cape Town, crews are tackling another blaze.

Leicester City's Ashleigh Plumptre, a former England youth international, can now play for Nigeria after switching allegiance.

India are bowled out for 202 by South Africa on day one of the second Test in the absence of injured captain Virat Kohli.

Ghanaian skeleton racer Akwasi Frimpong is "broken" after a positive coronavirus test looks set to end his chances of qualifying for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Abdalla Hamdok's resignation comes weeks after he was reinstated by the military following a coup.