Image source, AFP

Looking at the continent as a whole there are too often "cases of arbitrary censorship, especially on the internet with occasional network shutdowns in some countries, arrests of journalists and violent attacks", press freedom charity Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says, external.

In its annual report, released on World Press Freedom Day, RSF says there is a wide variety of experiences for journalists across Africa.

Seychelles is the top-ranking African nation in RSF's global index - at number 13 out of 180 countries.

It says that the island nation "is one of the very rare African countries in which most journalists are women".

Namibia is next on this list - at number 18. Both Seychelles and Namibia are placed higher than the UK (24), France (26) and the US (42).

Right at the other end of the list sits Eritrea, which is only beaten to the bottom position by North Korea.

"The media are subject to the whim of President Isaias Afwerki, a dictator responsible for crimes against humanity, according to a UN report in June 2016," RSF says.

"There are no independent media outlets, and journalists have either fled the country or are in prison."

• LISTEN: BBC Africa Daily podcast - is press freedom changing in Ethiopia and Tanzania?
• WATCH: World Press Freedom: How African countries ranked?

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Human Rights Watch says it has compelling evidence that Russian mercenaries fighting in the Central African Republic have summarily executed, tortured and beaten civilians since 2019.

Witnesses told the New York-based rights group about a range of abuses.

These included an incident in July last year when Russian-speaking forces thought to be from the Wagner Group beat and then shot dead at least 12 unarmed men at a road block near the town of Bossangoa.

They put most of the bodies in a shallow hole next to the road.

It has also documented allegations of arbitrary detentions, torture and summary killings of men randomly arrested in the central town of Alindao in June last year.

UN experts have also accused Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group of committing systematic and grave human rights violations.

The government in the Central African Republic has denied hiring the mercenaries to fight rebels.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov this week reiterated Moscow’s official position that Wagner has nothing to do with the Russian state.

Read more:

• Wagner Group: Why the EU is alarmed by Russian mercenaries in Central Africa
• Central African Republic war: No-go zones and Russian meddling - BBC News

South Africa's top opposition politician John Steenhuisen is on a six-day fact finding mission to Ukraine.

The Democratic Alliance leader is the first African politician to visit the country since the outbreak of war in February. Many African nations have taken a neutral stance over Russia's invasion.

Mr Steenhuisen told the BBC's Newsday programme that he was in the capital, Kyiv, to "establish what the facts are and the factual situation on the ground".

He condemned South Africa's government decision to maintain a "veneer of neutrality" on the war in Ukraine and said the government was supporting Russia behind the scenes.

"Our defence minister and the head of the army were toasting the Russian army on the night of the invasion at the Russian embassy in South Africa," he alleged.

South Africa has longstanding ties with Russia given the Soviet Union's help in its liberation struggle during apartheid years.

But Mr Steenhuisen said the help South Africa received in the fight against apartheid was from the Soviet Union - which Ukraine was a part of at that time

"It doesn't make sense that they would use that as the excuse for sitting on their hands while a humanitarian crisis like this is raging," he said.

The opposition leader said the war in Ukraine will affect food security and the cost of basic food stuff in African countries.

"One out of every three slices of bread consumed in Africa and the Middle East comes from wheat produced in Ukraine and other parts of the region. So there are going to be repercussions of this for Africa," he said.

He has been tweeting the damage that he's witnessed in Ukraine:

Listen to the interview:

BBC Focus on Africa radio

Image source, Getty Images

Paul Rusesabagina, who was the subject of Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda, has had a stroke in prison in Rwanda where he is serving time for terrorism, his daughter has told the BBC.

He was sentenced to 25 years last year in what supporters called a sham trial.

The are now trying to sue Rwanda over his alleged abduction and torture.

"Right now my father is sick. He is being deprived of the proper medical treatment and he actually had a stroke in prison," Carina Kanimba told BBC Focus on Africa radio.

"Now he has partial facial paralysis," she added.

Rwanda denies that Rusesabagina was kidnapped and has said he received a fair trial.

Read more:

• Paul Rusesabagina: From Hotel Rwanda hero to convicted terrorist

Image source, Reform and Development party

The US is calling for a “thorough, transparent and credible investigation without delay” over the death in custody of an Egyptian researcher Ayman Hadhoud.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday that the US was deeply disturbed by reports of his alleged torture while in detention.

He said his government had continued to urge Egypt to make human rights protection a priority.

Egypt's Public Prosecution office last month ruled that Mr Hadhoud’s death was not the result of any crime.

