Mike Thomson
BBC World Service News

Image source, AFP

Libya’s Tripoli-based government of national unity has invited international oil companies holding contracts with the state oil firm to resume working in the country.

Production has been frequently halted over the last decade following invasions of oil sites by armed groups and protesters.

Tensions have been fuelled by an ongoing battle for power and resources between rival administrations in the west and east of the country.

Libya has Africa’s largest crude oil reserves and is desperate to increase production to fund much needed investment in housing, transport and electricity networks.

Image source, AFP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he, external had “a productive conversation” with Rwandan President Paul Kagame to emphasise the need for peace and security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

But Rwanda says that despite the “good discussions” there are still differences in understanding of the issue.

In a statement on Twitter, external, Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta said a “wrong and misguided approach” by the international community had made the problem worse.

On Monday, the US urged Rwanda to end its support for the M23 rebel group in DR Congo, in line with resolutions made during the talks on the conflict held recently in the Angolan capital, Luanda.

Rwanda, which denies supporting the rebels, said the responsibility ought to be placed on DR Congo, which he described as being shielded from accountability.

“M23 should not be equated to Rwanda. It is not Rwanda’s problem to solve. The security concerns of Rwanda need to be addressed, and where others may not feel obliged to, Rwanda is and will continue to do so,” Mr Biruta said.

Fighting between the Congolese military and the M23 has intensified in recent months displacing close to 400,000 people.

Leaders from countries in the region have been holding talks to try to end the violence.

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The allegations against South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa could be straight out of a John le Carré novel.

That's all for now from the BBC Africa Live team. There'll be an automated news feed until we're back on Tuesday morning.

In the meantime, you can get the latest news from our website and the Africa Today podcast.

A reminder of our proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this picture of George Okoth,18, and Catherine Abilla, 15, as they wait in the wings during their performance of the Nutcracker in Nairobi, Kenya:

Image source, AFP

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, AFP

The authorities in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado say lightning strikes killed five people and injured seven others at the weekend.

According to district administrator Matias Constantino, who confirmed the fact today, people were hit while watching a recreational football match in Nangande disctrict.

Speaking to state radio in Pemba, Mr Constantino said that in addition to causing fatalities, the phenomenon damaged the electrical system of the district administration building.

Lightening strikes, cyclones and floods are common in central and northern Mozambique, particularly during the rainy season that runs between October and the end of March.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Police in Senegal are searching for two opposition lawmakers who attacked a female MP during a brawl in parliament last week.

Massata Samb slapped Amy Ndiaye, and Mamadou Niang kicked her in the stomach during a justice ministry budget vote on Thursday.

Ms Ndiaye then threw a chair at Mr Samb before the speaker suspended proceedings.

Prosecutors in Dakar have launched proceedings against the two male MPs.

The violence in parliament was widely condemned in Senegal, and came during an annual UN-backed awareness campaign about violence against women and girls.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News

Image source, IciNiger

One of Niger's most famous musicians, Hamsou Garba, has died in a hospital in the capital Niamey. She was 64 and had been ill for some time.

Born in the southern city of Maradi, Garba had a music career spanning more than three decades.

She led a band of women and men, singing mainly in the Hausa language occasionally mixed with French. Her songs focused on love, religion and social issues as well as political activism and patriotism.

Garba was well respected by peers who nicknamed her "the music box" due to her talent and ability to sing impromptu.

Her passing has been called a "national loss" by the national musician's union, while performer Amadou Yacouba said people like her were "rare" in the industry.

The singer was briefly jailed in 2016, for criticising the government during a performance and for calling then-detained opposition leader Hama Amadou "Niger's Mandela".

Garba also spoke about social issues as an occasional talk-show host on her FM radio station Turaki.

Her death comes barely two weeks after the death of her husband, and a month since her oldest daughter died.

Leaders of the governing ANC support Cyril Ramaphosa who was facing a possible impeachment vote.

Military leaders, who have been ruling the country since 2019, agree to hand over power.

Nomsa Maseko
BBC News, Johannesburg

The ANC has announced that its MPs have been told to vote against the adoption of a report that found President Cyril Ramaphosa may have violated South Africa's constitution.

It says it has made this decision based on President Ramaphosa’s challenge of the report at the Constitutional Court.

The cannabis was packed in boxes and moved in "solidarity convoys" to evade police, the Guardia Civil said.

South Africa's World Cup winner Sbu Nkosi, who was reported missing by his club side the Bulls, is found 'safe and sound'.

Nomsa Maseko
BBC Southern Africa correspondent

Image source, AFP

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially filed court papers to have a report which found he may have violated the country’s constitution reviewed.

Mr Ramaphosa wants the Constitutional Court to declare the findings of the panel unlawful and to set them aside.

