Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, Noticias

Mozambican relief authorities say 11 people have died and almost 2,700 have been left homeless because of flooding in the past week.

It follows intense rains across the country caused by Tropical Storm Dumako between 15 and 22 February.

The worst-affected provinces are Niassa, Nampula and Zambézia.

In total 34 houses were fully destroyed, 292 were partially damaged and 111 submerged, said Nelma Araújo, spokeswoman for the national disaster agency.

The weather also forced the closure of three accommodation centres in Nampula.

Since the beginning of the rainy and cyclone season in October, Mozambique has registered rains, strong winds, atmospheric discharges, fires and Tropical Storms Ana and Dumako.

These weather events have affected more than 250,000 people and caused 72 deaths and 251 injuries, Ms Araújo said.

BBC World Service

A commission established by the military government in Burkina Faso is to recommend a 30-month transition period before the country returns to constitutional rule.

During this period, Burkina Faso will continue to be led by the officer who seized power last month, Col Paul-Henri Damiba.

The commission also recommended the establishment of a small government and legislative body - with a maximum of 20 and 50 members respectively.

In January, Burkina Faso became the third nation in West Africa after Mali and Guinea to suffer a military takeover in less than 18 months.

Burkina Faso been suspended by the regional bloc, Ecowas, which has called the junta to establish a reasonable timetable for returning to constitutional order.

Related stories:

• Who is Burkina Faso coup leader Lt-Col Damiba?
• Return of the military strongmen to West Africa
• Why France faces so much anger in the region
• Russian mercenary plan triggers alarm in West Africa

BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

A campaign group says a pregnancy centre in Ivory Coast is misinforming women about their right to an abortion.

The British-based openDemocracy has accused Étoile du Matin, which is linked to a radical Christian group from the US, of telling women abortion was illegal under all circumstances.

Ivory Coast permits women to terminate their pregnancies if they have been raped, or if their life is at risk.

An Ivorian senator, Mamadou Kano, said the government should investigate Étoile du Matin and its pregnancy centre.

The group has not commented on the allegations.

"Kenya proved to be a dedicated friend of Ukraine," the European country's ambassador to the East African nation has said following Russia's invasion.

"We very much appreciate your support in these difficult times," Ambassador Andrii Pravednyk said in a speech in Nairobi during which he called on the international community to:

• "Implement devastating sanctions on Russia now without any delay"
• "Fully isolate Russia by all means in all formats"
• "Provide Ukraine with weapons and equipment"

• Give "financial aid and humanitarian assistance".

"The security of citizens in the entire Europe and the future of the world order depend on our joint response," Mr Pravednyk added.

Earlier this week Kenya's ambassador to the UN, Martin Kimani, condemned Russia's aggression - seeing in Ukraine's current "situation echoes of our own history" of colonisation and the threat of "new forms of domination and aggression":

Image source, Images supplied

Two Nigerian musicians have been arrested after a raid on their homes on Thursday by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Zinoleesky and Mohbad, two of the country's rising Afrobeats stars are accused of possessing "cannabis and molly" [MDMA], the force said.

Its spokesman Femi Babafemi told the BBC that both men had not been charged and that the agency will determine if they are to be charged to court or rehabilitated after investigations.

At least three other women, believed to be associates of the musicians, were also arrested in the raid, the NDLEA said.

Zinoleesky - real name Oniyide Azeez - and Mobad - whose name is Ilerioluwa Oladimeji - have not commented publicly but a video recording during their arrest has surfaced online.

The recording shows one of the musicians, believed to be Zinoleesky, protesting against the handcuffs used on him by NDLEA officials. A scuffle seemed to ensue before both men were taken away.

Fans online have complained, saying the NDLEA's treatment of the pair is heavy-handed.

Last month, a comedian charged by the NDLEA after a similar drug-related arrest was convicted but not sentenced by the judge who deemed the amount found on him was insignificant.

The fourth cyclone to hit Madagascar in a month has damaged houses and crops, and raised fears of fresh floods.

A senior official from the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), Denis Bariyanga, says about 160,000 households have been affected by the severe weather.

Cyclone Emnati made landfall late on Tuesday night, bringing winds of over 100km/h (62 mph), heavy rain and high waves.

More than 30,000 people were evacuated from the country's south-eastern coast before the storm hit.

The IFRC says there is a pressing need to find food, clean water and bedding for the people who've been displaced. Madagascar is prone to seasonal cyclones between November and April every year.

Here is Cyclone Emnati's expected path:

Thomas Naadi
BBC News, Accra

Ghana’s foreign ministry has urged Ghanaian students in Ukraine to seek shelter in their homes or in designated government places of shelter, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

More than 1,000 Ghanaian nationals are currently studying or working in Ukraine, the ministry says, external, adding that it is "gravely concerned" for their safety.

But Ghana's national student union wants the government to go a step further and evacuate Ghanaian students from the conflict zone until calm is restored in the region.

"We believe that the model used for the evacuation of students from China at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic could be adopted," the National Union of Ghana Students said in a statement:

Alfred Lasteck
BBC News, Dar es Salaam

Image source, AFP

Tanzania's communications regulator is developing a software application to help mobile internet users monitor and keep track of their data usage.

The move follows grievances from Tanzanians who have been complaining that their data bundles keep running out within a short period of time.

The app by Tanzania’s Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) will be ready by end of March, said Emmanuel Manase, TCRA’s director of industrial affairs.

He also directed all mobile operators to develop their own software tools to help customers monitor data bundle usage - as a way of reducing public complaints.

A Nigerian living in Ukraine, Olutobi Fatonade, has told the BBC that many of the people he knows are planning to leave the country because of the conflict with Russia.

