BBC Monitoring
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The opposition in the Democratic Republic of Congo has expressed outrage over President Felix Tshisekedi's "attempt" to postpone the 20 December general elections over persistent insecurity in the east.

"The situation in the east of the country should not constitute an excuse for the president to postpone the elections," Cherubin Okende, the spokesperson for opposition politician Moise Katumbi is quoted by the French broadcaster RFI as saying

Mr Okende reminded Mr Tshisekedi of the promise he made in the early days of his presidency to set up the army headquarters in the east in an effort to effectively deal with armed groups.

"Four years later, the regime is still unable to restore peace in this part of the country," he said.

Opposition leader Martin Fayulu, said that according to article 70 of the constitution, the president is elected for a five-year term. "Come 23 January 2024, Tshisekedi must vacate his post," he said.

The two opposition politicians were reacting to Mr Tshisekedi's remarks to French President Emmanuel Macron that the conflict in the east may delay the elections.

However, critics believe various challenges could be used as an excuse by the ruling coalition to justify the postponement of the elections.

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Pictures taken from above the continent show how the landscape is transformed by human activity.

Athlete Mary Ngugi hopes to protect young female runners from unwanted male attention after starting the country’s first girls-only running camp.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now. We'll be back on Wednesday 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 Tuesday's wise words:

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And we leave you with this photo taken in Zanzibar:

BBC Africa Daily podcast

Image source, Abdelrahman ElGendy

An Egyptian who fled to the US after being jailed as a teenager is now writing a memoir detailing the grave state of prisons in his home country.

Abdelrahman ElGendy was only 17 when he was sentenced to six years in prison, and still remembers the guilt he felt because his elderly father was being locked away for accompanying him during the protest back in 2003.

His father only went to keep him safe, he says, and had even warned his son beforehand that he felt it was a bad idea.

The pair sat in a parked car as Abdelrahman tried to record the events that were going on, until he was dragged by police officers, and severely beaten.

He and his father were rounded up with 68 other protesters and went through horrid ordeals from pre-trial detention to eventually being sentenced and facing abuse in Egyptian prisons.

Abdelrahman was determined not to miss out on an education while locked up and studied engineering.

After his release, his family decided to flee the country and settled in Pittsburgh in the US.

He tells the BBC's Africa Daily podcast he finally feels free.

• LIsten to the full episode here: Can new prisons improve the situation in Egypt’s jails?

Image source, Abdelrahman ElGendy

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba calls for better medical checks after the death of a player during an Ivorian top-flight game.

Dogs and other pets have been banned from voting centres in Nigeria ahead of governorship elections on Saturday.

Some voters had said they would take their dogs along with them this weekend after experiencing violence two weeks ago at the presidential election.

But on Tuesday Nigeria's police said that this won't be permitted, because "dogs could be classed as offensive weapons as their owners/handlers can use them to intimidate, harass and cause assault and bodily harm to others":

A Nigerian politician accused of attempting to exploit a man for his kidney says he thought he was being scammed.

Will Leonardo
BBC World Service News

Image source, AFP

The UK government has put forward controversial new legislation seeking to stop tens of thousands of migrants reaching the country illegally in boats every year.

Interior Minister Suella Braverman said the migrants would be detained on arrival, and swiftly deported.

They would only be able to claim asylum once returned to their countries of origin, or to Rwanda, which has signed an agreement to take them in - although this has been held up in the courts.

Ms Braverman said this was the only way to stop people coming to the UK.

Rights groups have said the law risks criminalising thousands of genuine refugees.

The minister has admitted the legislation may break human rights laws.

Meanwhile the opposition Labour Party has branded the new bill a con, accusing the governing Conservatives of being unable to tackle to issue properly.

• Read more on this story

South Africa's president has given a trusted aide the responsibility of ending the power crisis.

BBC Focus on Africa radio

Sira, the tale of a woman's struggle for survival after being kidnapped by jihadists in the Sahel, has won high acclaim at the pan-African film awards.

The feature, by Burkinabè director Apolline Traoré, was runner-up in Fespaco's best fiction film category.

Traoré had planned to make the entire film on location in Burkina Faso but the insecurity in the north meant that it was not safe to do so.

Speaking about her film, she says she wanted to portray the conflict in her country and leave audiences feeling what it is like to be gripped by fear:

Listen to the rest of her interview with BBC Focus on Africa radio:

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Image source, AFP

At least 10 people have been killed by Tropical Storm Freddy in Mozambique according to the UN, contradicting earlier reports by the Mozambican authorities that no-one had died.

In the same announcement the UN's humanitarian affairs agency, Ocha, confirmed the deaths of 11 people in nearby Madagascar, where more than 3,300 homes were destroyed on Sunday when it returned to the island.

"Freddy", which is expected to gain strength to become a cyclone once more, could hit central and northern Mozambique again this week, according to weather forecasts.

It is already one of the longest-lasting cyclones in recent decades, crossing almost the entire Indian Ocean from the coast of Indonesia to southern Africa.

Kennedy Gondwe
BBC News, Lusaka

Police in Zambia have arrested four women after they took part in a march against gender-based violence that also attracted LGBTQ-rights activists.

