Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Image source, AFP

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and his first deputy, Riek Machar, are expected to meet on Friday at the State House in the capital, Juba, to discuss the recent dismissal of Defence Minister Angelina Teny.

Mr Kiir also swapped the ministries of defence and interior, taking defence to his political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the interior ministry to Mr Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO).

The SPLM-IO termed the presidential decrees “unilateral” and “a violation” of the revitalised peace agreement and demanded that Ms Teny be reinstated to her position.

The peace agreement gives parties the power to remove their representatives in the council of ministers and nominate the replacements by notifying the president.

The meeting on the changes was initially planned for Thursday but was moved to Friday at the request of the president, an official in Mr Machar's office told the BBC.

An international body monitoring the implementation of the revitalised peace agreement has welcomed the announcement of the meeting.

The Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) said it was encouraging "consultation to resolve the issue of the removal of the defence minister, and urge the parties to observe the letter and spirit of the revitalised agreement".

Image source, Getty Images

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has begun investigations into the alleged maltreatment of more than 200 Nigeria-bound passengers by German airline, Lufthansa Airlines.

Local media said the carrier last Friday threatened to call police after the passengers, whose flight was delayed, requested arrangements for their stay.

The flight from Frankfurt to Lagos, which was meant to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, was reportedly delayed after diverting to Cotonou in Benin, and Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

Lufthansa apologised for the flight delay in a circular sent to its passengers last Friday.

The passengers alleged the Lagos airport was not closed, contrary to the claim by the Lufthansa pilot.

Sam Adurogboye, the NCAA public affairs official, on Thursday said the regulator has begun investigation into the matter after receiving complaints from the passengers.

A spokesman for the airline has told the BBC that they are investigating the circumstances of the incident.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Getty Images

Ethiopia's Somali regional state has issued a statement denying claims by the self-declared republic of Somaliland that it had sent troops to support clan militias in restive Las Anod town.

"We are telling the Somaliland administration that there are no DDS [Ethiopia's Somali regional state] troops who are part of the violence in Las Anod," state-owned Somali Regional TV (SRTV) posted on Facebook on Thursday.

It denounced the accusations which it termed "reckless", adding that Somaliland was "seeking to reduce political pressure by pointing fingers at non-existing enemies".

It also warned Somaliland officials against remarks and actions that could create hostility between communities in the breakaway region of Somalia and those in the south-eastern Ethiopia state.

The statement was issued hours after Somaliland's cabinet urged the Ethiopian regional state to withdraw troops that it said were supporting clan militias fighting against Somaliland forces on the outskirts of Las Anod since 6 February.

Image source, Getty Images

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed claims that his new cabinet is bloated and says he is committed to restructuring the government.

Opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen on Thursday asked President Ramaphosa in parliament if it was fair for ministers to be “living like rock stars” while ordinary citizens suffer.

“[They have] 98 mansions worth over a billion rand, free generators, free electricity and high-end luxury vehicles,” Mr Steenhuisen said.

“Well, I don’t know about rock stars,” the president responded.

Mr Ramaphosa denied the opposition leader's claims that South Africa had the largest cabinet across the globe, saying the country was “basically in line with others”.

The DA has said it will picket on Monday against the "luxurious" lifestyles of ministers, local media reported.

The president made changes to his executive early this week – including the creation of two new ministries.

South African ministers are amongst some of the highest paid in Africa, drawing annual salaries of up to $135,000 (£113,000) in addition to personal staff and luxury cars.

Public outrage over their remuneration has been common in the face of a floundering economy.

The Newsroom
BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Police in Nigeria say at least 25 people have been killed in an attack by Islamist militants in north-eastern Borno state.

The attack took place in the fishing town of Dikwa which is near a stronghold of Boko Haram insurgents.

The UN says extremist violence since 2009 has left more than 350,000 people dead and displaced millions of others.

Image source, Reuters

Senegal’s former prime minister, Cheikh Hadjibou Soumare, was taken into police custody on Thursday after questioning President Macky Sall if he had financed a French politician.

His lawyer told the media that Mr Soumare was summoned by police over his letter to the president about the alleged donation.

In the letter, Mr Soumare had asked the president whether he had donated 12m euros ($12.7m; £10.6m) to a "French political figure" whose party is distinguished "by hatred and rejection of others".

The Senegalese government on Tuesday denied making any financial donation to the leader of France's National Rally, Marine Le Pen, who visited Mr Sall on 18 January.

It "rejected and condemned" the insinuations and described them as "cowardly and unfounded", according to a statement.

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya's education ministry has launched a crackdown on what it described as the infiltration of LGBTQ agenda in schools.

It will see government establish chaplaincies in schools, minister Ezekiel Machogu told senators on Thursday.

There are fears the programme could see misinformation about LGBTQ people and same-sex relationships taught in schools.

Gay sex remains illegal but anti-gay attitudes have been hardening after last month's ruling by the Supreme Court upholding the gay community's right to register an association.

A committee has already been formed to deal with LGBTQ issues in schools, the minister said, and suggested its role could include reviewing school literature.

It will be headed by an archbishop from the Anglican Church in Kenya.

"These are issues that we can not be able to allow to infiltrate into our schools," Mr Machogu said.

The minister was responding to a senator who was concerned over the alleged spread of the LGBTQ agenda in primary schools.

Image source, Getty Images

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is concerned about the ongoing wage strike by public workers that is affecting essential services in the country.

The strike by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) started on Monday, as the workers demanded a 10% pay hike after rejecting the government's 3% increase.

