President Faustin-Archange Touadéra of the Central African Republic (CAR) has accused Western nations of deliberately keeping his country political unstable, days after he met French President Emmanuel Macron.

"The Central African Republic has been subjected since its independence to systematic looting facilitated by the political instability maintained by certain Western countries or their companies which finance armed terrorist groups whose main leaders are foreign mercenaries," he said at a UN conference of the world's Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on Sunday.

CAR troops and soldiers from the Russian mercenary group Wagner have been accused of appalling rights violations, leading to EU sanctions being imposed on some of the group's senior operative mercenaries in the country.

At the UN conference in Qatar, President Touadéra said the Central African Republic was a "victim of geostrategic aims linked to its natural resources", and that "foreign interference" keeps his nation and others like it in a state of "dependence, insecurity and instability".

For many years after independence, France maintained close economic and military ties to its former colony, before CAR switched to Russia.

Read more: Emmanuel Macron's mission to counter Russia in Africa

Kenyan traders accuse a Chinese-owned outlet of undercutting them and threatening their livelihoods.

A South African teacher has found fans online for his memorable biology lessons.

One clip in particular, where he and his students sing about how a zygote becomes an embryo, external, has had almost 1.5 million views on TikTok.

Samkelo Mhlophe says he seeks to teach his secondary school students using their way of understanding.

He also calls on people who've learnt something from his videos to share them far and wide.

Patricia Oyella
BBC News, Kampala

A 43-year-old Ugandan teacher and her alleged partner remain in custody after they reported over the weekend to police in the eastern city of Jinja.

Same-sex relations are illegal in Uganda under colonial-era laws, which have been bolstered by more recent anti-homosexuality bills - the latest of which is currently being drafted by parliament.

On Friday, parents of students at PMM Girls school stormed the building demanding to withdraw their children, amid online allegations accusing a teacher there of promoting same-sex relations.

Kiira Region Police Spokesman James Mubi told the BBC that the teacher is being investigated over sexual harassment allegations. Her alleged partner is a 30-year-old who is neither a student of the school nor was living there.

He also said there have been no complaints from the students so far against the teacher but it was necessary to keep holding her as well as her alleged partner for their own safety.

Over a week ago, muslims in Jinja and other parts of the country heeded a call by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council to protest against what they say is a rise in the promotion of same-sex relations in the country.

LGBTQ rights campaigner Frank Mugisha warned at the time that Uganda could see an increase in the targeting of people in same-sex relations in villages and communities.

The presidential candidate of Nigeria's main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is leading a demonstration at the electoral commission headquarters in the capital, Abuja, to protest against the conduct of the just-concluded elections.

Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, are accompanied by their supporters in the demonstration dubbed black uniform protest march.

They claim there was a lack of transparency with the new electronic voter system.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) has previously denied the complaints.

The ruling APC party's candidate Bola Tinubu was declared winner of the presidential poll with 37% of votes counted. Mr Abubakar finished second with 29%.

Image source, Getty Images

The archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya has said England will no longer be the leader of the global Anglican Church following a change in teaching to allow priests to marry same-sex couples.

Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit told a local television station, external that the Church's teaching that homosexuality is a sin would not change.

He said:

The Church of England last month backed proposals to allow prayers of blessing for same-sex couples.

But it said its position on gay marriage would not change and same-sex couples would still be unable to marry in church.

Archbishops representing 10 of the 42 provinces in the Anglican Communion have said they no longer consider Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, as their leader.

Renowned South African broadcaster Mark Pilgrim passed away on Sunday, after a long battle with cancer.

His death was confirmed, external by Hot 102.7, the station he last worked for.

His death has led to a flood of emotional tributes on social media.

Pilgrim was diagnosed with lung cancer in March 2022.

Following his diagnosis, the radio presenter launched a YouTube video series, external chronicling his recovery journey.

He previously hosted reality TV shows Big Brother South Africa, Big Brother Africa and game show Power of 10.

The father of two survived testicular cancer in 1988.

Four jihadist prisoners escaped from a Mauritanian prison in the capital, Nouakchott, after killing prison guards, the interior ministry has said.

The incident occurred on Sunday night amid a reported fire exchange in which the two guards were killed and two others wounded.

