Nomsa Maseko
BBC News, Johannesburg

Leaders from the southern African bloc of nations, Sadc, are gathering in Namibia for an extraordinary meeting that will focus on the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tensions have been running high between Rwanda and the government in Kinshasa, which accuses Kigali of financing a big rebel group in eastern DR Congo. Rwanda denies the accusations.

The summit in Windhoek is also expect to issue a statement over the recent killing of a pro-democracy activist in Eswatini.

It is expected to discuss the state of peace and security in the region, with special focus on developments in the DR Congo and Mozambique.

Angola, one of the member states, has been trying to firm up peace efforts between Rwanda and DR Congo, which escalated last week when the Rwanda military shot and damaged a fighter jet from the Congolese army.

This summit is expected to renew efforts at bringing peace to the region, but also it will look into recent unrest in Lesotho and Eswatini, in particular, after the killing of Eswatini human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist Thulani Maseko.

Eswatini's King Mswati III won't be at the summit, but Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini will be expected to deliver a report on the political crisis and tension in the small kingdom - the only ruling monarchy in Africa.

Munira Hussein
BBC, Dar es Salaam

Image source, State House Tanzania

British Actor Idris Elba plans to open a film studio in Tanzania after holding initial talks with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, according to a presidential aide.

The actor met President Samia on the side-lines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this month.

“The president met with Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, they are keen to invest in a film studio in Tanzania. The talks are in the initial stage but if everything goes well then the studio will benefit not only Tanzania but east and central Africa,” said Zuhura Yunus, the director of presidential communications.

Since coming to power, President Samia has embarked on a series of reforms in foreign policy, business, trade and investment.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

Tanzania's foreign minister on Monday met the heads of diplomatic missions and foreign organisations in the capital, Dodoma, to warn them against issuing "alarming statements" on the country's security.

It came after the US embassy warned of a possible terror attack in Tanzania's main city Dar es Salaam on 25 January.

Foreign Minister Stergomena Tax asked the foreign diplomats to "observe diplomatic communication channels as stipulated by the Vienna Convention... to avoid creating unnecessary tension within and without the country".

She said Tanzania would "remain to be a peaceful, secure and stable country that gives due attention to matters of security internally, regionally and internationally".

Two days after the US warned, external that areas in Dar es Salaam frequented by Westerners "continue to be attractive targets to terrorists planning to conduct attacks", Dutch airline KLM sent an alert to its customers regarding possible disruptions to its Tanzania flights due to “civil unrest”.

Samba Cyuzuzo
BBC Great Lakes

The military in the Democratic Republic of Congo says it has expelled Rwandan soldiers attached to the command of the East African Community Regional Force based in the eastern town of Goma.

The Rwandan soldiers were expelled from the force “for security reasons” and “have already left Congolese soil”, the military said.

The regional force consists of soldiers from several East African countries who have joined the Congolese army, with the support of UN peacekeepers, in fighting rebel groups in eastern DR Congo.

The Congolese army claimed that Rwanda had in response recalled all its officers from DR Congo, but the authorities in Kigali have denied the claim.

“It is not Rwanda that has recalled the officers. It is DRC that has expelled them,” Rwanda’s army spokesperson Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga told the BBC on Tuesday.

DR Congo had denied the involvement of Rwandan troops in the regional force that was deployed last year to the mineral-rich North Kivu province.

But it allowed a few Rwandan officers to be part of the force's command as well as a security verification team.

Tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa worsened last week after Rwanda shot at a Congolese fighter jet near Goma airport.

Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23 rebels, which the latter has consistently denied.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

Sudan on Monday released from jail the convicted killer of US diplomat John Granville after he “paid compensation” to the victim’s family, according to Sudanese media.

Abdel Raouf Abu Zaid told privately-owned Sudan Tribune website that “the authorities released him after they received documents from the US showing that he had paid monetary compensation to the family”.

In June 2009, a Sudanese court convicted Abu Zaid and four other men in connection with the diplomat’s killing, and handed four of them the death penalty, including Abu Zaid.

His release came after he threatened to go on hunger strike over “inhumane treatment” by prison authorities.

The US said “our embassy is engaging government officials to obtain more information” following the man’s release.

Mr Granville was an employee of USAid when he was killed alongside a Sudanese colleague in Khartoum in 2008.

The authorities in South Africa's commercial hub, Johannesburg, have launched an investigation after a resident found blue water flowing from her tap.

The resident had on Monday shared a picture and video of her frightening experience on social media.

A spokesperson for the water utility firm, Johannesburg Water, said it suspects the water was contaminated by copper in the building, but samples had been taken for testing, according to local reports.

The results are expected in 24 hours after the samples have been tested, Puleng Mopeli is quoted as saying.

The affected resident told IOL news site that the blue water eventually stopped coming out.

Image source, Getty Images

South Africa is considering declaring the power crisis in the country a national disaster.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday said the governing ANC party had recommended that a national state of disaster be declared to ensure sufficient resources were allocated to alleviate the problem.

This would be similar to the state of disaster declared in 2020 to manage the effects of the Covid pandemic, he said in his closing remarks at an ANC strategy meeting.

“Work is already underway within government to establish whether the legal requirements of a national state of disaster are met and what specific actions we would be empowered to undertake,” he said.