At least four people have died as the workers reportedly prevented patients from entering numerous hospitals and clinics in the country, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said.

The president said on Thursday that while workers have a right to strike, acts of violence would not be tolerated.

“We are all concerned about the violent nature of the strike that is under way. Workers in our country have the right to freedom of association and to strike. But that right is not absolute," President Ramaphosa said.

He said that the "no work, no pay" principle should apply to essential services workers who go on strike.

Our proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

Videos falsely targeting African migrants in Tunisia have gone viral on TikTok and other platforms.

People (Check On Me) is poised to enter the UK Top 10 this week - a first for a Cameroonian artist.

At least six people have been confirmed dead after a passenger bus collided with a commuter train in Lagos.

A bill is tabled in parliament to criminalise anyone identifying as LGBTQ+, and to imprison them.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now. We'll be back on Friday morning.

There will be an automated news feed here until then. You can also get the latest on the BBC News website and listen to the Africa Today podcast.

A reminder of Thursday's wise words:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this photo of canoeists training earlier on Thursday as the sun rose over Emmarencia Dam in the South African city of Johannesburg.

Image source, EPA

Rescuers are hunting for survivors after a ferry sank of the coast of Gabon, leaving two people dead.

Royal Cost Marine (RCM), the company that owns the Esther Miracle ferry, said on Facebook, external that the vessel sprang a leak as it was travelling from Port-Gentil to the capital, Libreville, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

In a message posted on Thursday afternoon, the firm said 121 people had been rescued so far and taken to hospitals in Libreville.

The AFP news agency quoted officials as saying 151 passengers and crew had been onboard, meaning 28 people are still missing.

RCM said operations to find further survivors were continuing.

"The search is continuing but if at nightfall we don't find anyone, we will sadly have to consider the strong probability that those missing have died," AFP quotes public prosecutor Andre Patrick Roponat as saying.

Relatives of those on board are gathered by the quayside in Libreville waiting for news, AFP reports.

"My daughter called me in the middle of the night to say that something was going on," a man in his 50s is quoted as saying.

"She said: 'Dad, we're sinking', and then there was no more," he said.

RCM's Facebook page has photos of the Esther Miracle's inauguration at a ceremony in November last year:

South African trackers are trying to find a lion that is on the loose outside the capital, Pretoria.

It has been spotted near a popular hiking trail about 30km (19 miles) west of the city on the way to Hartbeespoort Dam.

Arthur Crewe from the Strategic Response Unit, a security firm, said the search for the big cat began on Wednesday near the Hennops Hiking Trail.

Technology such as drones was being used to track down the animal that had been sighted a couple of times, he told South Africa’s TimesLive.

He told News24 that he was also hoping for helicopter assitance.

Mr Crewe urged the public not to panic, saying the animal was unlikely to attack as it was in a bushy area.

“There is no major threat to any homes or the public in the area it is in now,” TimesLive quoted him as saying.

It is not clear from where the lion escaped.

A report that the lion had killed a donkey turned out not to be true as that animal had been hit by a vehicle.

Image source, @jidesanwoolu

The governor of Nigeria's Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called for people to come forward and donate blood as medics treat those wounded in a collision between a train and bus earlier on Thursday.

“It is still a critical period for some of the patients as we continue to call for blood donations across different state government medical facilities,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said in a series of tweets about the accident, external.

He said that 85 passengers were on board the bus carrying civil servants to work when it was hit by a commuter train during rush hour on Thursday morning in the Ikeja area of the city.

The governor confirmed that six people had died and said 29 people were in a critical condition, another 42 people had moderate injuries and a further eight had mild wounds.

He thanked the emergency workers and others involved in the rescue operation and also the staff and students at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (Lasuth), where those injured are being treated.

The crash happened at a railway crossing with no barrier.

“This was a totally avoidable incident that simply required patience and the need to follow proper transportation protocol,” said the governor, who is seeking re-election next week.

Patience Atuhaire
BBC News, Kampala

Image source, AFP

A bill has been tabled in Uganda's parliament that would criminalise anyone identifying as LGBTQ+. If passed, they would face jail terms of up to 10 years, as would those engaging in same-sex relations.

The law would ban the funding or promotion of LGBTQ+ activities and jail landlords who rented premises to members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The bill will be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee before it is tabled before the house again for debate.

There has been rising anti-gay sentiment in Uganda and neighbouring countries in recent weeks.

Activists are concerned that this could lead to mob attacks on anyone suspected to be gay.

In 2014, the country’s constitutional court nullified the anti-homosexuality act, which had toughened laws against the LGBTQ+ community.

It included making it illegal to promote and fund LGBTQ+ groups and activities, as well as reiterating that same-sex relations should be punished by life imprisonment.

The court ruled that the legislation be revoked on the basis that it had been passed by parliament without the required quorum.

The punishment of life imprisonment for same-sex relations already exists in the country’s penal code.

Same-sex relations are banned in about 30 African countries.

The campaign group, Human Rights Watch, said it believed that if the proposed law is passed, Uganda would be the only African country to criminalise those who simply identify as LGBTQ+.

Read more: Ugandan bill threatens jail for saying you're gay

Ike Ekweremadu allegedly thought it was "far better to buy" a kidney than ask a relative to donate.

BBC World Service

The coast guard in Tunisia says that 14 people from sub-Saharan Africa have drowned off the coast of the city of Sfax.

It said it reached the scene late on Wednesday after their boat had sunk, and rescued 54 people.

It's not clear whether the people had been living in Tunisia itself, where black African immigrants have recently suffered a wave of racism prompted by remarks from President Kais Saied.