He said that he himself had a sister who is a British citizen and so he was planning to travel to the UK "until everything dies down".

Mr Fatonade graduated in 2017 as a medical doctor. He's currently a music producer in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

"Most of the people I know are trying to go back to Nigeria and there are others who have nowhere to go," he told BBC Focus of Africa radio.

Mr Fatonade said people were however hoping that "matters do not escalate" further.

Here's the full interview:

Image source, Getty Images

A Moroccan appeals court has confirmed a five-year jail term against journalist Soulaimane Raissouni for indecent assault in a case criticised by human rights advocates.

Mr Raissouni has maintained his innocence over the allegations against him, which he and his supporters say are politically motivated.

He is an outspoken critic of the government and among several journalists to have been jailed for sex crimes.

He was arrested nearly two years ago and convicted last July.

He refused food for 122 days as a protest against what he said was the "injustice" dealt to him.

He ended the hunger strike after his health deteriorated sharply.

The government insists his trial was fair.

South African Nkosana Makate is in line for a huge pay-out after a 14-year court battle with Vodacom.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has officially endorsed opposition leader Raila Odinga to succeed him in the presidential elections set for 9 August.

President Kenyatta urged his supporters to back Mr Odinga's bid saying that he had the best interests of the country at heart.

He said Mr Odinga understood where the country was heading, and that he would therefore be at peace to hand him the "leadership mantle".

This will be the fifth time Mr Odinga is running for president, and many believe it will be his last.

He will vie under the Azimio la Umoja (Swahili for "pledge of unity") alliance, which is made up of 10 parties, including his Orange Democratic Movement and Mr Kenyatta’s Jubilee.

The president's backing of Mr Odinga has led to the political isolation of Deputy President William Ruto, who will also be seeking the presidency under the United Democratic Alliance.

The president and his deputy have been estranged since the president reconciled with Mr Odinga in the aftermath of the 2017 election.

Somali government spokesman Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimu has returned home from Turkey where he had been receiving treatment for wounds he sustained in an attack.

The former BBC journalist was targeted by Islamist militants in mid-January.

Officials from the office of the prime minister and media personnel welcomed him at Mogadishu's Aden Adde airport:

Somalia’s Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble received Mr Moalimu at his office and expressed his happiness that the government spokesperson had recovered.

Mr Roble wished Mr Moalimu success in his efforts to serve his country.

Read more on this topic:

• Somali survivor: The resilience of living through serial suicide attacks

Image source, Getty Images

Tributes are pouring in for popular South African rapper Riky Rick, who has died at 34.

His family in a statement confirmed his death, which occurred early on Wednesday, "with profound sadness" and asked for privacy and prayers. No cause of death was stated.

The death of the rapper, whose real name is Rikhado Makhado, came after he had posted a final tweet saying he would "return stronger. This land is still my home".

The star revealed in 2020 that he had been struggling with depression following the death of his father.

He had been due to host his second sold-out music festival, called Cotton Fest, next month.

South African fans said his legacy was investing in and uplifting young talent in the community, and creating a healthy and successful black music industry.

Fellow artist P Kuttah in a tribute thanked him "for everything you did for the culture, for always pushing boundaries of SA music and being a positive light in the industry".

Chad de Don said: "Your energy was unmatched. Thanks for everything you did brother. Hate it ended this way."

Our proverb of the day:

Image source, AFP

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

Holders Nigeria will defend their Women's Nations Cup title, while Botswana, Burkina Faso and Togo qualify for the first time.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now. We'll be back on Thursday morning with the latest news updates from around the continent.

In the meantime you can check the BBC News website, or listen to our Africa Today podcast.

A reminder of our wise words of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

We leave you with this photo of a woman walking through the streets of Maputo, Mozambique, by photographer Grég Escande:

Image source, Getty Images

Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed about 2.5 sq km (1 sq m) of cannabis farms in Ondo state in the south-west of the country.

"Thirteen suspects were arrested and 250kg of cannabis seeds as well as 63.85kg (of) cannabis weeds were recovered," the AFP news agency quotes the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, as saying.

The operation was conducted deep inside five major forests, which Nigerian media outlet PM News, external lists as Omolowo/Powerline forest, Ipele, Ala, Ogbese forest and Utte and Okuluse forest.

The operation took place from 15 February until 21 February, Mr Babafemi said.

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Tunisia has withdrawn from cinemas a new film starring the Israeli actress Gal Gadot.

The decision had been taken following protests by activists who say Gadot served in the Israeli army and supports Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, the Culture Ministry said.

The film, a new adaptation of the murder mystery Death on the Nile by the British author Agatha Christie, has already been banned in Kuwait and Lebanon.

Tunisia, which hosts some major festivals to celebrate Arab and international films, also banned the 2017 film Wonder Woman, which featured Gal Gadot in the lead role.

Brian Osweta
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, Getty Images

Nearly half of new mothers in Nigeria, two in five Moroccan mothers and more than a fifth of South African mothers have been advised by a health professional to feed their babies a formula product, a joint study by the joint World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) has found.

“This report shows very clearly that formula milk marketing remains unacceptably pervasive, misleading and aggressive,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Health professionals in Nigeria and Morocco have reported that contact with baby formula companies was extremely common in public and private health care settings.

The report surveyed 8,500 parents and pregnant women, and 300 health workers in cities across the world including in Bangladesh, China, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

“We need robust policies, legislation and investments in breastfeeding to ensure that women are protected from unethical marketing practices - and have access to the information and support they need to raise their families.” said Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Breast milk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses.

The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months as the most effective way to ensure child health and survival.

Breastfed children are said to perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight and less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers.