This is said to be the second largest Mass Pope Francis has held, after one in the Philippines in 2015.

Jacobs Odongo Seaman
Jinja

Image source, Getty Images

At least two people are facing murder charges in Uganda following separate incidents of violence involving fans of English Premier League clubs.

A youth councillor in the capital Kampala died from stab wounds after stepping in to break up a fight which followed Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup on Friday, police said.

Allan Kakumba was rushed to the national referral hospital in Mulago following a knife attack hours the following day but died moments after admission, Daily Monitor newspaper reports.

Police said in a statement that two suspects were in custody.

“We shall be arraigning the suspect in court soon,” Luke Oweyesigire, the spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Police, told the BBC.

Mr Oweyesigire said Kakumba, 25, had intervened when his brother Titus Kyendo, an Arsenal fan, was caught in the middle of a fierce argument with Manchester City fans.

This comes less than a week after an Arsenal fan was bludgeoned to death in the West Nile district of Adjumani.

Richard Ukuyo was hit on the back of the head with a club after infuriating an anguished Manchester United supporter following Arsenal’s victory against them last month.

Police said the deceased was a well known Arsenal fan.

He had been arguing over Eddie Nketiah’s last-gasp goal for Arsenal, according to local online site Daily Express.

Ukuyo succumbed to his injuries at Mungula health centre, the website reported.

The resurgence of Arsenal this season has given fans rare hope, which some have taken to extreme lengths.

When Arsenal beat rivals Manchester United 3-2 in January to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League, eight Arsenal fans were arrested in the eastern city of Jinja after they stormed the streets to celebrate the win.

Felix Bagiire, a radio presenter and leader of the group, told the BBC that they had wanted to taunt Manchester United fans after the victory.

Police said the group did not have a permit to hold the procession, which is a public order offence in Uganda.

“Does one really need a permit to be excited, to celebrate?” asked Mr Bagiire, whose group was released unconditionally after spending a night in custody.

Atiku Abubakar, one of Nigeria's presidential candidate has told the BBC that he is confident this time.

Egypt's most successful team Al Ahly want to "bring home the winners medal" at the Club World Cup according to winger Ahmed Abdelkader as the tournament kicks off in Morocco.

Shingai Nyoka
BBC News, Harare

Image source, Getty Images

Zimbabwe’s tax revenue authority (Zimra) has exceeded its target for collections for 2022, state-owned The Herald news site reports, adding that the agency surpassed its target by 26.47%.

Zimra improved revenue collection by increasing audits, ramping up door-to-door visits and stronger measures at border posts. Revenue collection rose from Z$1.6 trillion to Z$2 trillion ($55m-$68m; £45m-£55m).

Taxes from individuals surpassed the set target by 70.9% and revenue from customs and VAT was also up, according to The Herald.

The increase in revenue is also attributable to rising salaries to keep pace with a depreciating currency and with annual inflation which ended the year at 243%, the 13th cheque (Christmas bonus) payments and an increasing number of companies paying wages in US dollars.

Despite the increase in tax collections in the last few years delivery of services has not improved, with public sector workers often going on strike over lack of equipment or dismal pay.

Beverly Ochieng
BBC Monitoring

Image source, AFP

Threats by pressure groups in Malawi to escalate anti-government protests have precipitated a cabinet reshuffle by President Lazarus Chakwera.

His administration has been beleaguered by widespread claims of nepotism and corruption, as well as a failing economy.

In his New Year’s message, Mr Chakwera pledged to name a new and lean cabinet.

Key among those dismissed on Tuesday is Information Minister Gospel Kazako, as well as senior officials in the ministries of health and sanitation.

The president’s popularity has steadily declined since his euphoric election win in 2020. Mr Chakwera has since fallen out with Vice-President Salous Chilima who is facing corruption charges - which he denies.

Activists from the prominent Human Rights Defenders’ Coalition (HRDC) warned on 4 January that they would intensify demonstrations over “incompetence” in Mr Chakwera’s administration.

The group had previously demanded the sacking of underperforming ministers.

"Malawi will end up being a failed state if President Chakwera is not radical in fulfilling what he promised Malawians in the run-up to the 2020 elections. If things continue to remain the same, the best he can do for this country is to pave way for others because at the rate things are going, Malawians cannot take it anymore,” HRDC said in a statement.

In October last year, Mr Chakwera dismissed two ministers linked to a corruption scandal. Earlier in January, he dissolved the cabinet after graft claims against some members.

