Grace Kuria
BBC News

Kenya’s minister for foreign affairs, Alfred Mutua, on Tuesday left the country for Saudi Arabia to meet with authorities and the Kenya diaspora to gather more information about the challenges faced by Kenyan workers in the Gulf state.

This comes after news last month that 85 Kenyan women working abroad – mostly in Saudi Arabia – had died in the previous three months according to Mr Mutua.

Another 1,000 Kenyan women had been repatriated, he added.

Mr Mutua's travels come on the back of a meeting held on Monday with representatives of employment agents who recruit Kenyans for jobs in Saudi Arabia and other regions.

The meeting, which he termed as "complex with mind-boggling revelations", was aimed at finding lasting solutions for the diaspora workers.

“The information gathered [from the agents] paints a different story from the blame-game trending in the media channels,” Mr Mutua said.

In 2021 Kenya’s foreign ministry said 89 Kenyans, most of them domestic workers, had died in Saudi Arabia in the previous two years.

The deaths were however attributed to cardiac arrest.

Known for her long tusks, Dida was aged between 60 and 65 years and a major tourist attraction.

Thomas Naadi
BBC News

Image source, WHO

Health authorities in The Gambia have said they have still not reached a formal conclusion as to whether four contaminated syrups were the cause of death of at least 70 children in the country.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) and a preliminary police investigation had linked the death of the children to the contaminated Indian-made cough syrups and issued a global alert.

Not all the 70 children that died had consumed the contaminated cough syrups, Gambian health officials said.

Although the syrups are the main suspect, acute kidney injury can also be caused by multiple sources, they said, and are still carrying out investigations to scientifically conclude the cause of death.

The country has recorded 82 cases of acute kidney injury and 12 recoveries since July this year.

The syrups contained toxic substances used in car anti-freeze systems and brake fluid.

The authorities have been able to recall over 40,000 bottles of syrups and the licence of the importer has been withdrawn.

The Gambia’s parliamentary health committee is conducting an investigation and President Adama Barrow has also set up a commission of inquiry expected to propose measures to prevent future occurrences.

Read more about the cough syrup scandal here.

Jacob Evans
BBC World Service News

A species of owl previously unknown to scientists has been discovered on an island off the west coast of Africa.

Researchers found the bird on Príncipe island - part of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe - and have named the owl after its home.

The Príncipe Scops Owl is small and brown with big yellow eyes, and has a uniquely short hoot - described as sounding like insect calls.

Only 1,500 of them are believed to exist and scientists are asking for the bird to be given critically endangered status as it can only be found on the island.

Alaa Abdel Fattah's family fear for his life after he starts consuming only water in prison in Egypt.

South African sides Titans and Knights set a new world record score of 501, the highest amount of runs scored in a Twenty20 match.

Richard Kagoe
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, Twitter/ KWS

Conservationists in Kenya are mourning the death of an iconic 65-year-old elephant at the Tsavo East National Park.

The elephant that was christened as Dida passed away because of old age, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Dida, also known known as the "Queen of Tsavo" had survived many challenges such as drought and poaching at Kenya’s biggest conservation area.

Conservationists took to Twitter to eulogise Dida hailing her for being resilient during adversity.

They shared pictures of her as she straddled the country’s biggest wildlife park covered in red soil with long tusks.

The park management described Dida as truly a matriarch of Tsavo and a great repository of many decades worth of knowledge.

Meanwhile, two elephants have died of famine in Imenti Forest on the slopes of Mount Kenya.

The current drought has taken its toll on wildlife with more than 100 elephants recorded dead at the Tsavo East and West National Parks in south-eastern Kenya, according to the Africa Wildlife Foundation in Kenya.

Conservationists say this is a setback considering the gains that have been made over the years with the decline in poaching cases due to increased surveillance.

Omar Wally
Journalist, The Gambia

Image source, AFP

The Gambia’s Justice Minister Dawda Jallow has held discussions with senior officials of the regional body, Ecowas, to establish a hybrid court to prosecute former President Yahya Jammeh for alleged human rights abuses during his 22-year rule.

Mr Jammeh’s 22-year rule which ended in 2017, was characterised by alleged human rights abuses.

Earlier this year, a government white paper recommended that Mr Jammeh and 69 others be prosecuted for alleged crimes committed during his rule, from July 1994 to January 2017.

