Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Image source, Getty Images

The World Health Organization (WHO) says sub-Saharan Africa has witnessed a significant decrease in Covid-19 cases and deaths over the past two weeks.

Omicron - the highly infectious coronavirus variant first detected in November - has lead to more cases worldwide.

Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt, which are all in northern Africa, are still witnessing a surge.

Countries in southern Africa have seen a decline in new virus cases by 41%, according to the WHO’s Covid-19 Incident Manager in South Sudan Sacha Bootsma.

East Africa has seen a reduction by 47%, central Africa by 68% and West Africa by 60%.

Ms Bootsma said around 336 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been administered in Africa - representing about 65% of the available doses.

Some 143 million people are fully vaccinated which is around 10.6% of the continent’s population.

Africa accounts for 3.4% of the 9.9 billion Covid-19 vaccines doses that have been administered globally.

Favour Nunoo
BBC News Pidgin

Image source, Nancy Adobea Anane

A pregnant woman who unexpectedly gave birth on a plane flying from Ghana to the US was met with "shock and applause" from those around her, a passenger has told the BBC.

The new mother, who has not been named, gave birth prematurely to a baby boy on board the flight and received further medical care upon landing in Washington DC.

Journalist Nancy Adobea Anane told BBC News Pidgin of the initial confusion among passengers when an on-board announcement was made.

"Most of them heard the call for assistance from medical personnel but didn't know what was going on," she said. "I became anxious for the safety of the baby and mother, and the possibility of a detour for an emergency landing."

Hearing the request for help, a Ghanaian doctor who practises in the US, set about converting Business Class into temporary maternity unit.

"Myself, a nurse and the flight attendants... took [the mother] slowly through the process and she delivered a beautiful baby boy," Dr Stephen Ansah-Addo said.

Aboubakar Famau
BBC News, Dodoma

Image source, Tanzania parliament

Tanzanian MPs have elected a new parliamentary speaker after the previous one resigned following a fallout with President Samia Suluhu.

Tulia Ackson, who had been deputising in the role, now becomes the second female speaker in the history of the East African nation's parliament.

Her predecessor Job Ndugai made remarks about the country's borrowing that angered President Samia.

Ms Ackson trounced eight other candidates in the vote.

She won by landslide with 376 votes. The parliament has 393 members.

Sierra Leone captain Umaru Bangura says fans will "torture you and vandalise your properties" if you miss a penalty.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

About 2.4 million of the 12 million school-age children in Mozambique are not in education, the country's President Felipe Nyusi has said.

Girls and children with special needs and those living with disabilities make up the highest numbers of children not in school, he said, adding that his government is hiring more teachers to improve the student-teacher ratio in an effort to make quality education available for all.

Mozambique has had numerous attacks by militants and natural calamities like cyclones that have damaged property. Some 778 schools have been damaged by Tropical Storm Ana in Zambézia, Tete, Manica, Sofala and Nampula provinces.

On Monday the president opened a new secondary school in the town of Boane that was named after him and financed by a private company, the Mozal aluminium smelter.

Image source, Mozambique Presidency

A Tanzanian comedian has told BBC Swahili how her son is embarrassed by the nature of her work.

Tabu Mtingita says she advises her son to concentrate on his studies and pursue his own career of choice.

At 41, she has attracted a large following online with her comedy skits. Yet she says she has been bullied online and called out for acting at her age.

Mtingita says she often cries in the toilet when people post mean comments after she posts a photo of her younger husband.

Mtingita says she has defied the odds and now earns a living and is able to take care of her son with money earned from her talent.

Her parents who have since died were opposed to her becoming a comedian.

She says she faces a lot of criticism but stands tall as she has a vision to become a top comedian.

Mary Harper
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

France is reviewing its military presence in Mali following the expulsion of the French ambassador by the junta which seized power last year.

Paris and its European partners will make a decision by mid-February on whether to withdraw some or all of the troops serving in a special-forces unit, called Operation Barkhane, which fights Islamist militants.

Mali asked the ambassador to leave following what it described as "outrageous" comments by the French foreign minister, who described the military leadership as "illegitimate" and "out of control".

Paris has already started scaling back its force of more than five-thousand troops who fight Islamists across the Sahel.

