That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now. There'll be an automated service until Tuesday morning.

You can also follow the news here or listen to our podcast.

Our wise words of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

We leave you with a photo of an election campaign banner on a boat in a lagoon in Lagos, Nigeria, ahead of Saturday's general election:

Image source, Getty Images

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

The trial of Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred, who's accused of aggravated rape and assault, has begun in France's capital, Paris.

Famous on the Arab pop music scene, Mr Lamjarred allegedly raped a French woman at a luxury hotel on the Champs-Elysees in 2016. He denies the allegations.

One of Mr Lamjarred's music videos has more than a billion views on his YouTube channel. Morocco's King Mohammed VI awarded him the country’s highest national honour in 2015.

If convicted, Mr Lamjarred could face up to 20 years in prison.

A verdict is expected on Friday.

BBC World Service

Image source, Reuters

An independent UN human rights expert has accused the Central African Republic's armed forces and their Russian allies from the Wagner Group of multiple rights abuses.

After a 10-day visit to the CAR, Yao Agbetse, who's Togolese, called on the government to investigate allegations of summary executions and disappearances levelled against the Russian mercenaries, particularly in Mambéré-Kadéï prefecture.

The group is reported to be exploiting gold reserves there.

Mr Agbetse also said the Russians and the military were obstructing the UN mission in the country, something he called unacceptable.

They have not yet commented on the allegations.

BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

The authorities in Tunisia have summoned the head of the main opposition party for questioning.

The Islamist Ennahda party said its leader, Rached Ghannouchi, had been asked to present himself at a police station in the capital, Tunis.

Police have arrested several prominent figures critical of President Kais Saied in recent weeks.

They include senior Ennahda politicians, the head of an independent radio station, an influential businessman and two judges.

President Saied, who dissolved parliament in 2022 before rewriting the constitution, says his actions are necessary to save Tunisia from chaos. His critics have denounced the moves as an anti-democratic coup.

Robert Mugabe Junior has not yet commented on the allegations he damaged property worth $12,000.

Image source, Getty Images

Twelve Anglican church leaders have announced they no longer consider the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to be the leader of the global communion after his decision to allow blessings for gay partnerships.

The leaders - who say they represent 75% of Anglicans worldwide - accused the Church of England of having taken "the path of false teaching", and going against "historical biblical faith."

They include the primates of South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Congo, and Alexandria in Egypt. Blessings for same-sex civil partnerships were approved by the Church of England's legislative assembly, the General Synod, earlier this month.

.The Archbishop of Canterbury has said he appreciates the bishops' stance, but no structural changes to the Anglican Communion could be made without his consent.

Shingai Nyoka
BBC News, Harare

A son of Zimbabwe's late President Robert Mugabe has left the magistrate's court in the capital, Harare, following his arrest on charges of causing malicious damage to property at a party over the weekend.

Robert Mugabe Junior's lawyer said the magistrate agreed to let him and his accuser try and reach an out-of-court settlement.

The 31-year-old was arrested following a complaint by a friend, Sindiso Nkatazo, who accused him of causing damage of $12,000 (£10,000) by smashing car windscreens and property at a house in Harare.

Robert Mugabe Junior would be summoned back to court if negotiations failed, his lawyer, Ashiel Mugiya, said.

He is also facing two charges of assault on a police officer.

He has denied all the charges.

BBC World Service

M23 rebels appear to have launched an offensive in North Kivu province in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

They're attacking five villages outside the town of Mweso, which lies on the province's main highway.

Local media say the offensive followed the arrival of Rwandan reinforcements.

Kigali, however, denies that it's supporting the rebels. M23 controls territory inside Congo, but its advance towards Goma, the provincial capital, has slowed in recent days.

Recent attempts to enforce a ceasefire have all but failed.

BBC Weather's Sarah Keith-Lucas has the latest on the powerful tropical storm:

Emmanuel Igunza in Nairobi and Nichola Mandil in Juba
BBC News

The family of a fierce critic of South Sudan's President Salva Kiir say they fear he's been abducted in Kenya and forcibly returned.

Morris Mabior Awikjok Bak, who has 22 children, has not been seen since he was detained in Nairobi almost three weeks ago by men wearing Kenyan police uniforms. His wife was also beaten up.

He had been seeking political asylum in Kenya.

Kenyan and South Sudanese authorities have not commented on the allegations.

The South Sudanese government has been accused of silencing its opponents. Six journalists were arrested last month in connection with the dissemination of footage appearing to show Mr Kiir wetting himself. They’ve not been seen since.

On Friday a senior UN official raised concern that civic space in South Sudan has "virtually disappeared".

“Our commission has reported over the years that the civic space in South Sudan is shrinking and now we consider that it has virtually disappeared," Prof Andrew Clapham said at a press conference in the capital, Juba.

"More and more people have felt the need to flee their country because they were threatened with detention or death, simply for legitimately expressing their views on the human rights situation or for doing their jobs as journalists," he added.

Prof Clapham - who is a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan - added that critics living abroad were not safe either.

The government has not commented on his remarks.

Eagan Salla
BBC News Swahili, Dar es Salaam

A total of 12 children have died of measles in south-western Tanzania's Mlele district since December, district commissioner Majid Mwanga has told the BBC.

He added that 847 children had been infected with measles in the district between December and February.