It said a post-mortem revealed that he had died from a chronic heart condition - and there were no signs of violence or resistance.

Mr Hadhoud, a critic of the government, died in a state-run psychiatric hospital in March but his body was not handed over to relatives until earlier last month.

His supporters said that he was subjected to ill-treatment by the police after what they described as his "forced disappearance".

Read more:

• Ayman Hadhoud: Questions over Egyptian economist's mysterious death

Image source, Getty Images

The first African plant manufacturing Covid vaccines says it may have to shut down production due to lack of demand.

The pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare, which has been producing Johnson & Johnson vaccines in South Africa's Eastern Cape province now risks closure.

It comes at a time when a large proportion of Africa's population remains unvaccinated.

Professor Tulio de Oliveira, the director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa, told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the closure could affect the production of other vaccines that “do not affect the developed world” as well as the preparation for the next pandemic.

He said “vaccine apartheid” had damaged the uptake of Covid vaccines in South Africa and the rest of the continent.

“What’s quite interesting last year is that first we hardly got vaccines... the vaccines were not coming to South Africa and Africa but when most of the other countries had vaccinated their populations we got the opposite, we got vaccine dumping.

“We got millions and millions of doses... some of them with very short expiry dates and that damaged [the uptake]."

He says Africa, having gone through three major waves of Covid including a very severe one without the vaccines, had decreased the uptake.

Al-Shabab militants have targeted an African Union base in central Somalia that houses Burundian soldiers.

News agencies are quoting witnesses as saying there was heavy fighting at the base, which is some 130km (80 miles) north-east of the capital, Mogadishu.

"The terrorists attacked the Burundian army base... there was heavy fighting and casualties inflicted on both sides, but we don't have more details about this incident so far," local military commander Mohamed Ali told the AFP news agency.

"They launched the attack with a car bomb blast before a heavy exchange of gunfire broke out," he added.

Al-Shabab said in a statement that it had taken complete control of the base. This has not been independently confirmed.

The African Union force - now known as Atmis - is made up of soldiers from several African nations: Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia.

It supports the Mogadishu government in its fight against al-Shabab militants and has been the target of attacks before.

A senator from Cameroon's ruling party has been kidnapped in an English-speaking region where separatist groups have declared independence, according to news agencies.

Elizabeth Regina Mundi was abducted on Saturday along with her driver in the north-western town of Bamenda, local officials are quoted as saying.

An official told the AFP news agency that two wings of the separatist Ambazonian Defence Forces (ADF) had said they carried out the abduction.

A video has surfaced on social media showing the senator reading a statement calling for the independence of the Ambazonia republic.

Anglophone activists say the country's French-speaking majority is marginalising the English-speaking minority.

Read more on Cameroon's Anglophone crisis:

• Red Dragons and Tigers - the rebels fighting for independence
• Why separatists in Cameroon and Nigeria have united

The fallout from Algeria's World Cup elimination continues to reverberate as coach Djamel Belmadi decides to continue in his role despite hinting he may resign.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

The UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged the international community to help Niger's military fight jihadist insurgents that have been carrying out frequent attacks.

Speaking during a visit to the capital, Niamey, he said the violence in the Sahel region had become a global threat.

Antonio Guterres said Niger could not face the jihadist security threat alone and called on other countries and regional bodies to help with training and equipment.

France and the United States both have military bases in the country.

Niger is part of a regional force known as G5 Sahel along with Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad.

But the UN chief pointed out that this force has been weakened after two of those countries experienced military coups.

Last month MPs in Niger voted in favour of allowing the deployment of more foreign forces - a real sign of just how deadly, frequent and widespread the attacks have become.

Hanna Temauri
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

Ethiopian security forces said they have detained 76 people suspected of instigating violence on Monday against Muslims who had gathered in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Police used tear gas to disperse crowds during the incident but there were no reports of casualties.

Tens of thousands were attending Eid prayers in the city’s main stadium when violence broke out.

The incident came after days of growing tension between Muslims and Christians in parts of the country after 20 Muslims were killed while attending a funeral last week in the northern part of the country.

Image source, Getty Images

Tanzania's national parks authority has denied reports that rangers assaulted and abducted local people in the world-famous Serengeti park.

It comes amid allegations that some people are still missing months after being seized in unclear circumstances by those thought to be wildlife rangers.

In a statement, external, Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa) says it has neither received official reports of rangers assaulting citizens nor reports of any people missing from the park.

It advised those running online platforms to be cautious about the information they published so as not to cause tension especially on matters involving human lives.