You may also be interested in:

• Why France faces so much anger in West Africa
• Mali's coup is cheered at home but upsets neighbours
• Russian mercenary plan triggers alarm in West Africa

Samba Cyuzuzo
BBC Great Lakes

Image source, AFP

The excitement about Rwanda and Uganda's shared border reopening on Monday has fizzled out after only a few people were allowed to cross.

Both Ugandans and Rwandans were happy about the new development and a lot of movement of people and goods was expected.

But Chris Baryomunsi, Uganda’s information minister, tells the BBC Great Lakes that he “doesn’t know the reason” why people didn’t cross as had been expected.

He says he was expecting big movements “because both countries agreed to reopen their borders”.

Rwandan authorities have blamed the issue on Covid protocols. A senior official however told the BBC that there were “a few more things to finalise with Uganda before Rwandans are allowed across”.

On possible unresolved issues, the Ugandan minister said “we will have to solve it so that we normalise the relations between the two brotherly countries,” he said.

Rwandan authorities decided to close its busiest land border with Uganda in early 2019 arising from political tensions. The country decided to reopen it last week, a few days after the Ugandan president sent his son, an army general, to meet President Paul Kagame.

In the three years that the border was closed, more than 10 people, including two women, were shot dead by Rwandan security forces. The authorities said the victims "trying to smuggle goods" were shot while escaping arrest or fighting security officers.

On Monday, Jean Paul Mugabo, who was unable to cross to Uganda, told the BBC that while the events of the day was a big step, "[the conflict] might not be over yet”.

Rhoda Ahimbisibwe, whose husband Sidney Muhereza was shot dead on the Rwanda side in June 2020, has asked the authorities to reconcile.

“We are one people… We theordinary people need to be able to work together again,” she told the BBC.

Alfred Lasteck
BBC News, Dar es Salaam

Former BBC Swahili journalist Zuhura Yunus has been appointed as director of Tanzania's presidential communication.

She takes over from Jaffar Haniu who will take up other responsibilities.

Ms Yunus recently wrote a biography of Biubwa Amour Zahor, a female political activist during the 1964 Zanzibar revolution.

The renowned journalist left the BBC this year after 14 years.

She started out as a radio presenter and producer in 2008.

She made history in 2014 when she became the first woman to anchor Dira TV news bulletin.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

The Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) bloc's Climate Services Centre (CSC) has warned of heavy rainfall that could be triggered by an impending tropical storm, called Batsirai.

The CSC said Batsirai is evolving from the south-western Indian Ocean.

Countries in the region that are likely to be affected are Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Angola, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

The warning was issued just a few days after tropical storm Ana killed dozens of people and caused massive destruction in the region.

A UN official said the deadly storm showed the reality of the climate crisis.

Ferdinand Omondi
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, MET POLICE

Kenya has extradited two British nationals to the UK where they are wanted on suspicion of murder.

The men were arrested last week in Nairobi's upmarket Kilimani area, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said.

Kenyan police said an international arrest warrant had been issued against them in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old boy, identified as Alex Smith, in the London suburb of Camden back in 2019.

The UK's Metropolitan Police say they believe one of the two arrested fugitives carried out the actual stabbing.

The other suspect is alleged to have been riding in one of two stolen cars involved in the incident.

Two other men are already serving their sentences in the UK for their role in the murder.

Image source, Getty Images

A day after the African Union joined regional bloc Ecowas in suspending Burkina Faso as member over last week's coup, reports indicate that the military junta that took power has dismissed the army and intelligence chiefs.

The former army chief, Brig Gen Gilbert Ouédraogo, has been replaced by the head of the junta Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba - who will also serve as the country's president.

The junta - which is officially known as the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration (MPSR) - also sacked intelligence chief Sr Col Francois Ouédraogo.

He was replaced by Sr Col Cyprien Kaboré, a member of the junta.

The junta also restored the country's constitution, which was suspended after it ousted the president during the 23 January coup.

There's been concern about the health of Burkina Faso's ousted President Roch Kaboré and demands for his release from house arrest. On Monday envoys from West Africa and the UN said they had met him in the country.

Image source, AFP

South Africa will no longer require people who test positive for Covid and don't show symptoms to isolate, according to new regulations announced by the government.

The country has also reduced to seven from 10 the number of days required to isolate for those showing symptoms.

This follows a "substantial" rise in the proportion of people with immunity against Covid, according to a statement issued after a special cabinet meeting on Monday.

For the first time since the pandemic began, schools will be reopening fully from Tuesday – and the provision for a 1m (3ft) social distancing has been removed.

