Image source, Getty Images

A man has been arrested in eastern Uganda and held in police custody after slapping an MP at church on Sunday, local media reports.

The 39-year-old struck Transport Minister Musa Ecweru in the middle of his speech to congregants at St Michael Catholic Church in Amuria.

"He did not react but just looked at him. The Christians and the priests were all shocked," an unnamed source told the state-owned New Vision newspaper, external.

Mr Ecweru's bodyguards then overpowered him and handed him over to local police, the reports say.

Youssef Taha
BBC World Service Newsroom

Image source, @Shimaa_gamal7

A huge manhunt is under way in Egypt for a leading judge accused of murdering his television presenter wife, whom he reported missing from a shopping mall near Cairo three weeks ago.

A man, claiming to be the Judge Ayman Hajjaj’s accomplice, had led the authorities to a farm where Shaimaa Gamal's body was found, the public prosecutor's office said.

Officials at the scene said an attempt had been made to disfigure her body in order to prevent identification.

The public prosecutor's office said its investigations had proved that the TV anchor was last seen with her husband at the shopping centre.

The judge is deputy chairman of Egypt's powerful council of state, which has lifted his immunity.

An international arrest warrant has also been issued as Mr Hajjaj had recently obtained visas for Canada and Poland.

Gamal became notorious a few years ago after appearing to snort heroine live on air. She said the substance was sugar, but the TV presenter was suspended for three months.

Statistics show that one third of women in Egypt are victims of domestic violence.

Zimbabwe's Cara Black believes Ons Jabeur can cope with the pressure of being Africa's top tennis player and her bid to win a Grand Slam title.

Image source, Getty Images

The family of South Africa's late leader Nelson Mandela has called for all community taverns to close and alcohol to be banned, following the deaths of 21 teenagers in one such venue which have shocked the country.

Alcohol is "a source of great concern for parents who are justifiably worried with the scourge of sexual offences against women including infants, toddlers, young girls and even abogogo [elders]," said Inkosi Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela, who is Nelson Mandela's grandson and who spoke on behalf of the Royal House of Mandela on Tuesday.

Times Live quoted him as saying it was "farcical" to try to defend taverns for economic reasons, external "in light of the innocent lives lost" at the the Enyobeni Tavern in East London.

South Africa's liquor board has said the owners of the night venue would face criminal charges after allegedly breaching licensing agreements.

Related stories:

• Did SA's alcohol ban during Covid lockdown work?
• South Africa police try to unravel mystery of tavern deaths

Warren Bull
BBC World Service Newsroom

Image source, EPA

The UN has called for an independent inquiry into the deaths of 23 people, after hundreds of migrants tried to break into the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco.

The Moroccan authorities say a number of people were crushed to death in a stampede on Friday after a section of border fence was cut open, while others may have been killed after falling from a border fence.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has blamed people traffickers.

But the incident has provoked protests in Spain, with demonstrators saying the government's hard-line policies are forcing migrants to take desperate measures.

Related stories:

• 'I said goodbye to my family and left with nothing'
• Ceuta and Melilla: Spain's enclaves in North Africa

Tunisia international Wahbi Khazri joins French Ligue 1 side Montpellier on a free transfer from relegated Saint-Etienne.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Eswatini Government/Twitter

The prime minister of Africa's last absolute monarchy says his government will not hesitate to use force against "terrorists" to defend national security, a year after youth-led pro-democracy protests rocked the country.

In recent weeks the opposition group Swaziland International Solidarity Forces (SISF) has been accused of targeting members of the security forces as a form of protest against the arrest of pro-democracy demonstrators last year.

Those attacks have been called "brutal crimes that are being committed under the pretext of pursuing democracy," by Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini.

"The government commits to every citizen that it is deploying all its assets internally as well as regionally to hunt down these terrorists and bring them to book while exposing their enablers," Mr Dlamini said in the same statement, external.

Mr Dlamini's comments come about three weeks after the government barred people who have taken part in pro-democracy protests from joining the army.

Vumani Mkhize
BBC Africa Business

Image source, Reuters

South Africa's main power company has announced that there is a significant risk of more cuts in its service if an ongoing worker's strike does not come to an end.

The new power cuts, called load shedding in South Africa, could mean up to six hours without service a day, said Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter in a hastily arranged emergency briefing.

Workers are demanding a 10% wage increase - more than what the power utility, which relies on government bailouts, is willing to offer.

They first downed tools over a week ago, plunging the nation into a power crisis in the middle of winter.

The country's main power supplier has been struggling to provide the service for years due to historic infrastructure and funding problems.

