Summary

  • 100-year-old death-row inmate released in Nigeria

  • Abiy Ahmed holds talks with Sudan's military council

  • Search on for 14 'escaped lions' in South Africa

  • Anti-Weah protests called in Liberia

  • US ambassador caught in Malawi protest

  • Ethiopia PM expected to mediate in Sudan crisis

  • African Union suspends Sudan over violence

  1. Nigeria inquiry says 37 policemen should be sackedpublished at 06:37 British Summer Time 4 June 2019

    Chris Ewokor
    BBC Africa, Abuja

    Animation of the Nigerian Police Anti-Robbery SquadImage source, Nigerian Police Force

    A Nigerian inquiry into a controversial police unit has recommended that 37 officers be sacked, another 24 should be prosecuted and a further 22 under suspicion of human rights violations be identified.

    The panel looking into the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) investigated allegations of widespread abuses.

    Sars is in charge of combating armed robbery and kidnappings across the country but has been accused of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and extortion.

    President Muhammadu Buhari asked the panel to make recommendations on how to hold police officers accountable.

    In addition to the prosecutions, the panel recommended that the police pay compensation to 45 of those who have complained.

    President Buhari said the recommendations will be implemented within three months and said police officers should be held accountable for their actions:

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    The power to discipline any erring police lies with the Police Service Commission, a body set up and constitutionally empowered to regulate the affairs of the police in Nigeria.

    In 2017, the #EndSars campaign began on Twitter as people complained about police brutality.

    The campaign began when footage was shared allegedly showing the aftermath of the police killing of a young man.

    Many Nigerians responded with their own accounts of their ordeals at the hands of officers from Sars.

    * This entry has been updated to correct the number of officers targeted by the inquiry

  2. Caster Semenya can compete after Swiss court rulingpublished at 06:10 British Summer Time 4 June 2019

    Caster SemenyaImage source, Getty Images

    Caster Semenya will not need to take testosterone-reducing medication to compete after a Swiss court temporarily suspended a new IAAF ruling.

    The Olympic 800m champion, 28, last month lost her challenge to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) against the implementation of a restriction on testosterone levels in female runners.

    The ruling would have affected women competing from 400m to the mile.

    "I hope following my appeal I will once again be able to run free," she said.

    "I am thankful to the Swiss judges for this decision."

    Following the Semenya tweeted: "Born a winner".

    She also an inspirational quote from mahatma Gandhi:

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    Following the decision by Cas, the South African took her appeal to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, citing the need to defend "fundamental human rights".

    Her legal representative Dr Dorothee Schramm said: "The court has granted welcome temporary protection to Caster Semenya.

    "This is an important case that will have fundamental implications for the human rights of female athletes."

    Read more from BBC Sport

  3. Kenya police and militants clash in north-eastpublished at 05:59 British Summer Time 4 June 2019

    Muawiya Muhamed
    BBC Somali

    A shoot-out between suspected al-Shabab militants and Kenyan security forces near the north-east town of Mandera has left two people dead, a journalist has told the BBC Somali service quoting security sources..

    The clash happened overnight in the village of Fino, close to the border with Somalia. One police reservist died and one militant was killed in the fighting, Kenyan police say.

    The villagers are in a state of terror, the local journalist told the BBC.

    Several attacks by Somalia-based militants al-Shabab have occurred in Mandera town and the areas close by.

    In April, two Cuban doctors were kidnapped from the town and are believed to be in Somalia.

    Kenya contributes soldiers to Amisom, the African Union force supporting the government in Mogadishu. Al-Shabab is battling the government for control of the country.

  4. Sudan military calls for election amid protestspublished at 05:44 British Summer Time 4 June 2019

    Sudan's military leaders say they are scrapping all existing agreements with the main opposition coalition and will hold elections within nine months.

    The announcement came as the military faced mounting international condemnation for their violent attack on protesters in the capital, Khartoum, which reportedly left at least 30 dead.

    The US said it was a "brutal attack".

    The AU condemned the violence and urged other countries to refrain from interfering. Many people in Sudan are angry that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt are backing the military council.

    Media caption,

    Sudan crisis: Security forces attack protesters

    The crackdown came after the military and protesters agreed a three-year transition period to civilian rule.

    The Transitional Military Council (TMC), which has governed Sudan since President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a coup in April, and negotiators for the pro-democracy movement had also settled on the structure of a new administration.

    But the TMC's head, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said in a statement broadcast on state television that they had decided to "stop negotiating with the Alliance for Freedom and Change and cancel what had been agreed on".

