Jonathan Paye-Layleh
BBC News, Monrovia

Image source, Getty Images

A court in the US state of Pennsylvania has issued historic damages totalling $84m (£71m) to four victims of the Lutheran Church Massacre, one of the deadliest attacks on civilians during Liberia’s civil conflict from 1989 to 2003. More than 600 people were killed.

At the time forces of then-rebel leader, Charles Taylor, were fighting government troops in the outskirts of the capital, Monrovia.

The killings were blamed on the army of President Samuel Doe.

The victims were represented by the San Francisco-based Centre for Justice and Accountability, external.

The ruling came after the court held one of the army commanders of Samuel Doe responsible for the killings.

Formerly a resident of Pennsylvania, the man is said to have now returned to Liberia where he is reportedly living freely.

It is not clear how the US court intends to get the authorities in Liberia to collaborate in getting the award paid to the victims.

Image source, Getty Images

Police in Nigeria's south-western Ogun state have warned that a serial killer is on the loose in the Remo-North local government area of the state.

“The modus operandi of the serial killer is to pretend to be an okada rider [commercial motorcyclist]... and pick his targeted victims as passengers," police spokesperson Abimbola Oyeyemi said.

"Such victims who are mainly women will be taken to an isolated area, raped and brutally murdered ," Mr Oyeyemi continued.

The police is doing everything to arrest the suspect, but the public must be on guard around okada riders, especially at night, the police said.

They also advised people to take down the phone number of the okada rider, before embarking on a journey with them.

Raila Odinga narrowly lost the presidential election, with 48.8% of the vote to William Ruto's 50.5%.

While Raila Odinga comes from a famous Kenyan family, the political crown has always eluded him.

Image source, AFP

World-renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is trending in Nigeria after making a speech at the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, where she said that Nigerians were "starved of heroes" and that young people did "not find people to look up to any more".

She also touched on Nigeria's ongoing security challenges, such as the kidnapping-for-ransom crisis.

"Nigeria is in disarray. Things are hard and getting harder by the day. We can’t be safe when there is no role of law," she said.

Online people have supported Adichie's speech.

"Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is a fearless & ruthless lady. She say’s what she wants to say without any iota of fear," one person tweeted., external

"This woman be speaking directly from my heart," another said., external

Back in July, Ms Adichie announced she was backing Labour Party candidate Peter Obi to become the next president of Nigeria, saying she "cannot wait" to cast her vote for him in elections next year.

Among the notable attendees at the conference, were opposition PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Mr Obi.

Read more:

• Who is Peter Obi?
• Nigeria's security crises - five different threats

The UN has expressed "deep concern" about the state of human rights in Guinea after the country's ruling junta dissolved an opposition group and clamped down on recent protests, the AFP news agency reports.

UN Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet wrote a letter to Guinea's leader, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, highlighting what she called large numbers of arrests of protesters as well as some of their deaths.

Ms Bachelet wants Guinea's government to investigate alleged violence at the hands of security forces during the protests, free those arrested and re-institute the opposition coalition called the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC).

Dissolving the group "constitutes a major violation of freedom of association and public gathering," the AFP news agency quotes Ms Bachelet as saying.

Guinea saw a military takeover in September 2021, which led to Col Doumbouya taking over as head of state.

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

A leading conservation body has welcomed a fall in rhino poaching in Africa, but says it remains a grave threat to their survival.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature said that from a peak of one rhino in 20 being killed in 2015, the number being killed fell to about one in 50 last year - with covid-related lockdowns helping to limit poaching.

It said anti-poaching policies must be kept up to protect populations of both black and white rhinos - particularly in South Africa, home to most of the continent’s rhinos.

It said conservation efforts had seen a recent increase in the numbers of one-horned rhinos, mainly found in India and Nepal.

Image source, AFP

Mali has appointed a new interim prime minister, as reports swirl that civilian politician Choguel Maiga has been admitted to hospital.

New Prime Minister, Col Abdoulaye Maiga, no relation, was previously minister of territorial administration and government spokesperson.

