Former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled the oil- and diamond-rich state for almost four decades, has died aged 79, the Facebook page of the Angolan presidency says, external.
Image source, Getty ImagesMuch of José Eduardo dos Santos presidency was spent fighting a civil war
Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News, Addis Ababa
Image source, AFPThe army has been involved in a conflict with forces from Tigray since November 2020
Ethiopian government forces and various armed groups killed hundreds of civilians over the last year as the country continues to grapple with widespread insecurity, a report by the state rights watchdog says
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission's annual report implicates government soldiers, fighters from the embattled region of Tigray and armed groups from the country’s two largest regions - Oromia and Amhara.
It comes as pressure is growing on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration following fresh attacks against ethnic minorities.
The rights watchdog says that as the violence has continued to rage across several regions in the past 12 months, so too have rights violations.
Inhumane treatment of captured fighters, torture against suspects and forced disappearances have been rampant, according to the report.
The communications blackout in Tigray continues to leave millions without access to information.
Meanwhile the number of journalists detained over the last year has reached 54, some still in police custody. Fifteen of them have been detained by Tigrayan fighters.
The report, by the government’s own rights body, is yet another indication that Ethiopia, once seen as a beacon of stability in Horn of Africa region, is now mired in near-constant security crises.
Double Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge win run the Berlin Marathon in September, aiming to equal Haile Gebrselassie's record.
Read More
Dorcas Wangira
Africa health correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesThe e-passport shows proof of vaccination against Covid-19
An African Union vaccine e-passport has been introduced, which is intended to enable easier travel within and outside Africa.
The passport will be in digital format. A QR code will be scanned to show proof that someone has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and has a valid vaccine certificate.
It was launched on Friday, which is Africa Integration Day, at a virtual event attended by some African heads of state and other global health leaders.
Acting head of Africa CDC, Ahmed Ogwell, says the vaccine e-passport will soon be expanded to include other certificates such as Yellow Fever.
He added that the Africa CDC was also holding talks to link the passport to other global systems.
Image source, AFPThe Congolese army is fighting several armed groups in the east of the country
Clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between the army and M23 rebels have reportedly resumed.
Media reports say fresh clashes took place in the Rutshuru area of North Kivu Province, forcing residents to flee their homes.
The latest round of fighting erupted a day after President Félix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, agreed on an immediate ceasefire to resolve the conflict in the volatile region.
M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma is quoted by the Reuters news agency describing the ceasefire agreement "an illusion".
"Only the M23 can sign the ceasefire with the government," he is quoted as saying.
DR Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the M23, which both Kigali and the rebels have consistently denied.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe medical student is accused of demanding a 70,000 Kenyan shilling ransom
Police in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, have arrested a medical student who allegedly faked his own kidnap to demand a ransom from his parents.
The 23-year-old is accused of "disappearing" on Sunday and calling his mother days later to ask for 70,000 Kenyan shillings ($593; £494) in ransom money.
An initial instalment of the ransom was paid on Wednesday, but police say the student went on a drinking spree on the outskirts of the city with a woman who spiked his drink and stole the money.
On Thursday, he allegedly demanded and was paid a second instalment of the ransom but was arrested soon after and the money found stuffed in his shoes.
Police say the student confessed to having squandered the money meant for last semester's fees and faked his kidnap to raise more funds.
The suspect is waiting to be arraigned in court.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe publication of the abortion guidelines prompted a protest in Lagos
Lagos state in Nigeria has suspended new guidelines on safe abortion to allow for more consultations, its health ministry has announced.
The guidelines were developed over four years for the healthcare profession on how to provide safe and lawful abortion services within existing laws.
But religious leaders said they were not consulted.
Earlier this week, the Catholic archbishop of Lagos was quoted as saying that the guidelines would legalise abortion through the backdoor.
On Thursday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said further sensitisation of the public and stakeholders was needed to ensure a clearer understanding of the guidelines, external., external
Lagos state law allows for the therapeutic termination of a pregnancy - this means medical professionals can terminate a pregnancy where the life of the mother is in danger or the foetus' chances of survival are considered minimal.
