Farah Yussuf
BBC Monitoring

Image source, Reuters

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from a week-long trip to the United Arab Emirates, state-run Somali National Television reports., external

President Mohamud said on his official Twitter account, external that he had “no symptoms but I will continue to self-isolate and serve the people of Somalia from home”.

“I ask we all keep each other safe by following public health advice and guidelines,” he added.

Mr Mohamud, 66, travelled to the UAE on 19 June for his first trip outside the country since he was elected on 15 May.

He previously served as president from 2012 to 2017.

Peter Jegwa
Lilongwe, Malawi

Hundreds of supporters of Malawi Vice-President Saulos Chilima’s UTM party have gathered outside his house in the capital, Lilongwe, to offer him support as they anticipate a possible arrest over corruption allegations.

The vice-president was among 53 public officials named in a report by the country’s Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) as having “conducted themselves corruptly” in dealings with a British businessman.

Zuneth Sattar is accused of having corruptly won multi-million dollar contracts to supply goods and services to the Malawi government.

Both Mr Chilima and Mr Sattar deny the allegations.

Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera, who constitutionally cannot sack or suspend his deputy, stripped Mr Chilima of all his delegated powers after receiving the report earlier this week.

The president fired several officials who were also named, including police chief George Kanja.

And yesterday, Mr Kainja was arrested by the ACB. He briefly appeared before court where he was charged. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail.

The ACB also arrested a police commissioner and said they were looking to arrest four more people who they did not name.

It is not known if Mr Chilima is one of those four.

Mr Chilima’s party is one of nine that formed an electoral alliance which defeated former president, Peter Mutharika’s, Democratic Progressive Party in 2020.

Emery Makumeno
BBC News, Kinshasa

Troops have kicked off a parade on the main road in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, Kinshasa, in a show of force as the country battles rebels in the eastern region.

The soldiers wearing red berets while holding AK47s have been seen chanting while being applauded by onlookers on the 30 June Boulevard in the city centre.

Some in the crowd have been heard encouraging the soldiers to go to fight the M23 rebels who have captured the strategic border town of Bunagana.

The rebels have said they will not withdraw from the town unless the government commits to honest talks.

The Congolese government has labelled the group a “terrorist organisation” and accused it of receiving logistical support from Rwanda.

Rwanda has consistently denied any involvement.

Richard Hamilton
BBC World Service News

More than 400 sub-Saharan African migrants have tried to storm the border of the Spanish enclave of Melilla in Morocco.

It's the first such attempted mass crossing into the territory since Madrid and Rabat resumed diplomatic ties in March.

The authorities in Melilla said a significant number of migrants managed to get in.

The diplomatic crisis came to an end after Spain supported Morocco's autonomy plan for the disputed region of Western Sahara.

Melilla and Ceuta have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, making them a magnet for migrants.

Cameroon's Christian Koloko will play for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA next season, five years after taking part in the Basketball Without Borders camp in South Africa.

DCI Neil Hibberd helped investigate the murder of David Tebbutt and the kidnap of his wife Jude.

Alfred Lasteck
BBC News, Dar es Salaam

Image source, Barthazar Ndwayezu

The African Court on Human and People’s Rights sitting in Arusha, Tanzania, has ordered the Kenyan government pay compensation to the Ogiek community, a minority group, of $1.3m (£1m) for material and moral damages.

Thursday's ruling from the pan-African court follows its 2017 decision that the hunter-gatherers were entitled to live on their ancestral land in the Mau Forest and the government should not have tried to evict them.

The government had argued that the hunter-gatherers needed to be evicted to protect the forest.

But the court said the government had violated a series of rights of the Ogiek people, including the right to property and the right to practise their culture in the forest in western Kenya.

On Thursday, the court said that the violations alleged by the Ogiek established in 2017 remained unaddressed.

The judges also ordered that a community development fund be set up by the government and should be used to support projects for the benefit of the Ogiek in health, education, food security and natural resource management.

The Kenyan government was also told to recognise the Ogiek as an indigenous people of Kenya and take measures to mark out their ancestral lands and give them community titles over the land.

"This is a sigh of relief for the Ogiek community who have been waiting for five years since the main judgment," community activist Daniel Kobei is quoted by the Minority Rights Group, external as saying.

"The main thing now is to talk to the Kenyan government to ensure that whatever the reparations judgment has ordered is complied with."

Anne Soy
BBC News, Kigali

Image source, AFP

Prince Charles has expressed his “personal sorrow” at the suffering caused by slavery.