“A national state of disaster will enable us to have the instruments necessary to fully implement the challenges that our nation faces,” he added.

South Africa has been grappling with an energy crisis for years and is currently experiencing lengthy power cuts blamed on ageing infrastructure and corruption.

The ruling party has been under increasing pressure to resolve the crisis.

The president said the issue would receive urgent attention and be discussed fully at the government level.

BBC World Service

Image source, EPA

Liberia's President, George Weah, has announced that he is standing for re-election.

In his annual state of the nation address, Mr Weah said he would be calling on Liberians to renew for a second time the mandate they gave him six years ago.

Elections are scheduled for October.

Mr Weah has been accused of economic mismanagement during his time in office.

Last year, the United States imposed sanctions on a number of senior Liberian officials over corruption allegations, including Mr Weah's chief of staff.

Image source, AFP

Pope Francis is on Tuesday expected to land in the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to the largest Roman Catholic community in Africa, for a three-day visit.

It is more than 37 years since the previous Pope, John Paul II, visited the country - when it was called Zaire.

The authorities in the country have declared Wednesday a public holiday in the capital, Kinshasa, to allow Catholics to attend a mass led by Pope Francis at Ndolo Airport.

Pope Francis has asked for prayers for the journey ahead of his departure.

The pontiff will stay in Kinshasa until Friday before travelling to South Sudan's capital, Juba, where he will be joined by his Anglican counterpart, the Archbishop of Canterbury and by the Church of Scotland Moderator.

However, there has been some controversy surrounding the Catholic leader’s visit to Kinshasa.

Some market workers in the city have been told to dismantle their stalls to make roads tidy before the pope’s arrival. This has left some people feeling aggrieved.

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Rhino poaching in Namibia nearly doubled last year, according to government data.

A BBC News investigation reveals how violent gangs are abusing LGBT community members they meet online.

The BBC has seen evidence of how officers pose as dates online to seek out and arrest their targets.

Ghana forward Inaki Williams was ruled out of Athletic Bilbao's 1-0 defeat at Celta on Sunday ending a record 251 consecutive game run in La Liga.

That's all for now from the BBC Africa Live team, but we'll be back on Tuesday morning.

Until then you can find the latest updates on the BBC News website, or listen to our Africa Today podcast.

A reminder of our African proverb of the day:

And we leave you with this photo of a woman walking through the streets of Ojota in Lagos, Nigeria, taken by photographer Bernard Kalu.

Ferdinand Omondi
BBC News, Nairobi

Kenya's government has launched a police unit to protect its water resources against vandalism and terrorism.

Kenya’s Interior Secretary Kithure Kindiki said that all critical water infrastructure would now be under the protection of the Critical Infrastructure Police Unit (CIPU).

Making the announcement, Prof Kindiki said that there had been attempts to access this infrastructure by criminals for economic reasons and "to attack our country’s security".

In recent years, Kenya has faced constant attack and threats of attack, especially from the al-Qaeda linked group al-Shabab, whose raids on schools, public places and public transport have killed hundreds of people.

Additionally, Kenya’s critical infrastructure, which includes water reservoirs like forests and dams, has been the subject of vandalism and illegal occupation by squatters, which the water ministry says has been costing the country millions of dollars annually.

Paul Rono, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, said that Kenya intended to build close to 100 huge dams and more than 1,000 smaller ones in the coming years.

"There is need to make sure that this infrastructure is protected against vandalism, destruction and damage," Mr Rono said.

Vandalism is not a new problem in Kenya. In 2020 former President Uhuru Kenyatta threatened to have vandals hanged for damaging the country’s $3bn (£2.4bn) standard gauge railway.

Vandals had been stealing guard rails for sale in the scrap-metal black market, which is estimated to be worth millions of dollars.

There have also been concerns about vandalism of Kenya’s electricity pylons and power lines

Thulani Maseko was a human rights lawyer and activist. But what does his death mean for Eswatini?

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

A South African judge presiding over the corruption trial of former President Jacob Zuma has withdrawn from the case - in a move likely to cause further delays.

Judge Piet Koen said he wanted to avoid any risk of compromising the perception of justice, after he earlier ruled against Mr Zuma's efforts to force out the prosecutor.

Mr Zuma is facing 16 counts of fraud and racketeering over the purchase of fighter jets and other arms equipment when he was vice-president in the 1990s.

Eighteen months ago, Mr Zuma was given a 15-month jail term for contempt of court in connection with another corruption case.

He has denied any wrongdoing.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, Getty Images

The Mozambican government has expressed concern over repeated attacks on vehicles with the national number plate in South Africa.

In the latest incident, a group of unknown criminals, still at large, set alight six vehicles belonging to Mozambican citizens, including a passenger bus, which was carrying around 35 passengers and was bound for the port city of Durban.

The attack took place about 90 km (55 miles) from the Ponta de Ouro border crossing between the two countries.

There are no reports of deaths or injuries. The victims were rescued by the South African authorities and escorted back to the border.

In addition to setting fire to the vehicles, the criminals also stole belongings from the vehicles.

Mozambican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Veronica Macamo described the situation as worrying. She says her government cannot explain the phenomenon and has demanded an explanation from South Africa.

Temba Bavuma says interim one-day coach Shukri Conrad's validation of the South Africa captain's "vulnerability" helped him lead the Proteas to the series win against England.