Image source, Getty Images

The US has accused Tunisian President Kais Saied of an "alarming pattern" of actions "undermining" Tunisia’s independent institutions after he fired dozens of judges.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said US officials had communicated with their Tunisian counterparts on the importance of checks and balances in a democratic system.

He said the US government had called for an “inclusive and transparent reform process with input from civil society and diverse political voices to strengthen the legitimacy of reform efforts” in Tunisia.

Mr Saied has pushed through a series of moves expanding his powers and dismantling elected institutions since last year, when he suspended parliament.

On Wednesday he sacked 57 judges, accusing them of corruption and protecting terrorists.

Earlier last month, he announced a plan for a "new republic" in Tunisia which would be put to a referendum on 25 July.

More about Tunisia:

• Democrats, despots and the fight for power
• A quick guide to Tunisia

Our proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

A selection of the best photos from across Africa and beyond this week.

Naim Sliti scores one and creates two more for Tunisia as they began their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with a 4-0 win over Equatorial Guinea.

The BBC has spoken to asylum seekers in a UK detention centre who describe an atmosphere of despair.

That's all for now from the BBC Africa Live team - we'll be back on Friday morning.

Until then you can find the latest updates on the BBC News website, or listen to our podcast Africa Today.

A reminder of our wise words of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this shot of visitors attending a photo exhibition currently on in Senegal's capital, Dakar, celebrating the majesty of sheep:

Image source, AFP

The Nigerian who composed a new song as a special tribute for the British monarch’s 70 years on the throne is in London to see the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Vincent Atueyi won A Song for the Commonwealth competition, along with Australian lyricist Lucy Kiely - and the two met for the first time outside Buckingham Palace during a BBC interview on Thursday on the first of four days of pageantry:

Their song A Life Lived with Grace will be sung by choirs worldwide in about three hours’ time as more than 3,000 beacons are lit in the UK and across 54 Commonwealth countries to mark the Queen’s anniversary.

Atueyi told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the 96-year-old sovereign's achievement was “a manifestation of God’s grace, God’s mercy” - something that was reflected in the new composition.

He said the competition had specified the song have a strong melodic line, be acapella as well as choir friendly.

The pair will hear the fruits of their efforts shortly - and be able to enjoy each other’s company in person after their months of work.

Here is a recording of their song for Elizabeth II:

Thomas Naadi
BBC News, Accra

Image source, WhatsApp screengrab

A mob has besieged a police station in northern Ghana trying to free three people arrested for the public flogging of two teenagers accused of recording a sex tape and posting it online.

The rioters pelted the station in Wa, in Upper West region, with stones and set tyres ablaze. Officers managed to contain the situation and 25 people have subsequently been arrested over the unrest.

There was been widespread condemnation of Tuesday's flogging of the couple at the palace of a traditional leader.

Video recordings of the punishment show the two young people tied to a pole being flogged. They are surrounded by a crowd - many filming on their mobile phones.

It has been widely condemned as dehumanising and degrading

The traditional chief in Wa, who was not at the palace at the time of the flogging, has also condemned it as a “barbaric act”.

Experts say it is possible that the virus can be caught by eating meat from an infected animal.

Mali will play at the 2022 Women's Basketball World Cup instead of Nigeria following their government's decision to withdraw from the sport for two years.

BBC World Service
Newsroom

Image source, AFP

The security forces in Guinea have shot dead at least one person during protests against a 20% increase in the price of petrol.

Family members of the victim - 19-year-old Thierno Mamadou Diallo - say he was shot in the head during protests in the capital, Conakry.

Wednesday's demonstrations were the largest since last September, when Guinea's military removed President Alpha Condé from office.

Image source, @glwajackoyah

A politician campaigning to legalise marijuana in Kenya has just been cleared to stand as a presidential candidate in August’s election.

George Wajackoyah, a lawyer and law professor, has tried for the top job before without making much of an impact.

But this time round, his pro-marijuana message has garnered headlines since he made this his platform in February.

He has set up a political party called Roots that wants Kenya to decriminalise and farm cannabis to help pay off the country’s bulging debts.

Earlier this week, his registration to stand as a presidential candidate was turned down by the electoral commission as he did not have enough signatures.

On Thursday, he resubmitted his paperwork and officials have ruled it is now in order.

The battle for the presidency is likely to be a two-horse race between Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

However, the Roots candidate, who has an extraordinary life story - going from living on the streets of the capital, Nairobi, as a child to become a respected lawyer with at least six degrees - is enlivening the campaign and opening up the debate on marijuana.

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, AFP

The Nigeria government has banned the sale of bushmeat as a precaution to stop the spread of monkeypox.

It comes a few days after Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control said that six cases had been detected in May, bringing to 21 the total number of confirmed infections this year, with one reported death of a person who had underlying conditions.

Monkeypox, a mild viral infection, is endemic in Nigeria and occurs mostly in remote areas, near tropical rainforests. The country has had sporadic cases since an outbreak in 2017.

The animals that can pass on the virus are infected rodents, including rats and squirrels. According to health experts, this can happen if you're bitten or touch an infected animal.

Bushmeat refers to any wild animal that is killed for consumption, including antelopes, chimpanzees, fruit bats, rats, porcupines and snakes.

In some remote areas of Nigeria it is a necessary source of food - in others it has become a delicacy.

Nigerian epidemiologists say there is no evidence linking cases of monkeypox to eating bushmeat but the health authorities in the UK say it may be possible to catch it from the meat of an infected animal if not cooked thoroughly, and during preparation.

There are many bushmeat markets in Nigeria and it is unclear how the ban will be implemented.

The Ministry of Agriculture also directed vets and its other officials to increase surveillance aimed at detecting any possible cases of monkeypox in animals.