South Africa is currently under stage four of load shedding, but to prevent a catastrophic grid collapse this could be ramped up to stage six on Tuesday afternoon.

The impact of sustained power cuts is already having a devastating impact on the economy and on ordinary people’s lives.

More on this story:

• Eskom crisis: Why the lights keep going out in South Africa
• Can South Africa embrace renewable energy from the sun?

Kenya's director of public prosecution has vowed to take action after a BBC Africa Eye report revealed the organised smuggling of disabled children from Tanzania to Kenya for profit.

“I am actually ashamed and not trying to give an excuse, I promise to pick it up myself but the best thing is for us to have a conversation as East Africans", Noordin Haji said on Tuesday.

"Lobbying is going to be one of the best things, let us engage politicians, civil servants - if we can agree and have a focus, I can assure you I will be part of that and also include my colleagues in the criminal justice system," he added.

Tanzania meanwhile has also spoken of its "disappointment" at the BBC's findings, and says it is already "working closely" with Kenya to tackle the scourge of child trafficking.

Many victims in these cases are taken from their parents with the promise of a better life. But once in Nairobi they are forced to beg on the streets with the proceeds going to their captors.

Watch BBC Africa Eye's investigation:

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Police in Nigeria have arrested three suspects over the gouging out of a teenager's eyes in the northern state of Bauchi.

Police spokesman Ahmed Mohammed Wakil said the suspects were arrested following a manhunt.

The eyeballs of the 16-year-old victim were found in a calabash in the house of the principal suspect, who police believe lured the teenager in with a promise of a menial job on a farm.

Two other suspects have been arrested on suspicion of conspiring with the prime suspect to commit what the police describe as an "atrocity".

The three suspects have not yet commented publicly, but the authorities say they will be charged in court after investigations are concluded.

Initial investigations indicate the suspects had planned to use the eyeballs for charm rituals, the police said.

Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Image source, AFP

At least 25 people, including government soldiers, were killed during a cattle raid in volatile Warrap state in central South Sudan, officials have told the BBC.

In total, 18 soldiers and seven civilians were killed during the clash with heavily armed youth, according to Ring Deng - the Warrap state information minister.

Among them were a senior military officer and a former county commissioner, the BBC understands.

Seven soldiers and six civilians were also wounded during the incident.

There are fears the death toll could be as high as 65, local news The Sudan's Post reported, but Mr Ring has refuted the claims.

He said the incident occurred as a result of “misunderstanding” when soldiers tried to recover stolen cows from the youth.

Cattle raids and revenge attacks have killed thousands of people in South Sudan since independence in 2011.

Insecurity remains rife across the country despite the formation of a unity government in February 2020.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

Senegalese opposition politician Guy Marius Sagna will stand trial on Tuesday for taking part in banned protests that left three people dead on 17 June.

The demonstrations were triggered by the government's decision to exclude a list of opposition candidates from next month’s legislative elections.

Mr Sagna is facing charges of “calling for and participating in prohibited demonstrations”. He was arrested a day after the protests in the southern region of Casamance.

It comes a day after a court sentenced opposition MP Dethie Fall to a six-month suspended prison term for taking part in the protests.

The main opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has demanded the release of several activists - including Mr Sagna, who were arrested during the protests - and has threatened to mobilise his supporters to "come and get them" if they are not freed by the government.

Mr Sonko, who came third in the 2019 presidential election, is one of the people prevented from running in the 31 July parliamentary vote by the constitutional council over alleged non-compliance with the country’s electoral law.

He has called for further protests to be held on Wednesday, despite an ongoing ban on opposition gatherings, with a real risk of violent confrontations with the police.

Instability in Senegal, considered a regional beacon of peace, could have ramifications for West Africa, which has suffered a string of unconstitutional power grabs since 2020.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, AFP

Mozambique's High Commissioner in Rwanda Amade Miquidad, has dismissed fears that Rwanda could use the presence of its troops in Mozambique to plunder resources.

A 1,000-strong Rwandan force was deployed in 2021 to fight insurgents who had carried out devastating attacks in Cabo Delgado province in north-east Mozambique.

Mozambique's defence forces were widely regarded as corrupt, poorly trained and ill-equipped and were no match to the band of insurgents.

The deployment of the Rwandan force was initially opposed within the ruling party.

But Mr Miquidade has reassured that any existing suspicions against the Rwandan soldiers were unfounded.

He drew comparisons with Mozambique's previous involvement to end apartheid in South Africa and helping Zimbabwe win independence.

“Mozambique has had military operations at the invitation of other countries. We weren't there looking for anything in return other than the security and stability of these countries," he said.