Same-sex relationships and marriages in Zambia are illegal and on Monday the government warned against the promotion of gay and lesbian rights.

The four women, all aged under 30, have been charged with giving false information to public officers, and of holding an unlawful assembly, according to police spokesperson Danny Mwale.

The march which took place at the weekend was organised by Sistah Sistah Foundation, a local non-profit organisation. They too are being investigated by police.

It is believed that while the protesters were allowed to march by police the procession was based on the event being an anti-gender-based violence event, not to allegedly advocate gay and lesbian rights.

Some Zambians have criticised the march for this reason. But others who attended the march, or support its aims, remain defiant.

Vumani Mkhize
BBC Africa Business

Rolling blackouts in South Africa are largely responsible for the country's gross domestic product (GDP) shrinking more than expected, analysts say.

Official data shows a drop of 1.4% between October and December, instead of the 0.4% predicted.

The impact of the power outages was bound to have a knock-on effect on the economy. Only two days of the period from October to December were without power cuts.

Businesses have been paralysed by the disruptions and have seen production costs rise as they have to purchase contingency power.

Seven of South Africa’s 10 industries experienced a decline in the last three months of 2022. The agriculture and mining industries were the biggest victims, both contracting by over 3%.

Overall the South African economy grew by 2% in 2022, but is still well below the 5 to 6% target band that economists say will make a dent in the country’s 33% unemployment rate.

Related stories:

• South Africa gets new minister to tackle power crisis
• No power, no pinot
• Why South Africa can't keep the lights on

Aid workers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo say clashes are continuing between the army and M23 rebels despite a ceasefire agreement.

They said there was fighting on at least two fronts.

The M23 said it was committed to a peaceful solution but would continue to defend itself if attacked by the Congolese military or its allies.

The M23 and the army have accused each other of launching attacks on Monday, which led to significant civilian displacement.

Rwanda denies backing the M23 which has captured large swathes of territory over the past year and is threatening the regional capital, Goma.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Eritrea's government has described a UN report on the human rights situation in the Horn of Africa nation as part of "unrelenting harassment" and "weaponisation of human rights in its crudest form against a developing country".

It came after the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) said in a report on Monday that Eritrea's human rights record "remains dire and shows no sign of improvement".

In response, the Eritrean delegation to the UNHRC said in a statement that "the unrelenting harassment of Eritrea for more than 10 years now through the unwarranted appointment of special rapporteurs stems from, and is inextricably linked with, the hostile agenda of its detractors".

It said the purpose of the mandate given to the UN rapporteurs was to "create platforms to advance their [Western governments'] ulterior political motives and agendas".

The statement said "Eritrea's inviolable rights for independent political choices and economic development should not be misconstrued and utilised as tools of harassment by certain external powers".

BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

A ceasefire has taken effect in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, although it is not clear whether it is being respected.

The UN Secretary General has urged the M23 rebel group to stop fighting and withdraw from captured territory.

The rebels launched fresh attacks on Congolese army positions on Monday, seizing a town and several villages.

Rwanda denies backing the M23 which has captured large swathes of territory over the past year and is threatening the regional capital Goma.

Related articles:

• Why Kenya decided to put boots on the ground in DR Congo conflict
• Rwanda-DR Congo tension: Shooting of plane an ‘act of war’
• Soldiers get death sentence for cowardice against M23 rebels

South Africa's medical regulator denies cautioning a doctor who's been criticised online for his style of dress.

"The Health Professions Council of South Africa does not regulate how its registered practitioners dress or their lifestyle. We only regulate their work-related code of conduct with the sole purpose of guiding the profession to protect the public,” spokesman Christopher Tsatsawane told local media, external.

Dr Sandile Qwabe's videos on TikTok often show him with a stethoscope slung around his neck, wearing his medical scrubs in a pantsula style.

Pantsula culture has its roots in apartheid-era townships. Dr Qwabe's detractors on social media say it's unprofessional for a doctor to dress this way but others have defended him for what they say is an authentic expression of blackness.

Image source, AFP

The UN mission in South Sudan says it's following the recent sacking of the defence minister - urging “parties to exercise restraint and engage in a collegial spirit in order to resolve such sensitive national issues”.

President Salva Kiir sacked the country's first female defence minister, Angelina Teny, who is from the main opposition party - with the party calling for her reinstatement.

On Monday, the UN envoy to the country, Nicholas Haysom, called for the transitional government in South Sudan to implement a peace agreement to hold “credible elections” next year.

He told the UN Security Council, external that 2023 was a “make or break” year, noting that parties had agreed there would be no extensions on the timelines of the peace deal.

He noted key hurdles that the country must address to complete the transitional phase next year, including the drafting of a new constitution.

He said it was an opportunity for South Sudanese to agree how they would live harmoniously and avoid a repeat of civil wars that have plagued the country.

A five-year civil war that ended in 2018 claimed the lives of almost 400,000 people. It led to a peace agreement and the formation of a transitional government led by President Kiir and his rival Riek Machar.

Mr Haysom noted that there was still armed violence occurring in parts of the country, which “increasingly present an ethnic or tribal dimension”, posing a threat to the peace process.