Mike Thomson
BBC World Service Newsroom
Image source, Getty ImagesEnnahda insists the vote is “not in the interests of Tunisians”
Tunisia’s powerful Islamist-inspired Ennahda party is calling on its members to boycott a referendum later this month on President Kais Saied’s proposed new constitution.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital, Tunis, the party’s spokesman, Imed Khemeri, insisted that the vote was “not in the interests of Tunisians”.
Critics accuse President Saied, who sacked the government last July and dissolved parliament before seizing executive power, of trying to return the country to one-man rule.
He denies the claim.
Several other Tunisian parties have also called for a boycott on the referendum on 25 July.
The exhibition at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery starts on Friday.
Read More
Rhoda Odhiambo
BBC West Africa correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Marburg virus was first detected in the city of Marburg in Germany in 1967
Ghana has reported two suspected cases of Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola.
It came after preliminary tests done in the country on two patients, who have since died, came back positive for the virus.
The samples have been taken to the Institut Pasteur in Senegal for further tests, said Dr Francis Kasolohe, the World Health Organization's representative in Ghana.
"The two patients from the southern Ashanti region - both deceased and unrelated - showed symptoms including diarrhoea, fever, nausea and vomiting. They had been taken to a district hospital in the Ashanti region," he said.
If confirmed, these would be the first cases recorded in the country and the second in West Africa. Guinea confirmed one case last year.
The WHO has deployed a team of experts to the area to support Ghanaian health workers and prepare for a possible outbreak.
Marburg is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads between humans through bodily fluids.
No vaccine or treatments exist and those diagnosed with Marburg are usually advised to drink plenty of water as doctors treat a patient’s specific symptoms.
Previous outbreaks and sporadic cases of Marburg in Africa have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.
Our proverb of the day:
Quote MessageWhen you have a stupid king, you pay the same toll twice."
A Twi proverb sent by Emmanuel Sampson in Ghana
A selection of the best photos from across Africa and beyond this week.
Read MoreWe'll be back on Friday morning
That's all for now from the BBC Africa Live team. There will be an automated news feed until we're back on Friday morning.
You can also keep up to date on the BBC News website, or by listening to the Africa Today podcast.
A reminder of our wise words of the day:
Quote MessageWhen hunger is removed from the list of woes, suffering is little abated."
A Yoruba proverb sent by Albert Ola. Eluwole in Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Click here to send us your African proverbs.
And we leave you with these pictures from Tunisian Ons Jabeur's victory in the Wimbledon semi-finals:
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Marcia Veiga
BBC News
Image source, AFPAfrobarometer says two-thirds of school-age children do not go to class
One of the authors of a big report on pupil absenteeism in Angola has told the BBC that a “serious lack of schools” is to blame.
A recent Afrobarometer survey shows that two-thirds of school-age children do not go to class.
“It’s not a rural or urban problem but a national one,” David Boio, co-researcher of the Afrobarometer survey, told BBC News.
“Limited spaces in schools, no mode of transportation in the provinces and no system in place to monitor the absences all hinder children from receiving an education,” Mr Boio explained.
Angola, which has a population of 29 million, may be rich in oil, but for the last two decades has been struggling to tackle the legacy a 27-year civil war that ravaged the country from its independence.
One of the major causalities of the conflict was education, with the destruction of many schools - and those remaining or recently built are often overcrowded.
Paulo Araújo, a senior Angolan education official, told the BBC that the government was trying to address this and had constructed more than 500 schools, under what is called the Integrated Plan for the Intervention of Municipalities (PIIM), over the last five years.
But the war has also affected attitudes towards education as most children growing up then did not go to school - and as parents today do not necessarily know they should register their own offspring for schooling, meaning they fall outside the system.
Plus, while public schools are free to attend they do cost parents money in terms of uniforms and books.