At the official opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, the future king said it is a conversation whose time has come.

He said he was continuing to "deepen my own understanding of slavery's enduring impact".

But he did not offer an apology for the participation in the slave trade in the past by Britain's Royal Family.

The Royal African Company, set up in the 17th Century with a charter granted by King Charles II, brought tens of thousands of captive Africans to the Americas.

George II was a prominent supporter of the slave trade and plantations.

Also speaking at the Commonwealth meeting, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his country supports the United Nations' plan to get food out of Ukraine.

Mr Johnson said the global food crisis had been deliberately engineered by Vladimir Putin.

“Nearly 25 million tonnes of grains are piled up in silos in Ukraine,” he said, “held hostage by Russia.”

He told the leaders of the 54 Commonwealth members he wanted to work with them to understand their needs and priorities and deliver solutions.

Read more:

• Why Grenada wanted to talk to royals about slavery

BBC World Service

Image source, EPA

The interior ministry in Tunisia has said it has confirmed information that there are serious threats to the life and safety of President Kais Saied.

A ministry spokesperson also said that police forces had foiled what was it described as a terrorist attack on Thursday.

The announcement comes as Mr Saied continues to rule effectively by decree - with a referendum scheduled next month on a new constitution that his opponents say will further strengthen his powers.

Anne Soy
BBC News, Kigali

Image source, Reuters

The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting has officially opened in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali.

The host, President Paul Kagame, who takes over chairmanship of the 54-nation group that represents a third of the world’s population, said it is values that define its membership.

These include good governance, rule of law and protection of rights.

Hosting the event has brought his own government under sharp criticism over its human rights record.

“Whenever we might fall short, we find solutions through consensus and dialogue,” he told the gathering, “we build each other up and move forward together.”

He said the country had come a long way since the genocide of 1994, in which more than 800,000 people were killed. “But today we are a nation transformed in heart, mind and body," he added.

Much of the Commonwealth brings together countries that were part of the British Empire but has increasingly included others like Rwanda.

President Kagame said joining the organisation was aimed at making sure “our people are connected, included and forward-looking”.

Gabon – a former French colony - is set to be admitted to the body during this meeting.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, Jafar Kanoma

Twenty-nine wedding guests abducted nearly two weeks ago in the north-western Nigerian state of Zamfara have been freed.

They were kidnapped by gunmen who ambushed a convoy of their vehicles while returning home from neighbouring Sokoto state where they had attended the wedding of one of their colleagues.

The victims were mobile phone dealers from a popular phone market known as Bebeji Plaza in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara state.

The head of the market, Ibrahim Kado, was among those who received the released abductees on Thursday evening.

He told the BBC the victims were in a "pathetic condition" because they looked exhausted and not well fed.

He said one of the captives was seriously ill that he had to undergo a blood transfusion and given intravenous fluids in hospital when they were freed.

Mr Kado said "no matter how inhuman a person might be, they must feel moved" on seeing see the freed hostages.

The market leader however expressed happiness that the captives had finally been freed. He declined to comment on whether a ransom payment was made.

But another colleague of the victims told the BBC that a ransom had been paid after negotiations with the abductors.

The authorities have not yet commented on the release of the hostages.

Soon after their kidnap, a police spokesperson told the BBC that a search-and-rescue effort had been launched.

Killings and kidnappings for ransom by armed criminal gangs have become common across Nigeria - especially in the north-west region - with thousands either seized or killed since the beginning of this year alone.

Read more:

• Nigeria wedding party kidnapping: Zamfara escapee recounts shooting
• Nigeria's kidnapping crisis: Should ransom payments be banned?

Joice Etutu
BBC News, Kigali

Image source, Getty Images

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have attended a runway show at Rwanda fashion week.

The Royal couple are in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, representing the Queen at this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Despite a momentary power cut in the venue, Charles and Camilla sat in the front row as designers from Rwanda, Nigeria and South Africa showcased their collections.

Image source, Getty Images

The latest Royal engagement comes after Prince Charles’s visit to a Rwanda genocide memorial and Camilla’s talk at a panel to end gender-based violence.

Sustainable fashion has been a key topic at this year’s meeting, with leaders in the industry discussing ways on how to slow down the ever-growing fast fashion trend.

It’s estimated that Ghana, a country which is part of the Commonwealth, receives 15 million used items of clothing every week from the West. Around 40% is of poor quality and deemed worthless – ending up being dumped in landfills.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Nigerian police have rescued a 16-year-old boy whose eyes were gouged out in the northern state of Bauchi.