He denies wrongdoing.

Mr Jammeh currently lives in exile in Equatorial Guinean but commands significant support among Gambians. He fled The Gambia in 2017 after losing elections to current President Adama Barrow.

There are growing calls for Mr Jammeh to be prosecuted but there are concerns that it might endanger security and stability.

Members of what has been alleged to be Mr Jammeh’s killing squad - also called the Junglers - are facing prosecution in Germany, Switzerland and the United States.

Other members are hiding in West African countries, while others who were arrested and testified at The Gambia's Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) are working freely in The Gambia and are yet to face prosecution.

Lalla Sy
BBC News, Abidjan

Image source, AFP

At least 13 people were killed following a raid by the Malian army and a group that locals identified as Russia's Wagner mercenary group on 30 October.

They said the army and mercenaries targeted ethnic Fulanis during the raid.

Residents said a woman and child were among those killed in the attack on Guelledje village in Tenenkou Cercle, Mopti Region, according to the AFP news agency.

Several suspected jihadists were also arrested during the operation.

According to an association for the promotion of Fulani culture more than 20 civilians were killed in the area, but this was denied by a Malian military source, AFP says.

The Malian army has long been accused of abuses, including by the country's UN mission (Minusma) and is said to have hired the services of Wagner, whose actions have been decried.

Bamako denies this and says it has cooperation with the Russian army because of a long-standing state-to-state relationship.

The Kremlin has previously denied any involvement with Wagner.

Mali has been facing a security, political and humanitarian crisis since the outbreak of independence and jihadist insurgencies in 2012 in the north.

The government claims to have reversed the poor security trend.

Nigerian police investigate the death of the three-year-old child of the Afrobeats star.

Mamelodi Sundowns make a winning start to their Women's African Champions League title defence, beating Nigeria's Bayelsa Queens.

Didier Bikorimana
BBC Great Lakes Service

Image source, AFP

The Democratic Republic of Congo's government has instructed its new ambassador to Rwanda not to start his duties, in the latest sign of strained relations between the neighbouring states.

He has been ordered “to hold on the presentation of letters of credence to Rwandan officials until further notice”.

The presentation marks the formal start of diplomatic duties.

DR Congo's foreign ministry said it had also recalled its chargé d’affaires at the embassy in Kigali “for consultation”.

The announcement was made on Monday, just as the expelled Rwandan ambassador to Kinshasa, Vincent Karega, left DR Congo. Rwanda said it noted “with regret” his expulsion.

DR Congo accuses its neighbour of aggression under the proxy of M23 rebels.

Rwanda has consistently denied the accusation and instead accuses DR Congo's military of collusion with a rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), based in the east of the country with the intention to attack Rwanda.

DR Congo has in turn denied that accusation, with President Félix Tshisekedi telling a UN general assembly meeting in September that the FDLR had been “decapitated” as a result of previous joint military operations against the FDLR by DR Congo and Rwanda.

He said the accusation was “an unsubstantiated alibi” for Rwanda to “justify repeated aggressions" against DR Congo.

UN Secretary General António Guterres on Sunday called on “the M23 and other armed groups to immediately cease hostilities and to disarm unconditionally”.

At the weekend, M23 captured the towns of Rutshuru and Kiwanja – some 70km (43 miles) away from Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu.

Since June it has also been holding the town of Bunagana at the border with Uganda.

Victor Ezeama
BBC Pidgin

Police in Nigeria have confirmed the death of the three-year old son of famous Nigerian popstar Davido.

The toddler is said to have drowned in a swimming pool at his father’s house in Banana Island in the city of Lagos.

The spokesperson of the Lagos state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, told BBC Pidgin that eight people were being questioned in connection to the incident.

"Eight people were brought in for questioning and after a thorough investigation, anyone found culpable of the child’s death would be arrested,” he said.

Davido and his girlfriend, Chioma, are yet to comment on the incident.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, Getty Images

Nigerian authorities say the country is "at high risk" of importation of the Ebola virus following the outbreak of the disease in Uganda.

The West African country does not share a common border with Uganda.

However, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the high level of risk to the country is due to the "large volume of air travel between Nigeria and Uganda and the mixing of passengers, especially at the regional travel hubs of Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Kigali airports".

