Omar Wally
Journalist, The Gambia

Image source, Judiciary of The Gambia

Gambian President Adama Barrow has said that a special court will have to be formed to try people named in an inquiry report that looked into crimes committed under former ruler Yayha Jammeh.

Gambia's 1997 constitution does not have provisions, specifically prescribed, to prosecute crimes such as torture, enforced disappearances and crimes against humanity.

The Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) found that some 250 people were murdered during Mr Jammeh's rule between July 1994 and January 2017.

Responding to critics who alleged that he was shielding Mr Jammeh and his alleged accomplishes, President Barrow said his government was working with relevant stakeholders and partners to establish a prosecution system to "impartially try those accused of crimes".

Speaking at a meeting between the executive and members of the legal profession, Salieu Taal, the president of Gambia Bar Association, said Mr Barrow's government was to blame for the legal crisis.

"The legal order of the previous dictatorial regime is still intact yet to be supplanted after six years of our transition from a dictatorship in 2017," he said.

Osob Elmi
BBC News

Image source, Abdi Majeed

Heavy fighting continues in Las Anod, a city in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, with medics telling the BBC they are struggling to cope amid the chaos.

“There are only five ambulances working - they are not sufficient,” the director of Las Anod Manhal Hospital, Dr Abdi Majeed, told the BBC.

He was speaking on the second day of fighting between the Somaliland military and what has been described as militias belonging to clans who are pushing for the area to rejoin Somalia.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 but has not been internationally recognised. Las Anod borders Puntland, which is part of Somalia.

“We have had 30 casualties and one dead person today, this is only one hospital you can imagine the rest of the hospitals in Somaliland. We are expecting the numbers to go up,” said Dr Majeed.

“Many houses have been devastated and the victims are more today than there were yesterday.”

He said those that tried to use their own cars to rescue the injured risked being targeted in the clashes.

“It's hard to keep safe while you're trying to save people,” he said.

A humanitarian worker, who requested anonymity for their safety, said their colleagues were working “around the clock” to make sure patients were treated when they arrived at the emergency rooms.

Many civilians have fled the city. Zaynab told the BBC she had left Las Anod with her six children on Monday afternoon: “My youngest is a year old, we couldn't bare the shelling, we took small clothes, we even left our shoes.”

She said they had reached the town of Ade Adeeye about 50km (30 miles) north-west of Las Anod.

“There is no food or water, the only thing is there is no shelling."

Nimco told the BBC about how she had walked barefoot until a car offered to give her and a group of people a lift to the nearest village on Monday.

“We are struggling, we have nothing, it’s so hard leaving your home and being displaced. We don’t know where to go from here.”

Kennedy Gondwe
BBC News, Lusaka

Police in Zambia have charged a former minister with holding an unlawful assembly at his house.

Chishimba Kambwili, who served as information minister in the previous government, was arrested on Monday after a group of youths protesting against the high cost of living assembled outside his residence in the capital, Lusaka.

A former diplomat who witnessed the arrest condemned the action in an interview with the BBC.

“It flies in the face of the constitution and guaranteed freedoms of assembly and association. How can you be charged with unlawful assembly at your own private residence? This is but harassment of the opposition," Emmanuel Mwamba said.

Political activist Charles Kakula was also charged along with Mr Kambwili - both were freed on Tuesday.

A local TV station shared a video of Monday's arrest:

“The two whilst acting together with other unknown persons did unlawfully assemble causing other persons to reasonably fear for the breach of public peace," police said in a statement.

Civil society groups have criticised the government over the matter, accusing it of "mindless politics".

Opposition parties have been using high fuel prices and the spiralling cost of maize flour - used for preparing the staple food nshima - to criticise President Hakainde Hichilema’s policies.

Image source, Getty Images

More than 30 followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church have been killed over the last several days by security forces in the Oromia region amidst tension sparked by a breakaway faction, the privately owned Borkena news site reports.

The circumstances of the trouble are unclear, but local news site Addis Standard, quoting the police, reports that 19 people were injured during a confrontation with security forces., external

The church's leadership had called on followers to dress in black and observe three days of fasting and prayers after three archbishops in Oromia region dissented and announced the formation of a "new holy synod".

This new synod went ahead and anointed 26 bishops in Oromia.

More than 20 priests and those supporting the position of the main church were arrested in Oromia region's Arsi Negele Zone, privately owned Addis Maleda online TV reported on Monday.

The main church has sued the Oromia regional government, the federal and Oromia police commissions to stop the setting up of a separate holy synod.

A federal court is expected to make a ruling on Wednesday over the matter.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has also accused the government of "meddling" in its internal affairs after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed instructed his cabinet ministers to keep out of the matter, saying the church should solve the problem through its internal mechanisms.

The church had wanted the government to take its side.

There is anxiety about the future of one of the world's oldest churches, as both the holy synod and the breakaway group have called for separate rallies in the capital, Addis Ababa, next Sunday.

Correction 7 February 2023: This story has been amended to correct an attribution to the Addis Standard stating that 19 people have been injured, not killed.

Accra-based Ridge City become the first women's team to join Everton FC's group of affiliate teams.

Ex-England batter Gary Ballance becomes the second person to hit a Test century for two teams after making 137 not out for Zimbabwe.

A Kenyan court has said that Facebook's parent company can be sued by a former content moderator.

A state agency in charge of regulating films in Kenya has launched a digital literacy programme to help parents and guardians improve skills on how to protect children in their care.

The Kenya Films and Classification Board (KFCB) said that its surveys had found "an information gap" that needed to be addressed, local news site The Star reports, external.

The initiative also targets teachers, according to The Star.

"We realise that children themselves know more than the parents when it comes to digital literacy and being tech savvy," Emmah Irungu from the KFCB is quoted as saying.

"So what we've done is we've built not only safety features and products and tools into our products, we've also built educational tools for parents about how to create a safe environment in the home."

It was launched on Tuesday to coincide with Safer Internet Day.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has promised continued military support for Mali, which has been battling a jihadist insurgency for more than a decade.

Mr Lavrov was speaking at a news conference in the capital, Bamako. It's his third visit to an African country in recent months.

Mali's military leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, has formed a close relationship with Russia while relations with France have worsened.

French soldiers were ordered to leave the country last year, and the Russian Wagner group has deployed troops.

The United Nations wants an independent investigation into possible war crimes committed by Malian government forces and Wagner mercenaries.

Many Nigerians in the diaspora will not be voting in the elections as the country doesn't allow its citizens to vote from outside Nigeria.

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

At least 15 Nigerian Muslim pilgrims en route to Senegal have been killed by gunmen who attacked buses transporting them through neighbouring Burkina Faso, Nigeria's government has said.

They were members of a sect founded by Ibrahim Niasse and were on a pilgrimage to his home town of Kaolack in Senegal.

They were “randomly selected and cold-bloodedly shot to death in a most horrendous display of bestiality", said Sayyidi Yahaya, a leading member of the sect in Nigeria.

"The Nigerian foreign affairs ministry, through the Nigerian embassy in Burkina Faso, is engaging with the Burkinabe authorities and awaits the outcome of their investigation of the unfortunate incident, and if necessary, to ensure that all culprits are appropriately sanctioned," Nigeria presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said.

His statement carried a message of condolence from President Muhammadu Buhari and also said that the government would make "every effort" to return the survivors back home as well as the bodies of those killed.

The incident comes just about three weeks after the mass abduction of at least 50 Burkinabe women in the northern province of Soum. They were said to have gone out to look for food to feed their families.

Burkina Faso is currently battling a jihadist insurgency, which appears to have taken over about 40% of the country.

The West African nation is ruled by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in September in the country's second coup last year.

Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Catholic bishops in South Sudan are urging the government to arrest and bring to justice the attackers who killed civilians on the eve of the historic visit of the Pope and two other top clerics.

Suspected cattle herders from Jonglei state killed at least 21 civilians in Kajo-Keji county in Central Equatoria state on Thursday.

The next day Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields began a joint ecumenical peace pilgrimage to South Sudan.

The death toll from the Kajo-Keji incident has risen to 27 with "countless numbers" injured, according to the UN peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss).

Also 2,000 people, including 30 unaccompanied children, were forced to feel from their homes, Unmiss said.

Among those killed were four volunteers from the South Sudan Red Cross Society, who were stationed in the area conducting Ebola awareness work following the recent outbreak of deadly disease in neighbouring Uganda.

The Red Cross says its volunteers in Kajo-Keji were taken from their homes and “callously killed”.

More on this topic:

• Pope in South Sudan tells clergy to raise voices against injustice

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

The spokesman for the regional authorities in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray has said despite the organised withdrawal of most Eritrean forces "small units" still remain - three months after a peace deal was agreed to end the two-year conflict.

The African Union brokered a deal between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian government last November.

Eritrea, whose troops fought alongside government forces, was not mentioned by name in the agreement, signed in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, in November.

TPLF's Getachew Reda made the remarks about Eritrean troops during a news conference with local media after the first meeting between TPLF officials and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the TPLF-run Tigray TV reported.

"Although there were occasions when they [Eritrean troops] withdrew in an organised manner, there are instances of in and out of small units, and this should be addressed fully," he said.

Mr Getachew added that they agreed during last week's meeting with the prime minister that federal forces should be deployed to areas bordering Eritrea “to ensure security as part of the Pretoria [peace] agreement”.

An academic study last year estimated total civilian deaths in Tigray - caused by the fighting, starvation and lack of health care - stood at between 385,000 and 600,000.