In a statement, a police spokesperson Ahmed Mohammed Wakil said the boy was "found in his pool of blood" with both eyes removed.

Officers then took him to a hospital where he is receiving treatment.

The police say that on Thursday the victim was lured to a farm in Dutsen Jari - an area on the outskirts of Bauchi city - by a man with a promise of a menial job on the farm.

But when they arrived the farmer allegedly strangled the boy with a wire and forcibly removed his eyes.

Police said Investigations were under way on the "dastardly act".

It's unclear whether any suspects have been arrested but police say they will ensure the "culprits’" are punished.

It’s not clear why the victim’s eyes were removed. But there have been reports of similar cases in Nigeria involving removal of human parts to be used in preparing charms.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Getty Images

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the northern Tigray region, has denied claims by the Ethiopian government that it was preventing aircraft carrying aid from landing at the airport in the regional capital, Mekelle.

TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda said in a statement posted on Twitter, external on Thursday that the group had "run out of fuel" to operate the airport and accused the government of continuing "to enforce a near total ban on the entry of fuel" there.

“What the authorities in Addis are doing is blowing this temporary problem out of proportion in order to deflect attention away from the bloody carnage and generated crisis that is claiming the lives of thousands of civilians in Oromia, Gambella, Benishangul-Gumuz and other parts of the country," Mr Getachew said.

In a statement posted on Facebook, external on Thursday, the Government Communication Service (GCS) accused the TPLF of preventing aid planes from landing at the airport.

The government said the daily supply of medicines, medical supplies and nutritious food for children that it was facilitating had thus been suspended indefinitely.

On Monday, the European Union asked Ethiopia to open an additional corridor to deliver more humanitarian aid to Tigray.

The country's civil war that broke out in November 2020 in Tigray has left millions of people in need of humanitarian aid.

The government declared a humanitarian truce in March so that aid could be delivered.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Getty Images

The former president of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, has been admitted to a hospital in the Spanish city of Barcelona, Portuguese state news agency Lusa has reported, external.

“[Mr Dos Santos], has been hospitalised in an intensive care unit in a hospital in Barcelona, where has resided for the past few years,” Lusa said.

The report comes amid speculation about the health of the former long-serving leader of the southern African country.

In May, the 79-year-old ex-president responded to rumours about his death by slamming the "contradictory reports" about his health and pointing out that his personal doctor was the only one authorised to speak on the matter.

He served as the president of Angola from 1979 to 2017.

More on this topic:

• Isabel dos Santos: Africa's richest woman 'ripped off Angola'
• Son of Angola's ex-leader jailed for five years

BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

The heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, is due to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, later on Friday.

He's expected to say that it is up to Commonwealth members which have Queen Elizabeth as head of state to decide whether they will become republics in the future.

The BBC's royal correspondent says that while such sentiments have been expressed before the timing of the speech is significant.

Our correspondent says the next British monarch will be stating clearly that constitutional change within the Commonwealth can be accomplished calmly and without rancour.

Read more:

• Prince Charles meets Rwandan Genocide survivors
• Why are asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda?

BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

Police in Tunisia have arrested a former prime minister, Hamadi Jebali.

During his premiership from 2011 to 2013, Mr Jebali belonged to the Ennahda Islamist party - the largest in parliament until President Kais Saied dissolved the assembly and seized executive power in Tunisia last year.

Mr Jebali’s lawyer said the former politician had been under recent investigation at his boiler factory in the city of Soussa, but could not say why he had been detained.

His family have denounced his arrest as "repressive", and say they hold President Saied personally responsible for his well-being.

Emery Makumeno
BBC News, Kinshasa

Image source, Reuters

A court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has acquitted President Félix Tshisekedi's former chief of staff of charges of corruption, according to his lawyer.

Vital Kamerhe was sentenced in 2020 to 20 years of hard labour after being found guilty of embezzling almost $50m (£39m) of public funds.

The missing funds were intended to be used in a housing project announced by the president following his inauguration.

The acquittal by a Court of Appeal in the capital, Kinshasa, was communicated to Mr Kamerhe's lawyers, according to news agencies.

It cited lack of evidence and cleared him of all charges.

Mr Kamerhe was the most high-profile figure to be convicted of corruption in the DR Congo.

But his lawyer, Hugues Pulusi, told journalists on Thursday that “justice has repaired its injustice”.

An earlier appeal court had reduced his 20-year jail time to 13 years, before Thursday’s acquittal.

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