The deteriorating socio-economic situation is further compounded by one of the worst cholera outbreaks in the southern African nation that has claimed more than 1,000 lives since March 2022.

Top officials from the US, China, Russia and Turkey have visited 14 African countries in January 2023.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Gett

Tunisian President Kais Saied has issued a decree extending the state of emergency that has been in place in the country since November 2015.

The state of emergency was extended until the end of December this year, the state news agency TAP reported.

Mr Saied last extended the state of emergency on 30 December for a month.

Before that, it was extended for nearly a year from February to 31 December 2022.

The initial declaration of a state of emergency in November 2015, followed a bombing targeting a bus transporting presidential guard forces, which killed 12.

The country had been rocked earlier that year by two major attacks on foreign tourists in the capital Tunis and the resort town of Sousse.

The latest move comes as Tunisia's main opposition parties have accused Mr Saied of a power grab after he implemented a series of measures expanding his powers and curbing those of elected institutions.

Opposition leaders have called on the president to stand down after recent parliamentary elections saw a record low voter turnout.

Richard Kagoe
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, AFP

Kenya’s government has officially recognized the stateless Pemba community as an ethnic group.

In a gazette notice, President William Ruto said the decision was taken after considering petitions by various parliamentary committees pushing for the recognition of the community.

The recognition will allow community members to be integrated into society and have access to essential services such as education, health care, social protection, financial services and formal job market.

The more than 8,000 community members - who have settled in Kenya’s coastal counties of Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa and Lamu - have been stateless for decades.

Majority of them are involved in deep sea fishing and subsistence farming as their main economic activity.

They have complained of being arrested by Kenyan police and the coast guard for lacking identification documents.

The decision has been welcomed by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and human rights groups who have been pushing for the recognition.

Members claim they are descendants of migrants from Zanzibar during the reign of Sultan Bin Khalifa in the late 1800s.

The Kenya government has in recent years recognised other previously stateless people including the Makonde, Shona, and the South Asian community.

The man behind a new pro-Kremlin social media network tells the BBC he wants Africa to embrace Russia.

Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Image source, AFP

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (Unmiss) has expressed concern about the latest reports of a build-up of ethnic-linked militia known as Agwelek in Upper Nile state in the north.

It has appealed to national and community leaders to “exercise restraint and commit to peace and dialogue”.

“The mission urges these forces, loyal to General Johnson Olony, to refrain from any actions or movements that might pose threats to civilians and affect humanitarian operations," Unmiss said on Wednesday.

The latest reports of military escalation surfaced just days before the historic visit of Pope Francis this week.

On Tuesday, the embassies of Norway, the UK, and the US, issued a joint press statement saying they had “noted with grave concern" an indication of preparation for renewed fighting in Upper Nile.

They urged traditional leaders and political actors to prevent it and find a peaceful and sustainable solution.

They also called on the government of South Sudan to hold accountable those responsible for violence, including the most recent clashes in Upper Nile, Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area - as well as those who have engaged in human rights violations, abductions and human trafficking .

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool joins worshippers on the streets as Pope Francis makes a long-awaited appearance.

Yemisi Adegoke
BBC News, Lagos

Image source, AFP

The electoral authority in Nigeria is concerned that ongoing fuel shortages in the country could affect preparations for the country’s elections on 25 February.

Overnight queues have become a familiar sight at petrol stations in Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, as many spend hours in line hoping to buy fuel.

Millions in Nigeria rely on petrol, not just for transportation, but for generators to power their homes and businesses.

These costs have skyrocketed over the last few months, with the price of fuel going up around 100% in the black market.

The government has denied increasing the price of petrol and maintains there is enough supply to meet demand.

But it blames the independent oil marketers, who are responsible for selling and distributing the product, for worsening the crisis.

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya's former electoral commission boss has threatened to take legal action against the opposition leader after the politician alleged that the poll team, including the chairman, visited his home during last year's closely fought election, local media report.

Raila Odinga has been holding a series of rallies claiming Wafula Chebukati engineered a fraud that led to him losing his fifth bid for the presidency.

Despite the Supreme Court dismissing his election rigging claims, Mr Odinga recently said he does not recognise President William Ruto as a legitimate leader and called on him to resign.

On Sunday, he threatened to release a video showing Mr Chebukati and his top team visited his home.

But Mr Chebukati has denied that the visit took place saying the claim was false and that it "lowered his dignity and injured his reputation."

