Image source, Getty Images

Zambia's government has warned the opposition against holding anti-gay rights protests during US Vice-President Kamala Harris’s visit in the country.

Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) party plans to hold protests ahead of democracy summit being hosted in the capital, Lusaka.

Ms Harris will arrive in the southern Africa country on Friday and is scheduled to make an address at the summit - which is jointly being hosted by Zambia, the US, Costa Rica, the Netherlands and South Korea.

Some 50 opposition MPs have claimed, without evidence, that the event is part of an agenda to impose gay rights on Zambians.

Amnesty International Zambia has called on the government to take a strong stand in support of LGBTQ rights and to ensure that the summit is not disrupted by protests.

Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu has said that the authorities will not allow lawlessness during the summit.

President Hakainde Hichilema has called for calm and dialogue in response to the threats of protests.

“We understand the concerns of the PF and other stakeholders and we are committed to engaging in constructive dialogue to address these issues,” President Hichilema said.

Earlier this month Mr Hichilema pledged to uphold Zambia’s laws that criminalise homosexuality.

He said it was a falsehood to say his government supported gay rights.

Ms Harris is due to visit Tanzania on Wednesday before heading to Zambia on Friday.

Jose Tembe
BBC News, Maputo

Grave robbers took body parts of a dead albino man in western Mozambique after digging through concrete that was used to reinforce the grave.

Body parts of albinos are much sought after in the country for use in witchcraft.

Police say the suspects are still at large after the incident in Moatize district, in Tete province.

The deceased, who was about 50 years old, was recently buried in a village that borders Malawi.

His relatives had reinforced the grave with concrete in anticipation of a possible theft.

A campaigner for albino rights, Remane Madane, has condemned the robbery.

He said the police had promised to do everything to arrest the suspects.

“The cemetery is isolated. To get there it is a long distance, to go alone you have to think twice, otherwise maybe a team [was involved],” he said.

People with albinism, who lack pigment in their skin and appear pale, are regularly killed in several African countries including Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

More on this topic:

• Albino attack survivor: 'I am too scared to sleep'

Image source, AFP

The situation in Malawi is “still dire” two weeks after Storm Freddy left a trail of devastation in the southern region, the country's information minister has told the BBC's Newsday programme.

Moses Kunkuyu said the death toll had risen to more than 600 and many displaced people were still living in camps providing shelter and food.

He said roads and dozens of bridges had been washed away by floods, making it difficult to provide desperately needed aid.

The minister said there was a risk of outbreaks of water-borne diseases in the camps because of congestion.

He said there was a crisis in the health and education sector in the areas affected by the storm. Repair works on electricity lines damaged by a previous cyclone were still unfinished and many areas are currently without power.

“So even the health sector is now overwhelmed as well. Education centres also remain affected because most of the camps that have been created are at schools,” he said.

He said with schools reopening, the government was having to make a tough decision to move the displaced people from the schools to tents that would serve as temporary shelters.

He also noted that at least 500 schools had been damaged by the storm.

The minister has appealed for more humanitarian assistance.

Storm Freddy struck Mozambique and Malawi earlier in March for the second time in a month, destroying scores of homes and triggering widespread floods.

More on this topic:

• The deadly cyclone that lasted more than a month

A Kenyan lawmaker has died while receiving treatment at a hospital after being involved in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident in the capital, Nairobi.

Kullow Maalim Hassan was a second term MP for Banisa constituency in north-eastern Kenya.

His family told local outlets that the MP was hit on Saturday by a speeding motorcycle rider. He was pronounced dead on Tuesday night.

Lawmakers have been paying tributes to their colleague on social media.

"Maalim was a dedicated and committed public servant," said Kimani Ichung'wah, the majority leader in parliament.

"Kulow was a good person and particularly dedicated to his oversight as well as other parliamentary duties," said Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse.

Image source, Getty Images

Lesotho's parliament is expected on Wednesday to discuss a motion to reclaim some parts of South Africa.

An opposition MP wants legislators to "declare the whole of the Free State, parts of the Northern Cape, parts of the Eastern Cape, parts of Mpumalanga and parts of KwaZulu-Natal as part of Lesotho's territory", according to parliament's order paper.

