Meet Somalia's all-female media team which fights and highlights the stereotypes female journalists are facing.

BBC World Service

Security sources in Burkina Faso say jihadist insurgents have killed 14 people, including four soldiers, near the northern city of Kaya.

The attack coincided with a visit by interim leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

It targeted a unit of soldiers and defence volunteers tasked with protecting repairs to water supply facilities in the town of Zorkoum.

The withdrawal of French forces from Burkina Faso and Mali, and their replacement by mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group, has done little to turn the tide of jihadi violence.

Read more: Have Wagner mercenaries helped Mali's fight against jihadists?

Fifa's ethics committee provisionally suspends a football coach in DR Congo while a para sport official in Cameroon is under investigation for rape.

BBC Focus on Africa radio

Image source, Reuters

A French journalist who was held captive in northern Mali for nearly two years has told the BBC that he is "slowly but surely" getting used to the idea that he is now free.

Olivier Dubois was abducted in 2021 in the city of Gao by the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) - the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel region.

He was released on Tuesday, along with an American captive, and flew back to France.

In an interview with Focus on Africa radio, Dubois said that he imagined that something may have been given in exchange for his freedom - either money or jihadi prisoners - but he was not aware of the specifics of the deal.

One of the topics of conversation among Dubois' captors was how much he was worth, he said. Some estimated 5m euros ($5.4m;£4.4m) and others reckoned double that.

He said he was never beaten and tried to maintain good relations with those holding him. However, he was subjected to a mock execution after a failed attempt to escape.

In order to maintain his sanity, Dubois created a regular daily programme of events which included sport, studying the Quran and cooking.

A self-confessed foodie, the journalist said it was tough preparing good food with limited ingredients, but he enjoyed making pasta and bread stuffed with dates.

As for what next, Dubois said he now needs to connect with his family and will take some time to think about his future.

Nigerian senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife brought a young man to the UK to donate a kidney.

The young man was brought to the UK to provide a kidney for the sick daughter of a Nigerian senator.

Image source, Met Police

Nigerians have been reacting to the news that a senior politician has been convicted of organ trafficking in a court in London.

Ike Ekweremadu, 60, had served as the deputy president of Nigeria's senate.

He was found guilty of offering money to a man who he brought to the UK to get his kidney in order to help his sick daughter.

While it is lawful in the UK to donate a kidney, it becomes criminal if there is a reward of money or other material advantage.

One woman told the BBC's Chris Ewokor it could serve as an example to others in Nigeria.

"I don’t see anything wrong with the conviction," Elizabeth Bankole said. "It is only in Nigeria that people commit crimes and get away with it, and you don’t expect that same madness to be attainable in other nations of the world. I look forward to the day that the judiciary will not compromise and deal out judgement as is fit."

Another was in shock over the verdict.

"I’m numbed, I’m pained," ldris Arafat said. "This is a very big man in Nigeria and he has a sick child and he was struggling to get help. It’s an eye opener that before you do anything you must ask about what the law says and you have to act within the law. I have a sick child too – but I would not be desperate enough to break laws."

Image source, Getty Images

A court in Kenya's capital Nairobi has barred Meta, Facebook's parent company, from laying off its content moderators pending determination of a lawsuit that is challenging their planned dismissal.

The labour court also barred Meta and its outsourcing firm, Sama, from hiring other moderators to replace the sacked ones.

The lawsuit was filed by 43 Facebook moderators in Kenya, hired by Sama on behalf of Meta. They allege that the redundancy exercise being undertaken was unlawful.

The moderators told the court that they have been given "varying and confusing" explanations for the redundancy, Daily Nation reported.

At least 260 content moderators were set to lose their jobs, according to local media.

Meta and Sama have been given seven days to respond to the application.

The case will be heard on 28 March.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Getty Images

A convoy of 74 trucks carrying food has arrived in Burkina Faso's northern town of Djibo by road for the first time in almost five months.

Supplies to the town, which has been under a de facto militant blockade for months, were being airlifted to avoid attacks.

