Elections for a new president of Ivory Coast's football federation are postponed, leaving prospective candidate Didier Drogba in limbo.

Image source, AFP

At Nigeria's busiest airports in Lagos and Abuja, aircraft scheduled to fly on Tuesday were parked for hours waiting for fuel.

Two of Nigeria's biggest airlines, Air Peace and Arik Air, said they had to cancel some domestic flights and delay others as fuel shortages continue in the country, Reuters news agency reports.

Air Peace said it was likely to experience flight disruptions in the coming days.

"Unfortunately, the fuel scarcity is starting to seriously impact our operations," it said.

Arik Air on the other hand delayed nearly all its flights on Tuesday and cancelled others.

Despite being Africa's largest oil producer, Nigeria imports almost all its jet fuel.

Motorists have also been suffering from severe fuel shortages at the pumps for weeks.

Global oil prices have hit a 14-year peak after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

A critically endangered species of bat has been discovered in Rwanda's Nyungwe Forest after last being sighted 40 years ago.

The consortium which made the discovery, led by Bat Conservation International, first found the pair of Hill's Horshoe Bats in a cave in 2019, but took three years to verify that it was the species.

The bat, distinguished by what are described as "comical" facial features, had been feared extinct, and was listed as critically endangered last year.

Nyungwe park rangers have now installed detectors which "eavesdrop" on the nightly flights of the bats. The dense Rwandan rainforest is also home to endangered mountain gorillas.

Nicolas Negoce
BBC News

Image source, AFP

Mauritania's foreign ministry has accused Mali's army of crimes against its nationals after dozens of protesters said their fellow countrymen had been killed "in cold blood".

Mali's ambassador Mohamed Dibassy was called in to hear a "strong protest against the recent, recurring criminal acts", committed by the army following the disappearance of several Mauritanians just over the border, the ministry said.

In January, seven Mauritanians died in a border region, although after an inquiry, Bamako said there was no evidence linking its army to the deaths.

Another incident took place over the weekend when two Mauritanians were shot at on their way back to Abel Bagrou, near the Malian border.

Sources say some of the killed Mauritians were accused of links to jihadist groups operating in Mali.

The Jeune Afrique website says they were shot by a group “affiliated to Mali’s army” said to be Russia's Wagner Group, which is believed to be helping Mali tackle the Islamist militants.

Mali's ruling military junta has not reacted to Mauritania's accusations.

Since West African regional body Ecowas imposed sanctions on Mali because of the military takeover, Mauritania has been one of the few countries helping it get round the isolation.

Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Image source, Facebook

Lecturers at South Sudan's leading university, the University of Juba, have threatened to go on strike next week if they are not paid salary arrears of six months.

On Tuesday, all the gates of the two campuses of the university in the capital, Juba, were closed and students were not allowed to enter the premises. Lectures and exams were also suspended for the day.

University vice-chancellor Prof John Akec and faculty deans were seen in front of the university’s main entrance, holding placards and demanding the payment of their salary arrears.

The academics called on the Ministry of Finance and Planning to ensure that the six-month salary arrears due to university staff wrre paid by mid-March.

Lecturers at the five public universities in the county have been staging protests to demand the implementation of a new salary structure.

Dear Jeanne
BBC News, Kampala

President Yoweri Museveni's son has not retired from the Ugandan army despite his social media announcement, the army says.

Army spokesperson Brig Gen Felix Kulaigye said Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the commander of Uganda's land forces, is still active and has not even applied for retirement.

Gen Kainerugaba, widely believed to be Mr Museveni's successor, on Tuesday posted on Twitter that he had retired from the army after 28 years of service.

Hours after the tweet went viral, a video of the "First Son" with his close friend, journalist Andrew Mwenda, was released. In it Gen Kainerugaba insisted he will only retire in eight years.

Mwenda said the retirement tweet was an error by Gen Kainerugaba's social media handlers.

Despite the denials, many Ugandans continue to believe that Gen Kainerugaba has resigned to succeed his father in the next presidential election.

This is not the first time that Gen Kainerugaba has posted controversial tweets that raised criticism of him as both a military commander and the president's son.

BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

The United Nations has warned of a severe lack of funds to tackle Somalia's devastating drought which, it says, has been overshadowed by other crises in the world.

Following three successive seasons of poor rains, drought has affected 4.5 million people in Somalia.

But the UN says just 3% of the nearly $1.5bn (£1.1bn) it needs has been received.

Already hit by an invasion of locusts between 2019 and 2021 as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are all struggling with a serious drought.

Shingai Nyoka
BBC News, Harare

Image source, Getty Images

Zimbabwe's government has hiked fuel prices for the second time in a week, following rising oil prices on the international market.

With immediate effect, a litre of diesel will cost $1.68 (£1.28) up from US$1.51, while petrol will cost $1.67 per litre. Petrol prices have risen 10% in the last week and 18% since February.

The hike is expected to worsen inflation, which surged from 60% in January to 66% in February, meaning that the cost of living is rising.

Image source, Getty Images

Senegal's President Macky Sall, who is the current head of the African Union (AU), has spoken to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to urge a "lasting" ceasefire in Ukraine.

He is the second African leader to reveal that he has spoken to Mr Putin - the other is Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

In a tweet, Mr Sall said: "As president of the African Union, I am delighted about my talk this morning with President Putin to press for a lasting ceasefire.

"I commend him for listening and for his willingness to maintain dialogue for a negotiated outcome to the conflict."