It says the reclamation will be pursued under the United Nations Resolution 1817 (XVII) that was passed by the General Assembly in December 1962.

In 1871, Lesotho - then Basutoland - was part of the Cape Province - but, in 1884, it was declared a distinct crown colony.

Historically, Lesotho people were found in parts of South Africa's Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

But many were forced to move to present-day Lesotho because of conflict.

More on this topic:

• LISTEN: Why do some people in Lesotho want parts of South Africa?

Image source, AFP

US Vice-President Kamala Harris's remarks on LGBTQ rights while in Ghana have been criticised as "undemocratic" by the country's Speaker.

Ghanaian lawmakers are currently discussing the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Value Bill - which criminalises advocacy for gay rights and proposes jail terms for those that identify as LGBTQ.

On Tuesday, Speaker Alban Bagbin urged lawmakers not to be "intimidated by any person".

"What is democracy? That someone should have to dictate to me what is good and what is bad? Unheard of, because we have decided to devalue ourselves and go begging?" he said.

Ms Harris had not directly addressed the bill during a joint briefing with President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, but said: "This is an issue that we consider to be a human rights issue and that will not change."

Speaker Bagbin told lawmakers on Tuesday that the bill adhered to the constitution and would pass. He also warned President Akufo-Addo against meddling.

"This is a word to the president - there is no way he can intervene. Wait until we pass it, that is where you come in," he told lawmakers amid cheers and claps.

Gay sex is already punishable with up to three years in jail in Ghana, where homophobic attitudes are widespread, but the draft law would impose longer sentences.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has met visiting Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Frederik Shava in the capital, Minsk, state-owned Belarus 24 TV channel says.

The two countries identified new areas in co-operation, including the humanitarian sphere, education, maternity and childhood care, and baby food, Mr Lukashenko said.

He said that Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa's wife would visit Belarus soon to deal with the issues.

The Belarusian leader said he was continuing to deliver on commitments made during a meeting with Mr Mnangagwa earlier this year.

He said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about co-operating with Zimbabwe and other African states and had secured his "total commitment" to this co-operation.

Zimbabwe has achieved a lot in the area of food security thanks to Belarus, TV quoted Mr Shava as saying on Tuesday.

Belarusian TV reported that Belarus was helping Zimbabwe to mechanise its farms.

Equipment worth of $66m (£54m) would be supplied within the next year and a half, it said.

Zimbabwe was also opening its embassy in Belarus and would appoint an ambassador within the next few months, it reported.

Image source, Getty Images

Botswana's government has dismissed allegations that it plans to arrest and kill exiled former President Ian Khama if he returned home.

In an interview last week, Mr Khama told the AFP news agency that he had information about plans to arrest and poison him upon arriving home from South Africa, where he has been living in exile since 2021.

He alleges the Botswana government fears his influence ahead of next year's general elections.

But in a statement on Tuesday, communication permanent secretary William Sentshebeng dismissed Mr Khama's allegation as "outrageous and unfortunate".

"We regard the claims as politically motivated and with sole intention to tarnishing the good image of Botswana and her government," Mr Sentshebeng said.

With elections due next year, Mr Khama has vowed to unseat his handpicked successor Mokgweetsi Masisi, now a bitter rival whom he accuses of being a threat to democracy.

Mr Khama said he was preparing to return home to "join with other parties to ensure that he [Mr Masisi] and his party lose the elections".

The former 70-year-old leader said he had undergone a "full medical check" and updated his will because he was almost certain that within days of arriving he would be arrested.

Mr Khama, a former senior military officer, governed one of Africa's top diamond producing nations for a decade until 2018, before handing the reigns to Mr Masisi, then his deputy.

The row between him and his successor started in 2018 when President Masisi started reversing some key policies adopted during Mr Khama's tenure.

In December last year, Botswana issued an arrest warrant for Mr Khama, alleging unlawful possession of firearms.

The next month, President Masisi struck a more reconciliatory note, but the rivalry between the two continues.

Image source, Getty Images

The US has urged all political sides in Kenya to refrain from violence and for security forces to act with restraint during protests.

Vedant Patel, deputy spokesman for the US Department of State, said the US regretted the loss of life and damage to property in the recent protests, noting that the right to peaceful assembly was a core aspect of democracy.

"We encourage political leaders, protesters and all parties to refrain from violence and rhetoric that could incite violence," he said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

"We call on government security forces to act with restraint while protecting public safety and property," he added.

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has called for demonstrations every Monday and Thursday to protest against the high cost of living and what he calls electoral justice after last year's election.

The protests have turned violent leading to the deaths of at least three people and to the damage of property.

Our proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

Bisi Adebayo investigates why so many young, highly skilled people leave Nigeria, known in the country as Japa.

Bisi hears from journalist Victoria Idowu who re-located to Canada with her family and a teacher in Lagos who is about to pack her bags and move to the UK.

We also hear from an expert in employment data Babajide Ogunsanwo who tells us how much this costs Nigeria and Wale Smart an employer who explains how tricky it is to find and retain staff.

Presenter / producer: Bisi Adebayo Image: Graduating students of the American University of Nigeria; Credit: Getty Images

That's all for now from the BBC Africa Live team - we'll be back on Wednesday morning, Nairobi time.

Until then you can find the latest updates on the BBC News website, or listen to our Africa Today podcast.

A reminder of Tuesday's wise words:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this photo from Burkina Faso, where news channel France24 has been taken off air by the country's military leaders:

Image source, AFP

Simon Gongo
BBC Afrique, Ouagadougou

A debate has been sparked in Burkina Faso after three civil society leaders were forcibly conscripted into so-called volunteer regiments to fight jihadist militias in the country.

It all started when junta leader, President Ibrahim Traoré, visited Kaya - a city about 100km (62 miles) north-east of the capital, Ouagadougou a few days after a water plant that supplied the area came under attack.

The president announced that a local civil society activist - who had been upset about the attack and had criticised the lack of security in the region - was being conscripted to join the armed “volunteers”.

In Ouagadougou several days later, two other civil society figures called a press conference where they criticised the lack of progress in the fight against the jihadists and called for the dissolution of the government. They too were conscripted.

In the streets of the capital, residents remain divided on the situation.

The authorities say they are working hard to unite the security forces while human rights defenders fear that freedom of expression is in danger.

Volunteer fighters have been called upon in recent years as Burkina Faso's dire security situation worsens.

More on Burkina Faso:

• Emmanuel Macron's mission to counter Russia in Africa

• Thomas Sankara's widow boycotts reburial of African icon
• Coups that promised - and failed - to bring safety

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

A group of Ugandan mothers who have LGBT children have written a letter to President Yoweri Museveni urging him not to sign into law a new draft law under which people who are revealed as being gay could be sent to prison.

In the letter published in local media, the parents said they'd watched in trepidation as what they called "religious fundamentalists, elected officials and anti-gay lobbyists" had demeaned and dehumanised their children.

Homosexual acts are already against the law in Uganda but the new bill introduces many new criminal offences - including making it illegal not to report people in same-sex relationships.

More on this topic:

• Life in prison for saying you're gay, under Uganda's proposed law
• The Ugandan mother no longer ashamed of her gay son

Thomas Naadi
BBC News, Accra

Image source, AFP

Women in African must be given the opportunity to participate equally in all spheres of life, including in leadership positions, says US Vice-President Kamala Harris.

"It is key to maximising global growth and opportunity,” she told students in Ghana's capital, Accra, promising that the US will closely work with its partners to bridge the gender gap.

The US's first female vice-president is on a three-nation tour of the continent. Speaking on Tuesday, she praised Africa’s ingenuity and creativity but emphasised the need to address challenges, including security, barriers to economic growth and the impact of climate change.

She has already announced $100m (£81m) in funding for the fight against violent extremism. Internet facilities will also be invested in by the US to promote economic growth on the continent, she said.

"Let us dream with ambition and lead with conviction," the politician told young people in Accra.

A summit on democracy is being organised in Zambia, where Ms Harris will visit after Ghana and Tanzania. The US government says it will continue to work with democratic governments on the continent in line with the aspirations of Africans.

Related stories:

• Can Kamala Harris' charm offensive woo continent from China?
• Why Russia's invasion of Ukraine still divides Africa
• Emmanuel Macron's mission to counter Russia in Africa

President of The Gambia Football Federation reveals American dream as Scorpions target World Cup following Afcon debut.

BBC Africa Eye

A new documentary podcast, external from Swedish media company SvD reveals that the Swedish police is investigating Crowd1 for money laundering, and raided its Stockholm offices in November 2022.

“It’s kind of a classic pyramid scheme,” says prosecutor Carl Asterius.

Jonas Werner, the Swedish founder of Crowd1, has declined to comment on the police investigation.

Launched in 2019, Crowd1 claims you can become a millionaire using nothing but a smartphone by promoting and selling their digital products to your network.

Crowd1’s former Swedish CEO, Johan Staël von Holstein, told SvD he “thought that the company would win the Nobel prize".

The company’s claims have persuaded thousands - perhaps millions - of people across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to hand over the 99 euros ($107; £87) that buys an entry-level membership to Crowd1.

In November 2020, a BBC Africa Eye investigation , externalrevealed that, behind the slick marketing, Crowd1 is peddling a range of bogus products and false promises to cover an old-fashioned pyramid scheme based on recruitment.

The scheme appears to have made a fortune for a handful of European scammers, many of them Swedish, but it has left behind a trail of debt and poverty in countries including South Africa and Nigeria.

Crowd1 fired most of its employees after the Swedish police raid but the scam is still active. It has just announced the launch of its own cryptocurrency.

“We will probably be top five, after Bitcoin and Ethereum,” founder Jonas Werner said in a recent marketing video.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

A Danish-owned ship has been hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Congo-Brazzaville.

The shipping company said the 16 crew members had sought refuge in a safe room on board the Monjasa Reformer.

Armed men began attacking the Liberian-flagged oil and chemical tanker on Saturday when it was more than 100km (62 miles) west of port Pointe-Noire.

Foreign naval ships have increased patrols over the last two years following a spate of pirate attacks.

Denmark - which is a key player in the global shipping industry - deployed a frigate to the Gulf of Guinea in 2021. It was withdrawn last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Richard Kagoe
BBC News, Nairobi

Kenya's President William Ruto has condemned Monday’s opposition protests that turned violent and led to the damage of property, including the invasion of a farm belonging to former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family.

Addressing Kenyans living in Berlin, President Ruto said he would not allow impunity to be part of the country’s discourse. He vowed to ensure security for all Kenyans and businesses by giving the police the independence of enforcing law and order in the country.

A church and mosque in Nairobi were destroyed by unknown assailants on Monday night after protestors engaged police in running battles.

Religious leaders have condemned Monday’s attack, urging politicians to consider dialogue and preach peace.

Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga has accused the state of sponsoring violence so that protests degenerate into chaos and lead to death.

Mr Odinga says the opposition will not relent with their agitation for a review of the 2022 elections, constitution of the electoral commission and addressing the rise in the cost of living.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

Religious leaders in Kenya have urged rival politicians to pursue peace following a day of violence that ended with a church and buildings attached to a mosque being attacked in Nairobi.

On Monday protests called by opposition leader Raila Odinga led to clashes with police. A farm belonging to former President Uhuru Kenyatta was targeted by looters.

Speaking in Nairobi's Kibera neighbourhood following the outbreaks of violence, representatives of the Christian, Hindu and Muslim faiths had a message for Kenya's politicians.

They urged President William Ruto and Mr Odinga to have peace talks and called on all Kenyan politicians to put their country first.

It is well known that the root cause of the unrest is the deep animosity between Mr Ruto, Mr Odinga and Mr Kenyatta.

Over the last two decades relations between them have fluctuated dramatically as numerous alliances have been built and shattered.

If the politicians fuel the violence further, there is a real danger of considerable unrest in Kenya.