South African Tourism's controversial $51.5m sponsorship deal with English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur will be discussed by the country's president Cyril Ramaphosa after sparking uproar.

Image source, NTV

Some new first-year students reporting to a school in western Kenya have had their hair shaved off to comply with a strict dress code.

Escorted by their parents and guardians, the new learners queued at various desks to go through the admission process, those found to have long hair were directed to a group of barbers.

"Welcome Kereri Girls, to the girls who are here for the admission process and you have long hair, it is the school's policy that you get shaved," an announcer said, local media reported.

"To my left, there is a barber please proceed there to get assistance. Thank you," the announcer said.

Local NTV station shared a video of a student, external having her hair shaved off.

Some people commenting on the story have criticised the Kisii County boarding school, saying it should focus on more-important issues.

"Another problem with our Kenyan schools, instead of focusing on the mental health and welfare of students they focus on the physical issues - a head that is perfectly shaved but with poor mental health is like a 2023 model ranger over without an engine," one tweeter posted., external

Politician Robert Alai tweeted: "Students shouldn't be shaved bald with the hot sun. The hair protects the skin. Sad that we still encourage this nonsense."

Strict dress code rules are common in Kenyan education institutions, including some universities.

Last week the BBC's Focus on Africa programme hosted a discussion on the topic.

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, Reuters

Hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets for a second day in Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

At least two people died on Monday following violent clashes between protesters and Congolese security forces.

The demonstrators accuse the UN and the East African Regional Force of failing to support the Congolese military operations against the M23 rebel group.

Fighting has intensified in the region in recent days with the group taking key towns in eastern DR Congo.

Protesters have taken to the streets in several neighbourhoods of Goma, in North Kivu province, bringing the city to a standstill.

On Monday, security forces fired tear gas to disperse crowds who pelted stones and threw petrol bombs at the UN headquarters in Goma.

Reports said a church in one of the neighbourhoods was demolished during the clashes.

The rebels have captured large swathes of territory in the volatile province in recent days and have threatened to march on to Goma, the region's commercial hub.

The recent fighting has killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands more.

Footballer Christian Atsu is pulled from the rubble of a building "with injuries" after devastating earthquakes in Turkey.

Image source, EFCC / Twitter

The Nigerian agency that investigates financial crimes has arrested a branch manager of a commercial bank in the capital, Abuja, for allegedly refusing to load ATMs with cash despite having the redesigned banknotes in the vaults.

The country recently redesigned its currency, but the changeover has not gone according to plan as there are not enough of the new notes to go around.

This has sparked anger and led to spontaneous protests at banks. The deadline for use of old banknotes is on Friday.

On Monday, officers from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stormed the bank and whisked away the operations manager for questioning.

It said the bank had 29 million Naira ($63,000; £52,000) of the new banknotes in its vaults - which officers ordered to be loaded on ATMs.

It's unclear if the arrested bank manager has commented on the accusation, but the commission said some banks were "sabotaging government’s monetary policy".

More on this story:

• Nigeria's CBN naira deadline: Hunting out savings from under mattresses

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in Mali for talks with the military leadership of the country.

Mr Lavrov, who was in Iraq on Monday, was welcomed on arrival by his counterpart Abdoulaye Diop and did not make any statement to journalists.

The Russian minister is expected to hold talks with the country's interim president, Assimi Goïta and the foreign affairs minister.

The Russian news agency Tass said the two sides would discuss issues of co-operation - including military ties and the shipment of Russian grain, fertiliser and oil products to Mali.

The talks will also touch on issues about the war in Ukraine and on tackling terrorism in the Sahel region.

This is Mr Lavrov’s second trip to Africa in two weeks – after touring South Africa, Angola, Eswatini and Eritrea in January.

Russia's influence in Mali has steadily increased since the deployment of Wagner Group mercenaries in December 2021.

BBC Focus on Africa radio

Image source, Reuters

A rescue operation is under way across much of southern Turkey and northern Syria following a huge earthquake that has killed more than 2,300 people.

The BBC'S Focus on Africa radio has spoken to several Ghanaian students who are living in nearby cities which were affected by the earthquake.

Ibrahim, a Ghanaian student living in Konya, together with his partner and one-week old baby, says that he is thankful to be alive after the earthquake struck.

“It was in the dawn when we heard the shaking of the land. We tried to gather the family and take them out of the house. I feel very sad and very sorry.”

Focus on Africa also spoke to Ghanaian student Nasser Abdallah, who is studying in Adana, 150 miles (241km) from Gazientep – the city closest to the epicentre.

“Early in the morning I was working on my laptop and all of a sudden I saw my laptop started to shake. It started from a mild shake to a very heavy shake.”

“We have been told that no one should enter their house until further notice.”