The health authorities say they are on alert, with a number of measures put in place to "prevent and mitigate the impact of a potential Ebola outbreak in Nigeria".

These measures include increased surveillance and screening of passengers at airports.

Nigeria has also issued a travel advisory telling its citizens and residents that they should "avoid all but essential travel to Uganda for now until public health authorities have determined the outbreak to be contained’’ in the East African country.

But when travel to Uganda is "unavoidable", travellers should avoid contact with "obviously sick persons or suspected cases of Ebola", it advises.

The NCDC says passengers coming from or passing through Uganda are being followed up for 21 days from the day they arrive in Nigeria. Response teams are also on standby for deployment in case of an outbreak, it says.

Uganda has recorded more than 100 cases and 30 deaths since the outbreak began in September, and there have been fears the virus might spread to other countries.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says there is “heavy foreign interference” in the continuing talks between the government and Tigray administration but remains hopeful a peace pact will be reached.

Speaking to the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Mr Abiy said Ethiopians can solve their matters despite international pressure for a ceasefire.

“Of course, if there are lots of interventions from left and right, it’s very difficult,” Mr Abiy said.

"Ethiopians should understand we can solve our own issues by ourselves."

He also confirmed the federal army’s capture of the Tigray towns of Shire, Axum and Adwa last month from the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

“We are trying to convince TPLF to respect the law of the land, to respect the constitution and to act as one state in Ethiopia,” he said.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat on Monday said "there was no date limitation" on the talks, according to the AFP news agency.

The negotiations, which began on 25 October in South Africa, continued on Monday although they were initially expected to end on Sunday.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Mozambican authorities say close to 90 Islamist militants alongside their hostages have surrendered to the government over the past two months in Mocimboa da Praia in Cabo Delgado province.

The province has grappled with a brutal jihadist insurgency that has created a massive humanitarian crisis in northern Mozambique.

President Filipe Nyusi in September announced a pardon for all surrendering jihadists during a tour to the province.

Local administrator Sérgio Cipriano said the militants were well received and the process of reconciliation and reintegration was underway.

“We ask communities to welcome the repentant as brothers, forgive all wrongs done, leave the past and pick up a new page. They are children of Mocimboa da Praia who return to their homes, to their origins,” he said.

Since 2017, militants have carried out abductions, beheadings, and the burning of homes in the province forcing hundreds of thousands to flee for their safety.

More on this topic:

• Mozambique insurgency: Why 24 countries have sent troops

Image source, Getty Images

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has left for the UK for a routine medical check-up, his special adviser said on Monday.

He is due to return to Nigeria in the second week of this month, Femi Adesina said in a statement on Twitter., external

Mr Buhari, 79, has regularly sought treatment abroad since he assumed the presidency in 2015.

He has often been criticised for seeking treatment outside the country while Nigeria’s healthcare system suffers from mismanagement and under-funding.

His time as president for two consecutive terms comes to an end in February when the country holds a general election.

Tanzania's population grew from 44.9 million in 2012 to more than 60 million in a decade, according to the results of the national census announced on Monday.

The population rise by more than 37% prompted President Samia Suluhu Hassan to warn about the challenges posed by the expanding numbers.

"Such population might not be a big deal for a huge country like ours but it's a burden when it comes to allocating resources and delivering social services," President Samia is quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

Women represent 51% of the general population, according to the census results.

Population in the capital, Dodoma, rose by a million to 3.1 million, while the commercial hub, Dar es Salaam, remains the most populated region with around 5.4 million residents.

Image source, Getty

The number of deaths from cholera in Malawi rose to 183 at the end of October from 110 at the beginning of the month, the health ministry announced on Monday., external

The rate of infections has been rising, with the cumulative number of cases since the outbreak began in March now at 6,056, the ministry said in a statement.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection usually caught by eating or drinking contaminated food or water and is closely linked to poor sanitation.

Malawi’s health ministry attributed the deaths to poor food hygiene among the communities, lack of safe water and a lack of and improper use of toilets.

Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda also noted that some patients were not seeking treatment for religious reasons, while others were visiting hospitals when it was already late.

He appealed to religious institutions to encourage their members to seek proper health services to avoid “unnecessary” loss of lives.

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