Tanapa said it would continue to carry out its role to diligently conserve the country's national heritage.

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, AFP

The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres - on a tour of West Africa - is due in north-east Nigeria to meet families who have been affected by the Islamist insurgency.

He is travelling from neighbouring Niger - another country that has been under sustained attacks from jihadist militants.

Mr Guterres is pushing for robust African peace initiatives as well as counter-terrorism operations under the auspices of the African Union (AU).

He will also be having talks with the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on the impact on Africa of food and energy price increases exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine.

This is the first visit of the UN secretary general to Nigeria.

Image source, AFP

The Malian government says it is breaking off all defence agreements with its former colonial ruler France.

It cited multiple violations of its sovereignty by French troops in the country, and noted a “profound deterioration of the military co-operation with France for some time now”.

In a statement by military spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, external, it noted multiple instances of the French having violated the country’s airspace.

Mali also cited the June 2021 decision by France to end joint operations with Malian forces and to pull out troops from the country.

Malian authorities said they had informed France of its decision on Monday afternoon.

France has not commented on the development.

Relations between France and Mali deteriorated after the military seized power in 2020.

France was angered by Mali's reported decision to use fighters from the Russian mercenary group Wagner to help confront the jihadists, though the junta denies they are in the country.

Related stories:

• Why French troops are leaving Mali
• Mercenary plan triggers alarm
• How to solve Mali’s coup conundrum
• A quick guide to Mali

Image source, @CHIBUIKEAMAECHI

Dozens of passengers kidnapped on a high-speed train in northern Nigeria are being used as human shields by their abductors, making their rescue difficult, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday.

Photos of 62 people who are allegedly being held as hostages surfaced on social media last week but it's not clear when the pictures were taken. Families of those missing said they recognised their relatives in the photographs.

In an address to mark Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, President Buhari said rescuing the hostages was a "delicate situation".

"They are using civilians as human shield thereby making it difficult to confront them directly... They don't care about killing their hostages if they come under attack," he said, external.

"Any rescue operation that results in the death of any hostage cannot be deemed a success. The government doesn't want this kind of tragic outcome."

He said the situation required proper handling with the objective to "free the hostages safely, unharmed and alive".

Kidnapping for ransom has become commonplace across Nigeria.

This was the second time the railway line between Nigeria's capital, Abuja, and Kaduna city had been targeted in the last six months, but it's by far the most serious.

Read more on this story:

• Kaduna train attack: New photos bring relief and pain
• 'I was kidnapped and now only travel by train'
• Outrage at Nigeria's brazen bandit attacks

Our proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

Governments that make forest restoration promises they don't keep are accused of greenwashing.

Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum believes he has the squad to retain the Women's Africa Cup of Nations later this year in Morocco.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Rescue workers in Burkina Faso are trying to reach eight miners who have been trapped underground for more than two weeks.

The zinc mine at Perkoa flooded following heavy rain last month.

Six of the miners are from Burkina Faso and the other two are from Zambia and Tanzania.

The government of Burkina Faso has launched a judicial enquiry and the mine managers are for now not allowed to leave the country.

The Canadian mining company, Trevali, says it is working 24 hours a day to locate the missing miners.

It says that when the mine flooded, the eight workers were deeper underground than their colleagues - more than 500m from the surface.

Electricity and communication links are reportedly cut off.

Prime Minister Albert Ouedraogo visited over the weekend and blamed those in charge of the mine, saying dynamite had been used which had let the flood water in more easily.

Trevali said it was aware of the prime minister's comments and was also investigating the cause of the accident, Reuters news agency reports.

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, afp

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked his deputy William Ruto to resign, as a bitter row between the two intensifies ahead of general elections in August.

Mr Kenyatta accused Mr Ruto of not doing enough to help the country deal with the struggling economy, and said he shouldn't criticise the government from within.

But in a tweet, the deputy president claimed the cabinet had not met for more than two years and told President Kenyatta that he was just a phone call away.

The president does not have the power to sack his deputy - he can only be removed from office if he is impeached or is incapacitated.

The differences between President Kenyatta and his deputy have played out openly as the country mourned the death of former head of state Mwai Kibaki.

Throughout Friday's state funeral, President Kenyatta declined to shake Mr Ruto's hand.

Much of the falling-out is due to August's general elections.

Mr Ruto wants to run for president, but Mr Kenyatta has instead backed opposition leader Raila Odinga.

The economy has been a major issue in the run-up to the elections. Kenya is currently facing record levels of inflation, with commodities such as cooking oil and fuel going up in price.