There was a report in early August from French based-Jeune Afrique magazine that Choguel Maiga had suffered a stroke, but one of his advisers denied this, according to the Reuters news agency.

Col Abdoulaye Maiga has been a vocal critic of Mali's former colonial power, France, accusing Paris of being neo-colonial and patronising over a row about Malian security and democracy, French website France24 reported. , external

The military seized power in 2021, and named Col Assimi Goïta president of the country.

The appointment of Col Abdoulaye Maiga means that both of Mali's most senior government positions are currently held by military figures.

Read more:

• Did Mali's coup halt jihadist attacks as promised?
• Mali's coup is cheered at home but upsets neighbours

A Scots tea firm is ordered to stop legal action blocking farm workers in Kenya suing it for damages.

Peter Mwai
BBC Reality Check

Image source, AFP

A key part of Raila Odinga’s legal case about Kenya's election hinges on the role of the chair of the Independent Election and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Wafula Chebukati.

Mr Odinga says he should not have announced William Ruto as the winner without the agreement of a majority of the commission, and thus “usurped” their role.

We know that four of the seven commissioners did not support the announcement of the result.

But there are different interpretations of Mr Chebukati's powers. Some experts believe under the Kenyan constitution, he alone is empowered to announce the outcome of the presidential poll, acting as the returning officer for that vote.

They also point to the fact that he is under a legal obligation to do so within seven days of the date of the election.

However, other legal opinion argues that under the 2011 IEBC act, Mr Chebukati can only announce what the commission has “tallied and verified.”

This is a point that the Supreme Court will have to resolve.

Ahmed Rouaba
BBC News, Tunis

A former Tunisian minister has for the last eight days staged a protest at the country's main airport, Tunis cartage airport, after he was stopped from leaving the country.

Human rights activists have expressed concerns over his condition after he was pictured sleeping on a bench.

Nouredine Mkhademi was about to take a flight to Qatar last week when he was stopped by the police.

The former religious affairs minister is an opponent of President Kais Saied.

He explained in a video shared on social media that he was not given a reason for stopping him from boarding a plane and was "not aware of any court case against him or any legal reason".

The interior ministry wrote on Facebook that the former minister was banned from travelling due to a court order.

However, lawyers defending him say their client never received any warrant informing him of the ban.

Mr Mkhademi has been visited by politicians, academics and human rights activists who raised concerns about his and his family's health.

BBC World Service

Image source, ALGERIAN CIVIL DEFENCE

Algerian police say at least 43 people are now known to have died in wildfires that raged for days in the north of the country.

More than 30 fires were put out over the weekend, but with some still burning, casualties are expected to rise further.

More than 1,000 families have been evacuated from the worst affected areas, which includes the El Tarf region near the border with Tunisia.

Thirteen people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in starting the fires.

Kenyan politician Raila Odinga ferried cartons of paperwork in a truck as he filed a legal case challenging the results of the presidential election.

A local newspaper has tweeted a picture of the truck arriving at the court building:

Mr Odinga, his running mate, Martha Karua and lawyers who will be representing them have already filed the case at the Supreme Court.

The court has two weeks to look into the case and issue a verdict.

One of Mr Odinga's lawyers has tweeted the moment they physically filed the case at the court:

Eight environmental organisations based in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they are facing threats because of their campaign against the auctioning of oil and gas blocks.

The organisations that include Greenpeace Africa say campaigners have received direct threats that include accusations of treason, death threats and anonymous phone calls.

The government in DR Congo launched an auction of licensing rights and promised that the environment would be protected by using modern technology.

Nine of the oil blocks are in the huge “central basin” rainforest and peatlands region in the west of the country and plans to drill in the area have been controversial.

A petition to end oil and gas development in the country launched by non-governmental organisations ahead of the auction has attracted more than 100,000 signatories.

President Felix Tshisekedi says oil and gas production will allow the country to reduce its reliance on mining.

Abdi Dahir
BBC Monitoring, Nairobi

Image source, Reuters

Somali Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre has pledged to hold accountable officials who failed to prevent the deadly al-Shabab attack on Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu.