Health workers have so far vaccinated 16,480 children and are continuing with the exercise, Mr Mwanga said.

The government has urged people in the area to abandon false beliefs - such as that their children died after being bewitched - and get them vaccinated.

Five months ago, Tanzania's Minister of Health Ummy Mwalimu announced the outbreak of measles in seven regions. He started a nationwide campaign to provide vaccinations for measles and rubella to children under the age of five.

People of all ages can get measles, but it mostly affects children under five.

Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, external, followed by a rash a few days later. Some people may also get small spots in their mouth.

The deputy head of Sudan's ruling council says the coup benefited allies of former leader Omar al-Bashir.

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been criticised by locals for describing the country as a shareholding company that will first benefit those who voted in the government.

Mr Gachagua defended recent government appointments saying those who backed him and President William Ruto deserved to “reap first”.

“This government is like a company guaranteed by shares. There are the owners of the company, there are those with many shares, those with few shares and those with none.

" You invested in the government and now it’s time for you to reap,” he said.

“There are those who criticise me for saying this but is that wrong? Even those critics and those who didn’t support us will reap, but they will have to wait for what remains so that people can know when they vote, it means something and has consequences.”

But Kenyans on social media have criticised his remarks saying the government should serve all Kenyans regardless of who they voted for.

They add that all citizens deserve equal attention from the government, including when it comes to development projects.

Pumza Fihlani
BBC News, Johannesburg

Image source, AFP

Officials in South Africa have said they are continuing to monitor communities experiencing flooding, following weeks of heavy rains.

The rains have been brought on by the global La Niña weather phenomenon, which occurs in the Pacific Ocean.

Over the weekend in Gauteng province, officials opened several floodgates to ease pressure from the Vaal Dam – one of the largest in the province.

This meant deliberately flooding some properties near the dam.

Officials have said this is to prevent the massive dam from collapsing and endangering thousands of people.

They have also advised people living near the Vaal River to consider moving to higher ground until the water subsides.

Yasine Mohabuth
Port Louis, Mauritius

Cyclone Freddy has weakened in the last few hours, but it continues to approach Mauritius "dangerously" and poses a "direct threat to the island", the local weather bureau has reported.

The sea is expected to swell to about seven metres beyond the reefs.

About 400 people in the capital, Port Louis, and other areas have been evacuated to 18 refugee centres.

Shingai Nyoka
BBC News, Harare

Image source, AFP

Southern Africa is bracing itself for Cyclone Freddy which is expected to make landfall in Madagascar on Monday with two million people in its path, according to the UN.

In Mozambique, President Filipe Nyusi returned home early from the African Union summit in Ethiopia as the storm could hit his country by the end of the week.

Madagascar has warned of the potential damage from heavy rains, strong winds and storm surges.

Reports suggest that the cyclone could affect nations along the coast from Tanzania to South Africa.

Flights in and out of neighbouring Mauritius have been cancelled.

Further inland, Zimbabwe has activated its disaster response.

Early last year southern African countries were battered by six severe storms that killed at least 890 people.

Police in Zimbabwe have confirmed the arrest of a son of the late President Robert Mugabe for "malicious damage to property".

In a tweet, external, police said the arrest followed a complaint that Robert Mugabe Junior had allegedly destroyed property worth $12,000 (£10,000) at a home in a suburb of the capital, Harare.

The complaint against the 31-year-old was made by a friend of his, Nkatazo Sindiso.

ZimLive has tweeted a video of him arriving at a magistrate's court in Harare to, it says, face charges of damaging vehicles and other property during a party at the weekend.

BBC World Service

The island nation of Mauritius has grounded flights as Cyclone Freddy approaches.

It's warned of a dangerous storm surge and winds of up to 120km an hour.

The cyclone is also expected to hit Madagascar as well as coastal nations from Tanzania to South Africa.

Much of the region has been saturated by weeks of heavy rain.

Mary Harper
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Burkina Faso has announced the official ending of the French military operation in the country aimed at defeating an intensifying Islamist insurgency.

The Burkinabe chief of general staff and the head of the French Sabre force attended what was described as a sombre flag lowering ceremony in a military barracks.

In January, Burkina Faso gave France a month to withdraw its 400 special forces.

Their presence has become increasingly unpopular with crowds waving Russian flags following a coup last year.

Burkina Faso denies that Russian mercenaries are already operating on its territory.

It is likely it will turn increasingly to Moscow just as its neighbour Mali has done.

French troops were essentially replaced by Russian mercenaries last year.

Mali says they are doing a spectacular job. Independent evidence suggests otherwise.

Image source, Getty Images

Nigerian author and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has denied endorsing the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress party ahead of this week's election, the local Punch newspaper reports.

It follows a widely circulated statement on social media claiming the author had endorsed Bola Tinubu.

The newspaper quoted an email from the author as saying "Professor Soyinka did not at any time or on any occasion issue such a statement".

"It is simply the works of peddlers of fake news and falsehood, who profit from misinformation to gain political advantages," it added.

More on Nigerian presidential candidates:

• PETER OBI: The frugal businessman capturing young Nigerian hearts
• ATIKU ABUBAKAR: The man who wants Nigerians to look back to go forward
• BOLA TINUBU: Lagos 'godfather' sets sights on conquering Nigeria
• RABIU KWANKWASO: The red-capped man eyeing Nigeria's top job