He further states that the panel went beyond its scope when looking at whether he had a case to answer related to a robbery at his Phala Phala farm.

In the papers the president is also asking the court to declare that any steps taken by parliament on the back of the release of the report to be declared unlawful and invalid.

The report is due to be debated by members of parliament on Tuesday.

Opposition party leaders have said they will use the opportunity to call for the establishment of a committee to look into the impeachment of the president.

BBC News Pidgin

Image source, .

Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped Benue State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development Ekpe Ogbu and two fellow passengers, police say.

They had been travelling back from church when it happened, Benue state official Terver Akase tells BBC News Pidgin.

According to local reports the kidnapping took place at the Adankari junction on the Otukpo-Ado road - the fourth known abduction in that same spot.

It's not known who the gunmen are or what their motives are, but kidnappings for ransom are often seen by armed bandits as a quick and easy way to get money.

More on this topic:

• Nigeria's Kaduna train attack: How I survived hijacking and captivity
• The motorcycle bandits terrorising northern Nigeria
• Nigeria child abduction: Kidnappers demand millions for a child's life - BBC News

The Togolese company that holds sub-Saharan Africa's World Cup TV rights has suffered a series of cyber-attacks since the tournament launched.

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC News, southern Malawi

Nurse Brenda Jingini considers her 55-year-old patient a lucky man - lucky to be alive and recovering from an acute infection of cholera that is surging through communities in southern Malawi.

Too weak to walk or even talk, William Mponda's family had feared for the worst when he was admitted to Lisungwi community hospital.

For three days he had been complaining at home of severe body pains, was vomiting and had diarrhoea.

"Believe me, he is much better now. In much better condition that when he was brought in. We had to give him emergency care," Ms Jingini told the BBC.

After a week in hospital he was still weak. As Ms Jingini tried to fit a drip to his arm, he struggled to lift his head. But he dropped back to the metal bed, gasping and sweating in the hot morning sun.

Part of this local hospital has been converted into a makeshift treatment unit for patients suffering from the highly infectious disease.

Transmitted through unclean water, it can affect children and adults, causing severe diarrhoea, and can kill within hours if left untreated.

"When we had just opened the special tent, we had few patients but now the cases are rising. We are worried the situation could get worse," Ms Jingini said.

The cholera outbreak begun in March in the south of the country after Tropical Storm Ana and Cyclone Gombe caused floods and massive displacements.

The infection has now spread to all of Malawi's 28 districts. Hospitals and clinics, especially in rural areas, are overwhelmed.

Over the last nine months, more than 250 people have died and more than 8,000 others have been infected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is Malawi's largest cholera epidemic in a decade. There is concern the coming rainy season could worsen the situation.

At least 12 other countries on the continent are dealing with rising cholera cases - including Kenya, Nigeria, Niger, Mozambique, Somalia, and South Sudan. Experts link such outbreaks to the effects of climate change effects, like droughts and floods.

In May, the health ministry began a nationwide vaccination campaign. But the uptake has been slow with more than 1.5 million people out of a total population of 18 million having been vaccinated.

Rhoda Green did get vaccinated and though she did get cholera, recovered after a day in hospital.

"Those people not vaccinated get very sick while those that have been vaccinated don't get very sick," she told the BBC.

"On sanitation we need to take good care of ourselves - like health workers stopped us from drinking water from rivers. We use water from bore holes or tap water from here at the health centre."

Mr Mponda has also now been vaccinated to stop any further infections - and staff at Lisungwi hospital feel he will make a full recovery.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

A court in Chad has handed jail terms of up to three years to more than 260 people who were arrested after deadly protests in October.

The mass trial took place in a high-security prison in the desert. Defence lawyers boycotted proceedings, arguing that the trial itself was not legal.

More than 400 people faced charges, including taking part in an unauthorised gathering and disturbing public order.

Officials said about 50 people died during October's nationwide pro-democracy protests - including 10 members of the security forces.

Rights groups said more than 100 people were killed by security forces.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

The Swiss-based mining company, Glencore, has said it will pay $180m (£146m) to the Democratic Republic of Congo to cover any corruption claims.

The agreement with the Congolese government covers an 11-year period from 2007 to 2018.

It's the latest in a series of corruption cases which has seen Glencore agree to pay more than $1.6bn in fines this year.

In May the company admitted bribing officials in several African countries including Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and DR Congo following an investigation by American, British and Brazilian authorities.

Glencore says its learnt from its past mistakes and now operates within the law.

Despite the vast fines Glencore is expected to make a record multi-million dollar profit this year.

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse identifies lapses in defence and a gulf in class as the main reasons for their World Cup last-16 defeat by England.