"So, I don't see any reason to panic, Rwanda is not going to take any of our resources.”

More on this topic:

• Mozambique insurgency: Rwanda leads the fightback

Alfred Lasteck
BBC News, Dar es Salaam

Tanzania says it is “disappointed” to see children “being trafficked to Kenya for exploitation” following a BBC undercover investigation exposing the crime.

Alexander Lupilya, the head of research, statistics and rehabilitation at Tanzania’s anti-trafficking secretariat, said the government was aware of the problem and was taking various measures to address it.

This includes creating awareness within the communities from where the traffickers lure the victims, as well as and training police and immigration officers to identify and investigate such cases.

Mr Lupilya also said Tanzania was in contact with the Kenyan authorities on the matter.

"So far we have five victims of trafficking who are in Kenya waiting to return to Tanzania, so we have been communicating and working closely with the government in Kenya,” he said.

The BBC undercover investigation Forced to Beg: Tanzania’s Trafficked Kids exposes a human trafficking network smuggling disabled children from Tanzania to Kenya.

Many of the children are taken from their parents with the promise of a better life.

Instead, the children are forced to beg on the streets – often for years – while their captors take all of the profits.

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

A lawyer for the former Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, says his client has been released by a judge, four days after he was detained on suspicion of money laundering.

Mr Jebali had gone on hunger strike to protest against his detention and had been taken to hospital on Saturday.

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

The party had said his arrest was part of a campaign of settling political scores.

Related story:

• Tunisia crisis: Democrats, despots and the fight for power

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

The Ethiopian government says it has created a seven-member committee to hold peace talks with Tigrayan forces in a bid to end the 19-month civil war.

It is to be chaired by the country's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Demeke Mekonen.

Ethiopia's Justice Minister Gediwon Timothios - who is also a member of the committee - said the governing party would only agree to the African Union leading the peace process.

Correspondents say this is a potential stumbling block for negotiations as Tigrayan forces have criticised the AU's efforts and have said they want the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to mediate.

More on this topic:

• Ethiopia's Tigray war - and how it erupted
• Why the Ethiopia conflict matters to the world

Guy Bandolo
BBC News

At least 30 people including women and children were killed during clashes over land between neighbouring communities in Cameroon's South-West region, local authorities said on Monday.

A spokesman for the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon said the fight between the Oliti and Messaga Ekol groups in Akwaya was very violent.

The church released pictures that showed dead bodies lying on the ground.

The violence started when attackers stormed a funeral ceremony in the village of Bakinjaw on Saturday and continued on Sunday, according to the communication officer of Akwaya district, Okumo Angwa.

He added that people were burnt in their homes while others were beheaded in the attack.

An MP, Aka Martin Tyoga, told the BBC that the attackers promised to return in two days. He said that investigations into the killings would take time as the area was remote.

Cameroon's two English-speaking regions, the South-West and North-West, are caught up in a separatist conflict that has already claimed more than 6,000 lives, according to the International Crisis Group.

On Monday, a Human Rights Watch report said separatist fighters have killed at least seven people, raped one girl, and carried out scores of kidnappings since January. The rights group called for the prosecution and sanctioning of separatists fighters, external for these and other "grave human rights abuses".

Our proverb of the day:

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Click here to send us your African proverbs.

That's all for this week from the BBC Africa Live team. We're back on Tuesday morning Nairobi time.

In the meantime there will be an automated news feed and you can also 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.

And we leave you with this shot from Ghana's Lake Volta:

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC News

Sudan has recalled its envoy to Addis Ababa and summoned Ethiopia's ambassador in protest at the alleged execution of seven Sudanese soldiers in a contested border area.

Ethiopia has denied that its army is responsible for killings - saying in a statement that it regretted the "loss of life" without specifying their number, and accusing the Sudanese forces of provoking the incident by crossing into Ethiopian territory aided by Tigray Peoples Liberation Front fighters.

It also alleged in a statement that the incident was "deliberately concocted to undermine relations" between the two nations:

Image source, Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On Sunday the Sudanese military said that its soldiers had been held captive then killed with their corpses displayed in public. It vowed an response to the killings but did not specify what measures it would take.

Tensions have been high between Ethiopia and Sudan over the fertile farming area of al-Fashaga near their shared border.

Clashes between Ethiopian and Sudanese forces have been common over the decades but have escalated over the past year. A compromise deal signed between the two nations in 2008 has failed to end the conflict.

Ethiopia and Sudan are also locked in dispute over Ethiopia's construction of a huge hydroelectric dam along the River Nile.