Operators of zoos, parks, conservation areas and recreational centres were reminded to make sure there was no contact between animals and humans.

• What is monkeypox and how do you catch it?

President Cyril Ramaphosa says claims he acted illegally over an alleged burglary have no basis.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, Getty Images

A court in Nigeria has authorised the anti-corruption agency to seize a private university owned by a former senior civil servant who's standing trial for theft, corruption and money-laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the former finance director at the Nigerian health ministry, Anthony Hassan, built the Nok University with the proceeds of fraud.

The move is unprecedented and it is not clear whether students will continue to attend classes at the university in the northern state of Kaduna.

It is also unclear if Mr Hassan has entered a plea.

As well as ordering the university's seizure, the federal high court in the capital, Abuja, ruled that a bottled water plant and a luxury hotel owned by Mr Hassan be forfeited.

The authorities have been intensifying their anti-graft measures recently.

Image source, AFP

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa says "there is no basis for the claims of criminal conduct" relating to an alleged cover-up of a burglary at one of his properties in 2020.

The country's former spy chief, Arthur Fraser, has accused the president of kidnapping and bribery in a case he has registered with the police.

He said the case related to the alleged attempted theft of at least $4m (£3.2m) in 2020 at a farm in Limpopo province and the alleged efforts to conceal what happened.

Mr Fraser, who ran the country's State Security Agency (SSA) between 2016 and 2018, has said he has handed photographs, bank account details and video footage over to the police.

In response, Mr Ramaphosa's office confirmed that there was a robbery at the farm "in which proceeds from the sale of game were stolen".

The president, who was out of the country at the time, reported the incident to the police's presidential protection unit, the statement from his office said.

He "stands ready to co-operate with any law enforcement investigation of these matters", it added.

Mr Fraser is seen as an ally of former President Jacob Zuma.

After running the SSA, Mr Fraser went on to head the country's prison service. Last September, he was responsible for ordering Zuma's release on medical parole nearly two months into his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

He has also been accused of enabling corruption while he was running the SSA by witnesses at an inquiry into corruption in the country during the Zuma presidency.

Mr Fraser has accused the witnesses of lying about him.

BBC World Service
Newsroom

Asylum-seekers in the UK have spoken of the distress they are facing after being served notices that they will be deported to Rwanda under a controversial new scheme.

Several of them, including people from Egypt, Syria and Sudan, have told the BBC they have been on hunger strike, and say they see deportation as worse than death.

Image source, AFP

The British government says the planned deportations - which cannot be appealed against - are an attempt to overhaul what it calls a broken asylum system.

It says it is taking every step to prevent self-harm or suicide at immigration removal centres.

More on this topic:

• UK-Rwanda asylum seekers' deal: Good news for Kigali hotels
• How many people cross the Channel and what is the Rwanda plan?

Alfred Lasteck
BBC News, Dar es Salaam

Image source, AFP

Tanzania’s government has paid pension and other benefits that opposition politician Tundu Lissu lost when he was stripped of his parliamentary seat after fleeing into exile.

At the time he was at loggerheads with then-President John Magufuli, who was determined to crackdown on the opposition.

But since Mr Magufuli’s death last year, the political climate has changed in Tanzania under his successor President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Mr Lissu left Tanzania in 2017 after being shot and wounded by unidentified gunmen in the capital, Dodoma.

Speaking at a digital forum on Wednesday, Mr Lissu said he had received a phone call two months ago from an officer in the finance ministry, who informed him that the benefits he was claiming had been paid.

Mr Lissu added that all his bank debts had been settled by the government.

“I had loans from two banks - and one had already filed a case in court claiming back their money but now I feel the inconveniences are gone and I can tell that the public that the government under President Samia has settled all these debts.”

The chief government paymaster, Emmanuel Tutuba, told local Mwananchi newspaper that it was normal practice for the government to pay debts of its employees and officials - including their pension benefits.

The government's action is said to be a result of face-to-face talks between Mr Lissu and President Samia in February.

They met in the Belgian capital, Brussels, when she was on an official visit.

Many have applauded the president for improving Tanzania’s human rights record, including lifting bans on media outlets imposed under her predecessor.

Mr Lissu, who is vice-chairman of the main opposition Chadema party, had returned to Tanzania in July 2020 to participate in that year’s presidential elections.

But he rejected the results, alleging widespread vote rigging had secured Mr Magufuli’s victory.

He left again in November that year after complaining of death threats and has since remained in exile in Belgium.

Samba Cyuzuzo
BBC Great Lakes

Image source, AFP

The UN secretary general's special representative in Democratic Republic of Congo says "a strong military response" is needed to end the M23 insurgency "once and for all".

Bintou Keita praised the UN forces and the national army for restoring calm in Nyiragongo and Rutshuru areas of North Kivu province after two weeks of clashes with the rebels.

Speaking on Wednesday from the province’s capital, Goma, the Guinean diplomat said ending the threat from the rebels was possible with:

• A strong military response to M23 aggression
• A political response via regional mechanisms
• The government’s programme of disarmament and reintegration of rebel groups.

The M23 has called for the government to implement the Nairobi peace accords of 2013, but the government now regards them as "terrorists" and has ruled out new talks with them.

In recent clashes with the group, 16 soldiers were killed and two peacekeepers injured, according to the UN.

Nearly 100,000 civilians fled the fighting last week, but began returning to their homes earlier this week after M23 announced a retreat from areas it had captured.

The UN has more than 15,000 troops - the largest globally - deployed to stabilise the volatile region of eastern DR Congo, home to more than 100 rebel groups.

After more than 20 years, it has been widely criticised for having failed in its mission to protect civilians from militias.

Nigerian-French singer Asa talks about her new album, Five, and the 'pressure' to be commercial.