"For the first time since November 2022, the northern town of Djibo has been supplied by road," French public radio RFI reported.

"It's a real breath of fresh air," a shopkeeper in Djibo was quoted as saying.

A security source told AFP that the convoy arrived on Tuesday after a three-week trek, "braving roadside bombs and ambushes".

Residents of the town have been staging protests asking the transitional authorities to resolve the security and humanitarian situation in the area.

Burkina Faso is battling an insurgency that spilled over from neighbouring Mali in 2015.

Newsday
BBC World Service

Image source, Reuters

A Ugandan MP who voted in favour of a bill that targets homosexual people has told the BBC that if the US withdrew funding in protest it would amount to "modern genocide".

The US government has said there could be repercussions should the measure be signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni.

MP Charles Ayume - a medical doctor - told the BBC's Newsday programme that the US provided vital funding for critical life-saving areas like malaria and HIV. Ending these programmes would be a form of "modern genocide", Dr Ayume said.

Responding to the US criticism of the bill passed by MPs on Tuesday, Dr Ayume said that Uganda's sovereignty should be respected. He added that there were things he objected to in the US, but he did not want to interfere in the politics of that country.

According to the bill, people who identify as gay in Uganda risk life in prison. It also includes the death penalty in certain cases.

Dr Ayume said that in backing the measure, he was representing the views of his constituents.

Tom Symonds
Home Affairs Correspondent

A senior Nigerian politician, his wife, and a medical "middleman" have been convicted of trafficking a man to donate an organ.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, his wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 50 faced the first charges for organ trafficking under modern slavery laws.

Prosecutors said they planned to remove the kidney of a 21-year-old Nigerian man, so it could be given to their daughter, Sonia, who has a debilitating illness.

Sonia Ekweremadu was acquitted of the charge by the jury.

The man from Lagos was promised opportunities in the UK for helping.

He was brought to the UK and said he only realised what was going on when he met doctors at the Royal Free Hospital.

When he was rejected as unsuitable, the court heard the Ekweremadus transferred their interest to Turkey and set about finding another donor.

Black Antelopes coach Pedro Goncalves staying positive as he prepares to face former Premier League boss Chris Hughton, the new man in charge of Ghana.

Image source, Getty Images

Kenyans have been asked to seek alternatives to maize as the country experiences a shortage of the staple food following a prolonged drought.

High prices for maize flour amid a cost-of-living crisis is at the centre of opposition protests that started on Monday.

Agriculture Minister Mithika Linturi told lawmakers on Wednesday that a shortage in the world market was making it difficult for the government to purchase the grain.

"I therefore urge Kenyans to embrace rice, potatoes and other food substitutes. We have already brought tonnes of rice and we are bringing more next week,” Mr Linturi said.

He was optimistic that the price of maize flour will reduce in the next 10 days when a ship carrying tonnes of maize and rice will dock in the country.

A bag of 90kg of maize is currently selling at 5,600 Kenyan shillings ($43; £35) but will likely drop significantly when the imports arrive, local outlets report.

Hanna Temuari
BBC News, Addis Ababa

Image source, Reuters

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has appointed a senior member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) Getachew Reda as the head of the newly established interim administration in the northern region of Tigray.

The TPLF, which fought a two-year civil war against the federal government, nominated Mr Getachew - the TPLF's spokesperson - last week.

Tens of thousands of people died in the fighting and the conflict sparked a huge humanitarian crisis. All sides have been accused of committing war crimes by the US administration.

The move is part of the implementation of the peace deal agreed between the TPLF and the federal government.

Mr Getachew signed that pact in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, on behalf of the TPLF last November.

The interim regional administration will be in position until regional elections are held under the supervision of the electoral commission. The date is yet to be set.

Ethiopia’s House of Peoples Representatives on Wednesday removed the terrorist designation of TPLF.

Image source, Getty Images

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a nationwide strike for public workers over fuel and cash scarcity in the country.

Speaking on Wednesday, Joe Ajaero, the NLC president, said workers could not access cash to pay fares to get to work nor buy food for their families. He also criticised the pricing irregularities in the petroleum sector.

Mr Ajaero said the strike will start on Wednesday next week.

He also directed the NLC affiliate unions to be on standby for picketing across all branches of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) nationwide.

"By Wednesday next week, all CBN branches will be picketed, workers are directed to stay at home too because people cannot eat, workers can no longer go to the office, we have been pushed to the wall," Mr Ajaero said.

“We have decided to take our destiny in our hands, we have mobilised our workers on this exercise,” he added.

The CBK is on Thursday expected to start releasing more old notes to commercial banks, Punch website reported, external.

The move is expected to end months of hardships that Nigerians have been going through, following the controversial CBN note redesign policy that caused a severe shortage of old and new naira notes across the country.

Image source, Getty Images

Equatorial Guinea has confirmed eight more cases of the Marburg virus disease, bringing the total to nine since February when it was first declared.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said, external the cases of the viral haemorrhagic fever were confirmed following laboratory analysis of additional samples.

It noted that there were 20 probable cases and deaths.

The new cases were reported from areas bordering Cameroon and Gabon.

The cases are from areas that are 50km (31 miles) apart, with the WHO suggesting a wider transmission of the virus.

It said it was working with national authorities to step up emergency response measures.

It comes days after Tanzania, on the other side of the continent, confirmed eight cases of the viral disease - including five deaths.

Marburg is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials.

David Bamford
BBC World Service News

Image source, Getty Images

Algerian media say the authorities have dismantled a network involved in smuggling migrants from Syria to Europe.

Fifteen suspects have reportedly been arrested - nine of them Syrians and six Algerians.

A five-month investigation is said to have uncovered how the people smugglers transported undocumented migrants from Syria and Lebanon to an airport in eastern Libya.

From there, they were taken along desert tracks to the Algerian port of Oran for clandestine sea crossings to Europe.

Image source, Getty Images

Senegal President Macky Sall on Wednesday urged police to take all appropriate measures to ensure security following deadly protests over the trial of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.

At least one person died in the clashes between Mr Sonko’s supporters and the police.

There have been protests in cities across the country over Mr Sonko’s trial on accusations of defaming the tourism minister – a member of Mr Sall’s party.

Mr Sonko however says the real purpose of the trial is to disqualify him from running for the presidency in next year’s elections.

Patience Atuhaire
BBC News, Kampala

Image source, Reuters

The White House has warned Uganda of possible economic "repercussions" if a new bill to crack down on homosexual activities become law.

"We would have to take a look at whether or not there might be repercussions that we would have to take, perhaps in an economic way, should this law actually get passed and enacted," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists on Wednesday, external.

"So, we’ll have to take a look. No decisions. We’re watching this very, very closely. And hopefully, it won’t pass and we won’t have to do anything."

The bill proposes life sentences for people who identify as gay in Uganda. It also includes the death penalty in certain cases.

It is awaiting a presidential assent before becoming law.

The European Union has also expressed deep concern about the anti-homosexuality bill.

In a statement, it said the criminalisation of homosexuality is contrary to international human rights law.

“The European Union will continue engaging with the Ugandan authorities and civil society to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity, are treated equally, with dignity and respect,” it said.

Read more on the story:

• Uganda Anti-Homosexuality bill: Life in prison for saying you're gay

Image source, Getty Images

Nigeria's President-elect Bola Tinubu has travelled to France and the United Kingdom to "rest" and plan the transition programme ahead of his inauguration on 29 May.

Tunde Rahman, the spokesperson for Mr Tinubu, in a statement on Wednesday said the president-elect had left the country on Tuesday.

According to Mr Rahman, the president-elect will later observe Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

“The president-elect decided to take a break after the hectic campaign and election season to rest in Paris and London, preparatory to going to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (Lesser Hajj) and the Ramadan fasting that begins Thursday," Mr Rahman said.

He added that Mr Tinubu is expected back in the country "soon".

The president-elect's frequent travels overseas continue to fuel speculation about his health.

He made several unannounced trips to the UK and France before campaigns started in 2022.

He is also facing legal battles over his victory in last month's presidential election.