Mr Sisi's office said his talks with Mr Putin focused on the Ukraine crisis, and on strengthening relations between the two nations.

After Russian troops entered Ukraine on 24 February, the AU issued a statement calling for Ukraine's territorial integrity to be respected and for international law to be upheld.

The West African regional bloc Ecowas said it condemned the invasion.

Justice Christopher, who played for Nigeria against England at the 2002 World Cup, has died suddenly at the age of 40.

South Africa face the prospect of losing their World Athletics Relays gold medals after Thando Dlodlo is banned for doping.

Image source, Getty

Ukraine plans to recall all its troops and equipment, including helicopters, from UN peacekeeping missions in Africa and Europe to help in the fight against Russian troops, Reuters news agency reports.

Local Ukrainian media said on Tuesday that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had issued an order for all Ukrainian soldiers and officers on UN peacekeeping missions to return home and join the resistance against the Russian forces

There are around 300 Ukrainian personnel active in six UN. missions. The biggest contingent of Ukrainians currently serve in the mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo known as Monusco.

It is made up of eight Ukrainian helicopters and a 250-member aviation unit, a Monusco spokesman told Reuters.

He added that they have received a Ukrainian notification recalling the troops.

A few other Ukrainians work in various capacities in UN missions in Mali, South Sudan, Sudan, Cyprus and Kosovo, the UN. peacekeeping website says.

It unclear how the Ukrainian withdrawal from DR Congo will impact on Monusco's capabilities, especially in the east where the helicopters are based.

Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have spoken about the latest developments in Ukraine, Egypt's presidency has said, Reuters news agency reports.

The two leaders also discussed strengthening ties between their nations through joint development projects, the presidency is quoted as saying.

Russia is currently facing a wave of sanctions from Western nations over its invasion of Ukraine.

Namibian Gracia Kibangu says she came out as queer during a beauty contest to live her truth.

Image source, Getty Images

A Nigerian student has described the fear - and devastation - in Ukraine's north-eastern city of Sumy after it came under attack from Russian troops.

Timmy was studying at Sumy State University and managed to escape the city and is headed to Hungary.

"It was very scary waking up every morning to bomb blasts. And when we're sleeping, I would literally just wake up to hear bomb blasts and we just jumped out [of bed]. It's so scary. We just wanted to leave the whole scenario and go back to our country," he told the BBC.

"We saw a lot of buildings, I think one of the hospitals... It was shelled I think in the last week or so. It was destroyed and a lot of other buildings, military bases were also destroyed in Sumy," he added.

Ukrainian officials said 22 people were killed overnight in a Russian air attack on Sumy.

The regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyi said the bombing had flattened six houses and badly damaged another 20.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed another temporary ceasefire in Sumy to allow civilians to flee.

Some eleven Tanzanian students who were stranded in the Ukrainian city of Sumy have arrived in Russia's capital, Moscow.

They were received by the Tanzanian ambassador to Russia Frederick Kibuta, according to Tanzania's foreign ministry.

Last week Tanzania announced its agreement with Russia to allow for the safe passage of its students stranded in Sumy, a city in north-eastern Ukraine.

The students were urged to head to Sudja where Russian troops would allow them to leave the country safely, according to a statement from Tanzania’s embassy in Moscow.

The total number of students stranded in Sumy was not stated, but they were asked to carry the Tanzanian flag for identification in case they encountered troops.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Campaign group Human Rights Watch says security forces in Chad killed at least 13 people and injured more than 80 others as they violently dispersed thousands of protesters in the east of the country.

January’s demonstration in the town of Abéché was against plans to appoint a new traditional chief.

The rights group says some of the soldiers who indiscriminately opened fire were members of the Chadian army, external while others were part of a joint force comprising troops from Sudan and Chad.

It says they used tear gas, assault rifles and machine guns.

A government minister said he regretted the deaths but denied the security forces had used live ammunition.

Police in Kenya have said the suspected ringleader of a sexual assault incident on a female motorist is on the run.

They have positively identified the suspect as one Zachariah Nyaora Obadia.

The police said he escaped from arrest through a sewer duct at an informal settlement where he lives in the capital, Nairobi.

The investigators said digital forensics experts had identified the suspect in the video and further investigations placed him at the scene.

"The suspect has also been positively identified by his wife and other relatives in his rural home, sexually assaulting the victim in the widely shared videotape," the police investigators tweeted.

President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the authorities to re-register all motorbike taxi operators after the assault incident.

Police have arrested dozens of operators who were said to have been involved and hundreds others were arrested in a crackdown over non-compliance.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has urged security forces in the country to be ‘’more pro-active’’ following the killing of more than 60 members of vigilante groups by gunmen in the north-west of the country.

Mr Buhari condemned the killings, describing them as brutal murder by outlaws.

The latest violence happened in Kebbi state on Sunday night when gunmen killed members of groups set up to protect villages against attacks by armed gangs.

A local official in Takita village in Kebbi State, Umaru Garba, told the BBC the vigilante volunteers were pursuing the gunmen who had just abducted people and stolen cattle.

They were then ambushed by the gunmen - some of whom had taken positions on trees and in shrubs. They shot dead members of the self-defence vigilante groups.

The security forces say they have been bombarding and raiding the armed gangs' forest hideouts.

Al Ahly's South African coach Pitso Mosimane extends his stay with the Egyptian giants until 2024.