    An election in nine months time would take place under "regional and international supervision", he added.

    Read more: Sudan crisis: Military calls for snap election amid protests

  5. Kenya president pledges to end FGMpublished at 05:30 British Summer Time 4 June 2019

    Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has said he wants to see an end to Female Genital Mutilation by the end of his time in power in 2022.

    He was speaking to the Women Deliver conference in Vancouver, Canada, and his official Twitter account quotes him as saying that he hopes "to put an end" to FGM:

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    FGM has been against the law in Kenya since 2011 but the practice continues.

    Campaign group 28 Too Many, external says that one in five Kenyan women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone FGM but the numbers are falling.

    The president did not outline how reducing the rate to zero will be achieved.

    Mr Kenyatta also pledged to help make Kenya are more equal society when it comes to the treatment of women.

    "We need to make the society understand that women are as capable as men. We have to create an enabling environment and the opportunity for them to serve," his Twitter account quotes him as saying.

    Read more: What is FGM, where does it happen and why?

  6. Good morningpublished at 05:28 British Summer Time 4 June 2019

    Welcome to BBC Africa Live where we'll be keeping you up to date with news and developments on the continent.

  7. Scroll down for Monday's storiespublished at 18:06 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    We'll be back on Tuesday

    BBC Africa Live
    Naima Mohamud, Esther Namuhisa and Damian Zane

    That's all from BBC Africa Live for now. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or check BBCAfrica.com.

    A reminder of our wise words of the day:

    Quote Message

    A knife does not know who its master is."

    A Ghanaian proverb sent by Baptista Sarah Gebu, Accra, Ghana

    Click here and scroll to the bottom to send us your African proverbs.

    And we leave you with this image of a girl in a pink dress in Kibera, Nairobi, taken by Kelvin Juma:

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  8. Caster Semenya can compete after Swiss court rulingpublished at 18:03 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    BBC Sport

    Caster Semenya gestures on the race trackImage source, Getty Images

    Caster Semenya will not need to take testosterone-reducing medication to compete, after a Swiss court temporarily suspended a new IAAF ruling.

    The Olympic 800m champion, 28, last month lost her challenge to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) against the implementation of a restriction on testosterone levels in female runners.

    The ruling would have affected women competing from 400m to the mile.

    "I hope following my appeal I will once again be able to run free," she said.

    "I am thankful to the Swiss judges for this decision."

    Read the full article here.

  9. Turning a blind eye on Sudanpublished at 17:27 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    An analysis

    Fergal Keane
    BBC Africa editor

    Soldiers in vehiclesImage source, Getty Images

    This is a moment foreshadowed by weeks of steadily escalating intimidation and violence by state security forces. It has witnessed the ascendancy of the worst elements of Sudan’s military regime.

    Much of the violence appears to have been carried out by the Rapid Support Force (RSF) under the command of Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo - known as Hemedti - a warlord notorious for his actions in Darfur. He is personally ruthless and has the absolute loyalty of his forces, mostly drawn from the same rural background as himself.

    So far there has been no attempt by the leaders of the regular armed forces to stop the crackdown. They have either been coerced, cajoled or have a vested interest in standing by.

    None of this could have happened without the nod from the regime’s regional backers in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

    Saudi and UAE loans have given the military economic breathing space in recent months. And there will be more cash if needed. It is significant that Hemedti was a recent visitor to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammad bin Salman. He is a welcome figure in the Kingdom due to his support for the war against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

    To these regional players scared of the Sudan’s democratic “contagion” Hemedti is offering just the kind of “stability” they want: a society in which dissent is muzzled and power is exercised by an embedded elite.

    But what about the dynamics within the Transitional Military Council? There may be divergences between generals. Some may have favoured a less bloody approach. But it is fanciful to think that any of the senior figures wanted a swift transition to civilian rule. They had too much to lose in terms of power and privilege.

    The strategy was to drag out negotiations and to wear down the Forces of Freedom and Change. In parallel with this Hemedti’s forces steadily increased their harassment of the protestors. Rhetoric about ending “chaos” became a mantra that would eventually be used as a justification for today’s brutal scenes.

    As for the international community it is better to say there is no “community” when it comes to Sudan. Instead there is a collection of interests. The EU and the British will deplore the violence but not much more.

    The Russians and Chinese will protect their interests and maintain their customary silence over gross abuses of human rights in Sudan. American policy is distracted and incoherent and compromised by the alliance with the Saudis and Egyptians. The African Union has called for peace and a pathway to civilian rule. But I will be surprised if it takes action to sanction Sudan.

  10. The hijabi basketballer who changed the rulespublished at 17:21 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    Media caption,

    Asma Elbadawi: The hijabi basketballer who changed the rules

    Basketballer Asma Elbadawi battled the sport's governing body to allow hijabs on-court.

    The hijabi basketballer who changed the rules

    Basketballer Asma Elbadawi battled the sport's governing body to allow hijabs on-court.

    Read More
  11. Donors pledge $1.2bn to help rebuild Mozambiquepublished at 16:50 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    Jose Tembe
    BBC Africa, Maputo

    Cyclone hit area in MozambiqueImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Mozambique was badly hit by cyclones Kenneth and Idai

    International donors have pledged to contribute $1.2bn (£950m) to help rebuild areas and infrastructure destroyed by cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique, the UN says.

    It is less than half of the $3.2bn required by the Mozambican government.

    The announcement was made by President Filipe Nyusi at the International Conference of Donors in the city of Beira on Monday. Beira is one of the areas worst hit by the cyclones.

    The two-day conference brought together around 700 participants from international organisations, private sectors and civil societies.

    In his address, President Nyusi thanked all those who had pledged to help and encouraged everyone to continue raising the remaining amount required for a complete reconstruction.

    He promised transparency in fund management.

  12. Former apartheid police officer to stand trial for murderpublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    Pumza Fihlani
    BBC News, Johannesburg

    The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has dismissed the application by former apartheid security police officer Joao Rodrigues for a permanent stay of prosecution, meaning he will stand trial for murder.

    Mr Rodrigues is accused of being involved in the killing of anti-apartheid activist and teacher Ahmed Timol.

    Mr Timol died in 1971 after falling from the 10th floor of the Johannesburg Central police station, then known as John Vorster Square.

    Apartheid-era police were infamous for torturing and detaining activists there, with a number of people dying under suspicious circumstances in police custody.

    During the first inquest into Mr Timol’s death more than 47 years ago, Mr Rodrigues denied that he pushed Mr Timol out the window saying he “dived”. But for years the Timol's family believed he had been killed, and in 2017 successfully had the inquest reopened by another judge.

    Judge Bully Mothle found that Mr Timol had in fact been murdered – paving the way for criminal proceedings to be brought against the former police officer – who he said had committed perjury at both inquests.

    If the trial goes ahead, 80-year-old Rodrigues will be one of the few people to be prosecuted for a high-profile apartheid crime.

    Anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol's nephew at the Pretoria High Court in 2017Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol's nephew at the Pretoria High Court in 2017 - Timol's family have always maintained he was murdered

  13. Moroccan police arrest three IS suspectspublished at 15:28 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    Moroccan anti-terror police have arrested three suspects accused of being part of a cell affiliated to the Islamic State group, news agency AFP reports.

    The men, arrested on Monday, are accused of attempting to recruit and enroll people in their "terrorist plan" and were "in the process of preparing terrorist attacks in the kingdom", AFP quotes the police as saying.

    The news comes as a suspected leader of a jihadist cell told a Moroccan court on Friday that he beheaded one of the two women found murdered in the High Atlas mountains in December.

    He is on trial along with 23 other alleged Islamists.

  14. Zuma 'involved' in setting up news channelpublished at 15:02 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    Milton Nkosi
    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    Jacob ZumaImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Jacob Zuma

    Former South African President Jacob Zuma received up-to-date briefings about the setting up and the editorial developments at the now defunct Gupta channel ANN7, former editor of the channel said.

    Rajesh Sundaram was testifying at the State Capture Inquiry led by the deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo.

    Mr Sundaram was brought in from India to help launch the 24-TV News channel owned by the controversial Gupta family who had close relations with former president Zuma.

    He told the inquiry that Mr Zuma was actively involved in setting up the channel to be a "propaganda mouthpiece" for the former head of state.

    “After I came in here I got a sense that the president was much more directly involved than I had thought,” he said.

    Mr Sundaram is author of the book titled Indentured – Behind the scenes at Gupta TV,from which he was quoting today.

    He said that the Guptas enjoyed very good ties with president Zuma. “They seemed to know everyone in the family on a first name basis,” he explained.

    “I now have regrets that I was part of a team that was a mafia.”

  15. Ghana police arrest man who enters church with a gunpublished at 14:29 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    Favour Nunoo
    BBC Pidgin

    Police have arrested a man who entered a busy Catholic church with a loaded pistol in Hamile, Upper West Region of Ghana.