Mr Barre made the remarks on state-owned Somali National TV after the security forces ended a nearly 35-hour siege on the popular hotel.

"We cannot tolerate a repeat of what happened," he said and vowed that "those who neglected their duties would be held accountable".

Health Minister Ali Hajji Aden said that 21 people were killed and 117 wounded in the fighting between security forces and al-Shabab militants at the hotel.

Mr Barre visited the wounded and said those who were seriously injured would be taken outside the country for specialised treatment.

The Somali government was widely criticised for failing to quickly end the hotel siege.

Politicians expressed concern over the presence of different units of the security forces without a central command in Mogadishu, which they said was in itself "a security threat".

A petition challenging Kenya's presidential election has been filed online.

A lawyer who is part of Raila Odinga's Azimio coalition legal team that is challenging the declaration of William Ruto as president-elect has told local media the team is on its way to the Supreme Court to present the physical documents.

Lawyer and politician Dan Maanzo said the petition is already with the judiciary but a physical copy that will be stamped will be presented before the 14:00 local time deadline.

Patience Atuhaire
BBC News, Kampala

Police in north-western Uganda are investigating the deaths of a dozen people who are suspected to have consumed a locally manufactured gin.

The deaths are said to have been registered between Saturday and Sunday in Madi-Okollo district.

Several others, including one trader who was selling the gin known as City 5 Pineapple Flavoured Gin, have been hospitalised with suspected poisoning.

It is not clear what the ingredients in the drink are, but “demineralised water, extra neutral alcohol and pineapple flavour” are listed on the bottle.

A regional police spokesperson said that samples of the gin have been collected and will be submitted to the government chemist to conduct tests.

Four suspects have been arrested, and the cottage factory where the gin was being manufactured closed, as investigations continue.

Deaths from adulterated alcohol are common in Uganda. In 2010, at least 80 people died in south-western Uganda after drinking alcohol laced with methanol, according to authorities.

Supporters of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga have started gathering outside a court building as his legal team prepares to file a petition challenging the presidential election result.

Image source, Reuters

Hundred of regular and paramilitary police have thrown a security cordon around the court buildings.

Image source, Reuters

Kenyan politician Raila Odinga is on Monday set to contest results of the presidential election at the highest court after rejecting Deputy President William Ruto's victory in the 9 August election.

Mr Odinga lost to Mr Ruto by the narrow margin of 50.5% to 48.8%.

He has until 14:00 local time (11:00GMT) to file the petition at the Supreme Court.

Any Kenyan dissatisfied with the results of the presidential election can also file a petition.

Mr Odinga's case is bolstered by the fact that four of the seven electoral commissioners - including vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera - took the extraordinary step of rejecting the result.

In 2017 Kenya's Supreme Court annulled presidential election results citing irregularities, and ordered a new one within 60 days.

Then incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta went ahead to win the rerun after Mr Odinga boycotted the election.

Israel Campos
BBC News, Luanda

Image source, EPA

Angolans will vote on Wednesday to determine whether or not President João Lourenço wins a second and final five-year term in office.

He is running on a ticket of the ruling MPLA party - with a total of eight candidates vying for the top job.

His main challenge comes in the form of Angola's largest opposition party Unita, whose leader is Adalberto Costa Júnior.

Most outside analysts predict that the MPLA – which has ruled Angola since independence in 1975 – will win again, but many feel that this will be the country’s closest election so far.

Angolan economist Âurea Mouzinho says this campaign has a different feel, and believes that young people today feel more comfortable and open to challenge the country’s political establishment.

Image source, EPA

The ruling party says they’re still ready and confident to win this time around.

But it has attracted criticism as well.

Maria Luisa “Tchenguita” is standing as an independent candidate. She says that after almost five decades under the MPLA, many young people in Angola are hungry for something different.

Unita had intended to run its candidate under the banner of a new coalition – the FPU – but was ordered by Angola’s Constitutional Court to contest the election under its traditional party name.