The authorities have tightened security around the prison and a hunt for the fugitives is under way.

The interior ministry has urged the public to report any information that could help apprehend the fugitives.

Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Image source, AFP

South Sudan’s main opposition political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), is demanding that President Salva Kiir reinstates Defence Minister Angelina Teny.

President Kiir sacked Ms Teny on Friday in a presidential decree. She was the country's first female defence minister.

The president also dismissed Interior Minister Mahmoud Solomon. No reasons were given for their sacking.

Mr Kiir also swapped the Ministry of Defence to his political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Interior Ministry to the SPLM-IO.

The SPLM-IO has “condemned and rejected” the “unilateral removal” of Ms Teny.

It called it a violation of the revitalised peace agreement, which gives parties the power to remove their representatives in the council of ministers and nominate the replacements by notifying the president.

It said swapping of the ministries also violates the provisions of the peace agreement – which require the parties to agree on the allocation and selection of ministerial portfolios in the unity government.

In a statement, Riek Machar, the SPLM-IO leader and the first vice-president, called for the president to "revoke the unilateral decree", adding that his party was committed to the revitalised agreement.

Analysts say the latest move seems to suggest that the relations between Mr Kiir and Mr Machar “remain strained”.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Reuters

The US ambassador to Nigeria has said the 25 February elections "failed to meet Nigerians' expectations".

In a statement, external, Mary Leonard urged the electoral commission to address the hitches it experienced before the governorship polls on 11 March.

"It is clear that the electoral process as a whole on 25 February failed to meet Nigerians' expectations," the US ambassador said.

"We thus reiterate our call on Inec [Independent National Electoral Commission] to promptly address the challenges that can be resolved ahead of the 11 March gubernatorial elections," Ms Leonard said.

The envoy urged Inec to be more transparent as it makes reforms on the elections systems.

She commended the presidential poll losers, opposition Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of Labour Party, for pledging to go to court to challenge the outcome of the vote.

Inec has said it will deploy its voter identification system for the 11 March elections and pledged to punish its officials found to have compromised the presidential election.

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya's First Lady Rachel Ruto has declared national prayers against homosexuality in the country, saying the family unit was under attack.

Mrs Ruto said the country cannot condone the Supreme Court ruling last month that upheld the LGBTQ community's right of association.

“We should not even try to talk about LGTBQ. This is a conversation we should not even have in our country because accepting it is like throwing our morals into the dustbin,” the first lady said on Sunday.

Homosexuality remains criminalised in Kenya. The Supreme Court ruled that refusal to allow the LGBT community to register lobby groups in Kenya would would violate their right to association, as provided in the Kenyan constitution.

However, the ruling was met with protests from President William Ruto, as well as religious leaders in Kenya.

Kenya’s attorney-general said the government will challenge the court’s ruling, insisting that the issue is a matter for public consultations rather than for the courts.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, AFP

The Mozambican weather authorities say the moderate Cyclone Freddy is returning to the Mozambique Channel and Zambézia and Sofala regions may be hit, according to projections.

The storm, according to meteorologists, is moving at a speed of 13 km/h towards the south-west coast of Madagascar, and could reach the severe tropical storm stage on Monday.

Mozambique's National Institute of Meteorology has predicted continued heavy rains (more than 200mm in 24 hours) over the ocean and winds of up to 110km/h, accompanied by gusts of up to 150km/h, which could disturb the sea generating waves that are about 10ft (3m) tall.

The agency has warned people to take precautionary and safety measures.

Image source, Reuters

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce changes to his cabinet at 19:00 (17:00 GMT) on Monday, his spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said, external on Sunday.

The changes were widely expected after Mr Ramaphosa was re-elected as leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in December.

It paved the way for him to seek a second presidential term in elections scheduled for next year.

Mr Ramaphosa is expected to name a new deputy president following the resignation of David Mabuza.

The seat is widely expected to be taken by the new ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile.

Mr Ramaphosa is also expected to fill the newly created position of electricity minister as the country battles a power crisis.

Image source, AFP

Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels have denied establishing a transitional administration in the northern region in accordance with the peace agreement signed in November last year.

A local news website reported that the TPLF had finalised the process of forming a 28-member interim regional administration, which needed approval by the federal government.

However, TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda said the Tigray interim administration would only be established after mutual consultations between the parties to the Pretoria agreement.

"Reports of the [transitional government] having been established in Tigray without Addis’ involvement flies in the face of reality. Tigray is only trying to do its part," Mr Getachew tweeted, external on Sunday.

Major political parties in the region have been calling for an inclusive interim government to steer the region as it tries to recover from the devastating civil war.

Last month, the opposition parties in Tigray boycotted a conference on the formation of an interim government, accusing the TPLF of monopolising the process.

Image source, Getty Images

Tunisian President Kais Saied on Sunday rejected accusations of racism and warned perpetrators of racial attacks of legal consequences.

It came more than a week after he accused African migrants of being part of a conspiracy to change Tunisia’s demographic make-up amid a crackdown on migrants, sparking criticism by human rights groups.

Dozens of sub-Saharan African people have been subjected to detentions, abuse and evictions from their houses following the president’s remarks, rights groups have said.

On Sunday, protests were held in the capital calling for the release of arrested and detained opposition figures deemed critical of Mr Saied. The protesters also expressed their outrage against racism

Mr Saied has ruled the country by decree after dissolving parliament, dismissing the government and suspending the constitution in 2021.

On Sunday he said that the sources of the alleged racism campaign “are known” without elaborating.

He said Tunisia was an African country and “Africans are our brothers” while noting that the country was one of the founding states of the Organisation of African Unity which later became the African Union.

He also announced a relaxation of visa rules for African citizens.

The BBC goes inside a jail in the Seychelles - a nation where 10% of the population is addicted.

Relax with a calming mix of music and natural sounds, from birdsong and tortoises in the Seychelles to waves and whistling frogs in Barbados, via a bubbling brook in Northumberland and a murmuration of starlings playing in a poplar tree. Recordings by David Fay, Honey Schreker, Kathryn Potts and Rupert Ormond.

Youssef Taha
BBC World Service News

Image source, Amnesty

A court in Egypt has handed down jail sentences, ranging from life to five years' hard labour, to 30 people for involvement with the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

Ayesha Khairat al-Shater and her husband were given 10 years each. Her father was the Muslim Brotherhood's first nominee for president in 2012 before he was replaced by Mohamed Morsi.

She was arrested in 2018 and charged with misuse of social media and promoting terrorist ideas.

Amnesty International and other rights groups had described her detention as arbitrary and campaigned for her release.

The State Security Criminal Court acquitted one woman.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Thousands of Tunisians have gathered in central Tunis in defiance of an official ban on their protest against President Kais Saied, calling for him to release detained critics and retract his controversial remarks on migrants.

He recently blamed illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa for violence and crime and said there was a plot to change the demographic composition of Tunisia.

Demonstrators shouted "down with the coup" - referring to the fact President Saied has been ruling by decree since September 2021, after dissolving parliament, suspending the constitution and dismissing the government.

"Stop racism and xenophobia" and "no to hate speech and discrimination" read some of the placards at Sunday's demonstration.

Meanwhile in Senegal, 13 activists and an MP have been released after being arrested for protesting outside the Tunisian embassy.

On Saturday they tried to hand over letters denouncing recent remarks by the Tunisian president that triggered a wave of violence and discrimination against black Africans.

In their letters the Senegalese protestors described his words as hateful and racist.

In recent days hundreds of nationals from West African countries have been repatriated after saying they no longer felt safe in Tunisia.

More on this topic:

• Black Africans in Tunisia speak out about their fears
• Tunisia tennis star Ons Jabeur urges 'dignity' amid row
• Tunisia arrests presidential critics in crackdown

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

The authorities in Burkina Faso have imposed further overnight curfews until the end of March in the North region, and the central-eastern Koulpelogo province, to help with the fight against armed jihadist groups.

An official in the North region said the move would help the army in areas bordering Mali, reports AFP.

Militant Islamist attacks have increased this year with dozens of civilians and soldiers being killed every week.

About 40% of Burkina Faso is no longer controlled by the government.

Since 2015 around two million people have been forced to flee their homes.

Last month more than 50 soldiers died in an ambush which the Islamic State group said it had carried out.

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