“Our client is aggrieved that you took no caution or responsibility while making the adverse remarks with the consequence that our client has suffered and continues to suffer serious reputational injury, taking into account his status and position as former chairman of IEBC,” lawyer Steve Ogolla said in the demand letter.

Mr Chebukati's lawyers have also given Mr Odinga seven days to prove his claim or they will take legal action.

On Monday, President William Ruto wondered why Mr Odinga would have the electoral team visit his house.

“It then begs the question ... if it's true, what were these officials doing in your house at your invitation? Being a candidate, how did you end up inviting officials of an independent body?” Mr Ruto said.

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, Villa Somalia

Mortar shells have exploded in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, as regional leaders are gathered in the city to discuss their joint offensive against the al-Shabab militant group.

The four shells hit areas near the heavily guarded presidential palace.

There are no reports of casualties.

The leaders of Kenya, Ethiopia and Djobouti are holding a summit there on Wednesday following recent military gains made by the Somali government against the Islamist militants.

Al-Shabab still control large areas of Somalia, and are continuing to carrying out regular attacks.

But they have lost territory since the government, backed by the US and African troops, launched a new offensive last August.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News, Addis Ababa

One person was killed on Monday during a shooting that targeted a group of Chinese nationals in Ethiopia’s restive Oromia region, the country’s embassy has said.

The gunmen opened fire on nine Chinese nationals, killing one of them, during the incident in Garba Guaracha town, located around 160km (99 miles) north of the capital, Addis Ababa.

“Unfortunately one of them has died,” the statement confirmed.

The embassy has warned Chinese citizens to increase their security awareness and evacuate from “high-risk areas”.

In Oromia and bordering areas, "pernicious cases of armed attacks, kidnappings and robberies” are common, the embassy added.

The BBC’s attempt to reach to the region’s communications office was not successful.

While relative calm has returned to the war-hit northern region of Tigray following a peace deal signed in November, violence continues to surface in Oromia with fighting between government forces and rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) reported.

Clashes around the region’s borders with neighbouring Amhara have also claimed lives in in the past few weeks.

Last week 20 workers of a factory owned by Nigeria’s Dangote Cement were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in the region. They were later reported to have been released.

It was the second such kidnapping in recent weeks.

In December, some Dangote Cement employees were also kidnaped and released after ransom was paid.

Peter Jegwa
Lilongwe, Malawi

Image source, AFP

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has reduced the size of his cabinet in a reshuffle that also saw the appointment of seven new faces including an opposition lawmaker.

The list of ministers and deputy ministers has been reduced from 33 to 27, but critics say it is still too large.

The reshuffle was expected following reports that a number of ministers were implicated in a corruption investigation being carried out by Malawi's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the UK's National Crimes Agency.

In his New Year message, President Chakwera had promised to name a new and leaner cabinet.

The list of the new cabinet minister was released on Tuesday at around midnight local time.

Mr Chakwera has not allocated himself a ministerial portfolio as was the case previously. He also did not allocate ministerial responsibilities to his Vice-President Saulos Chilima - who is facing corruption charges that he denies.

The vice-president remains in office because under Malawi law he cannot be sacked.

Senior party members from the ruling coalition were also left out of the new cabinet.

Image source, AFP

The South African government is considering a $52m (£42.5m) sponsorship deal with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspurs, the Daily Maverick new site reports quoting official documents.

The deal is meant to promote South Africa as a travel destination but there are also concerns about the country subsidising a wealthy football club, the publication reports, external.

Details of the three-year deal are on the "verge of being finalised" through the marketing arm SA Tourism.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce the deal during his State of the Nation Address on 10 February, the report adds, but there are no comments yet from the presidency or the tourism minister.

A tourism expert quoted was critical of the deal, saying the return on investment was “ludicrous".

Since 2018, the Rwandan government has had a controversial sponsorship deal worth more than £30m ($42m), which involves a "Visit Rwanda" logo displayed on Arsenal shirt sleeves.

Emery Makumeno
BBC News, Kinshasa

Huge crowds have started gathering at the main airport in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, Kinshasa, to participate in Pope Francis's open-air Mass scheduled for later on Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the Mass at N’dole airport on the second day of the pope's visit.

About 50% of the country's population is Catholic - the largest Catholic community in Africa.

The pontiff is scheduled to meet survivors of conflict from the resource-rich eastern part of the country, where dozens of armed groups have operated for decades.

A planned visit to the eastern city of Goma was cancelled for security reasons.

Oliver Andrews was arrested after being accused of using counterfeit money, his family says.