The ministers of health and basic education are expected to issue more directives in the coming days on the new approach, according to the presidency.

South Africa has recorded more than 3.6 million Covid infections and over 9,000 deaths, the highest rate in the continent.

Our proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

That's all for now from the BBC Africa Live team until Tuesday morning Nairobi time.

You can keep up with events on our website or listen to the Africa Today podcast.

Here's a reminder of Monday's wise words:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this shot of Senegal fans helping to set the tempo during Sunday night's knockout Africa Cup of Nations match against Equatorial Guinea:

Image source, AFP

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Envoys from West Africa and the UN say they have met the ousted president in Burkina Faso.

Roch Kaboré has been under house arrest in the capital, Ouagadougou, since he was overthrown by the army a week ago.

A member of the Ecowas-UN delegation told AFP news agency that the envoys had met the military junta, after which some went to see Mr Kaboré.

There's been concern about Mr Kaboré's wellbeing and demands for his release.

Emery Makumeno
BBC News, Kinshasa

The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched construction of its first deep-water port.

The port of Banana is a $1bn (£750m) project that is intended to boost local and international trade.

The contractor, Dubai Port World, will be completing the first phase of the infrastructure by 2025.

This 18-metre deep seaport is located on an isthmus, at the mouth of the Congo River, a narrow strip of land with the Atlantic Ocean, on one side and the Congo River on the other.

According to Chérubin Okende, DR Congo's transportation minister, the port of Banana represents an opportunity to boost investment and trade.

Many here believe that the infrastructure will help lower the prices of imported goods and equipment in the country.

The delivery of the first phase of the deep-water port is expected in three years.

For decades, DR Congo relied on other African countries for the docking of sea-liners and container ships.

The second largest country in Africa has been expecting this infrastructure for more than four decades.

Kennedy Gondwe
BBC News

The Zambian government says the controversial open-pit copper mining project in the Lower Zambezi National Park will go ahead.

Many conservationists and civil society organizations have opposed the Kangaluwi Open Pit Mining Project by Australian-based company, Zambezi Resources Limited.

In 2019, thousands of people signed a petition against it.

But Zambia's green economy and environment minister, Collins Nzovu, has told privately owned Radio Phoenix that after exhausting legal processes and the courts dismissing an appeal to stop the proposed large scale open-pit mine, the project will now go ahead.

He says the state has been left with no option but to monitor the situation and ensure the developer operates within strict conditions.

Zambians have taken to Twitter to express their feelings, many in opposition:

According to earth.org, the proposed site for the mine lies inside an International Conservation Union category II protected area in south-eastern Zambia, on the Zambezi River.

The Lower Zambezi National Park provides refuge to globally threatened wildlife species such as elephants and wild dogs and is home to unique vegetation types including the only protected and intact lowland deciduous thickets in the southern African region.

The organization warns that the potential long-term impact of this mine and the environmental threat it poses to the renewable resources of the Zambezi River ecosystem far outweigh any short-term economic benefits.

River pollution caused by the mine could threaten the Zambezi river’s 2,000-tonne subsistence fishery, which provides food and protein security to 20,000 people along the river’s banks, adds earth.org.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Sixteen people, who became stranded when the riverbank they were on became surrounded by water, have been rescued, Mozambican authorities say.

The administrator of Chemba district, Paulo Quembo, said that two boats were sent on Monday to the site on the Zambezi River in order to avoid a tragedy.

He said that these people had been warned about the danger of flooding as a result of the rise in the river, but they turned a deaf ear.

In addition to agricultural fields, the floods destroyed 16 houses whose owners are in temporary reception centres.

The administrator of Chemba said that circulation was restricted on some roads.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Sudanese security forces killed a 27-year-old man during protests on Sunday against the 25 October military coup, medics and state media report.

A doctors’ union said, external demonstrators defied a ban to come out in their thousands in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere.

The authorities had banned protests in central Khartoum, a move dismissed by pro-democracy activists.

The death of the protester was also confirmed by the police, according to the state-run Suna news agency.

Officials said protesters had attacked a police station in the city of Omdurman, breaking windows and damaging furniture. Police used tear gas to repulse the protesters.

The authorities said 62 police officers were injured in the latest demonstrations and 56 protesters arrested.

In a related development, Sudanese security forces have arrested two members of an opposition party for allegedly financing the protests.