    The man, from Burkina Faso, was arrested on Sunday after a congregant tipped off the police having observed suspicious activity from the suspect.

    Police say two rounds of ammunition were discovered in the firearm.

    "The suspect claims he only entered the church to worship and had no intention of using the firearm," Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service, David Eklu, told the BBC.

    The suspect told police the firearm was registered in Burkina Faso and he was in Ghana to conduct business.

    The incident has stirred up suspicions among residents of the Upper West region who have been on high alert following recent attacks on churches in Burkina Faso.

    Police said they can neither confirm nor rule out the possibility of the individual having links with a militant group.

    What is behind church attacks in Burkina Faso?

  16. Liberian talk-show host turns down security escort offerpublished at 13:54 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    Jonathan Paye-Layleh
    BBC Africa, Monrovia

    A talk-show host in Liberia has turned down the government's offer of daily police and security escort.

    The offer came after T-Max Jlateh, host of the country's longest-running talk-show "50-50", received a chain of death threats via text messages for speaking out against President George Weah's administration.

    An MP from the ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) phoned into the programme to dissociate the party from the threats.

    T-Max Jlateh’s programme raises social and political issues to generate public debate.

    Another famous talk-show host, Mary Williams, recently complained about having received a death threat directly from a government minister.

    T-Max JlatehImage source, Facebook
    Image caption,

    T-Max Jlateh is a popular personality in Liberia

  17. Western powers condemn Khartoum crackdownpublished at 12:42 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    Will Ross
    Africa editor, BBC World Service

    Protesters standing near a small fire in the streets of KhartoumImage source, Getty

    The United States' embassy in Khartoum has condemned the violence, saying attacks against protesters and other civilians are wrong and must stop.

    In part of a tweet that has now been deleted, the US embassy blamed the Sudanese military for the violence and said it could not responsibly lead the people of Sudan.

    The European Union called on Sudan's military leaders to allow people to protest peacefully and urged a speedy transfer of power to civilians.

    The British Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, described the attack on protesters as an outrageous step that he said would lead to more polarisation and violence.

    Egypt, which is a key ally of the transitional military council in Sudan, was less critical of the violence, but called for calm and a return to dialogue.

  18. Sudan protesters cut contact with militarypublished at 11:42 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    The leaders of the protest movement in Sudan say they are cutting off contact with the military in the wake of Monday morning's violence in Khartoum, in which at least 12 demonstrators are reported to have died.

    The pro-democracy activists were negotiating with the military over the make up of the administration that was to oversee the transition to democracy.

    People raising their armsImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Protesters have come out in different parts of the capital, Khartoum

  19. Kenya bank defends new currencypublished at 11:15 British Summer Time 3 June 2019

    Georgie Ndirangu
    BBC Africa

    100 shilling note

    The introduction over the weekend of new notes in Kenya with new security features to replace the current notes has already caused controversy.

    The move is being challenged in court over the fact that it features a statue of the country's first president, Jomo Kenyatta.

    The constitution says notes should not feature the portrait of an individual.

    But the withdrawal of the old 1,000 shilling note by 1 October has been a bigger source of disquiet.

    On Monday morning, the central bank defended its right to withdraw the currency after the court challenge.

    Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge says the so-called demonetisation followed all applicable laws and called the court battle an inconvenience.

    He says there will be enough cash available countrywide to avoid a shortage.

    Some opposition politicians and ambassadors including the US and UK envoys have publicly endorsed this new legal tender, terming it as one more step towards curbing theft of government funds.

    500 shilling note

    President Kenyatta has faced widespread criticism for large-scale corruption in his government and the demonetisation is seen as a direct response to that.

    Officials and well connected businessmen in corrupt cartels are believed hold hundreds of millions of illegally obtained shillings in cash.

    Withdrawing the 1,000 shilling note is expected to close many money laundering avenues as the old notes have to be exchanged for the new notes..

    Demonetisation has happened in other parts of the world such as when the European Union adopted the euro.

    In Nigeria, an anti-corruption crackdown was conducted by Muhammadu Buhari in 1984 when he was military head of state that saw old notes banned.

    Ghana did the same in 1982 to help with tax evasion.

    In 2016, India’s 1.3 billion people experienced a currency change overnight,exposing the country to months of financial difficulties.

    The Indian government however maintains that demonetisation was necessary and they saw huge success with handling tax evasion, cutting terrorism funding, and moving towards a cashless economy.