Those with an interest in educating their children will often prefer to pay for private schools as state-run institutions tend to have bad reputations.
Many South Africans in poorer areas light fires to stay warm
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has urged the government to subsidise small businesses and poor households to encourage them use alternative energy sources.
The party’s top body said it was directing government to speed up energy sector reforms “to alleviate the plight of South Africans”.
The country has been in a grip of its biggest power crisis in years, with rolling blackouts of up to six hours a day.
ANC spokesman Pule Mabe said what was required to alleviate the crisis was “a practical programme that says these are the steps, these are the interventions”.
Last week the state-run power firm Eskom introduced rolling blackouts in order to prevent a nationwide blackout.
The power cuts have been exacerbated by industrial action by workers at Eskom - who went on strike last week.
A pay deal has now been reached but Eskom says that doesn't mean an end to the power cuts as it will take time to clear the backlog of maintenance work.
Read more on this topic:
More African reaction to the announcement by UK PM
Pumza Fihlani
BBC News, Johannesburg
For those keenly following British politics on the continent, a common thread is emerging from reaction to news of Boris Johnson’s planned resignation as the UK's prime minister - one of envy.
Those who have taken to social media have lamented how uncommon it is in many African countries for a leader to step down, or for his party to force him to leave over a lack of performance.
They have used his resignation to comment on the seeming lack of accountability of politicians in their own countries to the people they govern.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
It’s important to add however that as Mr Johnson has not been seen as a close friend of Africa during his time in office, it is perhaps to be expected that news of his leaving has been met with limited reaction.
Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja
Residents of a community in the north-west Nigerian state of Katsina say a Nigerian military jet has fired a missile on civilians while it was supposed to be targeting armed gangs.
At least one person was killed and more than a dozen others are being treated in a hospital, local MP Abduljalal Haruna Runka told the BBC.
The news comes a day after gunmen attacked the advance security team of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was due to travel to the state to celebrate the festival of Eid this weekend.
The Nigerian military has not yet commentated on the alleged attack on civilians.
But in an earlier statement it said its aircraft had attacked two camps where those it described as "terrorists"’ were hiding near some villages in the same area.
In recent years, there have been a number of cases of Nigerian military aircraft mistakenly hitting civilians during their operations against members of armed groups – who often hide in civilian areas.
The most infamous was the killing of more than 100 civilians and aid workers at a camp for displaced people near the border with Cameroon in 2017.
Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service
The former President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, has arrived back in his country after spending seven years in exile.
The government says he is there to hold talks with the military junta as part of reconciliation efforts.
One journalist has been tweeting pictures of the return:
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
In April this year Compaoré was given a life sentence in absentia for his role in the assassination of the country's revolutionary leader, Thomas Sankara, during the coup that brought him to power 35 years ago.
It's not clear whether Compaoré will be subjected to a judicial process now that he is back in Burkina Faso.
Lawyers representing the family of Mr Sankara have called for his arrest.
Image source, ReutersTunisian third seed Ons Jabeur became the first Arab and African woman to reach a Grand Slam singles final as she beat German mother-of-two Tatjana Maria in the last four at Wimbledon.
Jabeur won 6-2 3-6 6-1 against 103rd-ranked Maria, who aimed to become the lowest-ranked woman to reach the final.
The pair are good friends but were rivals on Centre Court, sharing a long and loving embrace at the net.
Jabeur, 27, will face Simona Halep or Elena Rybakina in Saturday's showpiece.
Swahili is the first African language to get its own UN-designated day, which is being marked today for the first time.
The UN's cultural organisation, Unesco, says it has over 200 million speakers and is one of the most widely used African languages.
The African Union, which recently adopted Swahili as one of its official languages, has joined the celebrations:
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Unesco says the theme for this year is promoting the language as "a beacon for unity, peace, and enhanced multiculturalism":
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
On Tuesday, Uganda's cabinet approved the adoption of Swahili as an official language - the latest move by countries and organisations around the continent to promote the language.
Read more: