Samba Cyuzuzo
BBC Great Lakes

Image source, Getty Images

A provincial governor in north-east Burundi has dissolved the decision of a mayor to force a female resident out of the area after others “accused her of taking their husbands”.

A letter giving the woman 24 hours to leave signed by Butihinda district mayor Gilbert Ndikumasabo made the rounds on social media.

“For such misbehaviour aimed at breaking marriages that woman must leave Butihinda district from the 7th of April 2023,” the mayor’s letter reads.

Some social media users criticised the mayor’s decision while others supported it, as infidelity and an increase in divorce are currently concerning people in Burundi.

The woman in the letter hasn’t publicly commented.

Hours after the letter was shared, Muyinga province announced on Twitter, external that the mayor's decision was annulled by the governor for “not abiding by the law”.

Recently, Burundi’s first lady publicly condemned infidelity and targeted single women for breaking up marriages.

Image source, Getty Images

Authorities in Guinea have seized 1.5 tonnes of cocaine from a ship flying the Sierra Leone flag.

The crew included four Sierra Leoneans, three Ghanaians and three Guineans, according to the AFP news agency.

They have all now been arrested, Guinean television reports.

Authorities found more than 60 bags each containing 25kg (3.9 stone) of cocaine, the Reuters news agency says.

Emery Makumeno
BBC News, Kinshasa

Image source, AFP

Congolese people are celebrating a new public holiday to honour Simon Kimbangu, who founded his church on 6 April 1921, when the country was still under colonial rule.

This fulfills a promise made by President Félix Tshisekedi to honour the man viewed as one of DR Congo's independence heroes.

Father Kimbangu called for the liberation of black people from colonial rule. After only five months of preaching, he was arrested and was charged with undermining public security and disturbing the peace.

He was convicted and sentenced to death before King Albert of Belgium commuted the sentence to life in prison.

He died in jail on 12 October 1951, after 30 years in detention.

His church, the Kimbanguist church, was officially recognised by the World Council of Churches in 1969 and is believed to count about six million believers, mainly in the Central African region and the African diaspora today.

Ferdinand Omondi
BBC News, Nairobi

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Kenya's opposition Azimio coalition wants a review of the country's 13-year-old constitution to be part of discussions in its proposed dialogue with the government to end protests in the country.

A statement released by opposition leader Raila Odinga, after a meeting with Azimio's parliamentary group, says they will be adding a review of the constitution "to remove the last vestiges of an imperial presidency".

The opposition referred to Kenya's "winner-take-all culture".

In February, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was widely criticised for saying the government was like a company with shares, in which some have large stakes and others none at all.

He has since defended himself, saying he was referring to government appointments, which he said must be given to people who support the president's agenda, and not state resources, which he said will be equitably distributed.

Mr Odinga has been holding bi-weekly protests since 20 March against the cost of living and to oppose the appointment of a new electoral commission without consultations.

He has also been questioning the legitimacy of President William Ruto, who was elected last year and had his election validated by the Supreme Court.

At least three people have been killed in the protests, businesses destroyed and private property vandalised especially in the main cities of Nairobi and Kisumu.

Last Sunday, President Ruto asked Mr Odinga to halt the protests and allow a parliamentary dialogue on the formation of a new electoral commission, to which Mr Odinga agreed.

But on Tuesday the opposition leader added a fresh demand for an external dialogue akin to the 2008 National Accord, which was led by former UN Secretary General Koffi Annan after the disputed elections of 2007.

Some government leaders have strongly opposed such a move and accused Mr Odinga of trying to sneak back into government.

In 2007, the accord led to a coalition government with President Mwai Kibaki, in which Mr Odinga was made Prime Minister.

Mr Odinga insists he does not want a similar arrangement, but an honest conversation about electoral justice with solutions for more honest elections.

He insists he will go back to the streets if the talks don't bear fruit.

The government parliamentary group is yet to offer its counter-proposal on the grounds for the talks, but the president has been clear that his election will not be up for discussion.

Thomas Naadi
BBC News, Accra

Image source, AFP

The authorities in Ghana say 1,000 soldiers and police officers are being deployed to a north-eastern border town after gunmen killed an immigration officer and left two others in hospital.

It is not yet clear who opened fire on their vehicle in Bawku on Tuesday but there is concern about the security situation there because of the escalating jihadist conflict in neighbouring Burkina Faso.

There are fears that Islamist militants causing havoc across the Sahel region could destabilise countries further south - including Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Bawku also has a long history of ethnic tensions with outbreaks of violence.

A court in Busan, South Korea, on Wednesday sentenced two employees of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) to nine years in prison each for sexual assault, local media report.

Moses Owen Brown and Daniel Tarr had been detained in South Korea since last year for allegedly raping two Korean teenagers, according to Korean police.

The Liberian government said it has requested its legal representation in South Korea to furnish it with the various appeal options available.

"The government shall continue to remain engaged with the Republic of Korea through official diplomatic channels to explore many options which may be available to Browne and Tarr," a government statement said.

It said the families of the two Liberians have been notified of the court decision and will be facilitated to visit the men.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

Police in South Africa say nine suspected criminals behind a spate of attacks on security vans carrying cash have died during a shoot out with officers.

Visiting the scene in Sebokeng, south of Johannesburg, the police minister Bheki Cele said several firearms had been recovered.

Cash in transit heists - as they are known is South Africa - are extremely common.

On Wednesday, two bystanders were shot dead by a heavily armed gang which had just targeted a security van east of Johannesburg.

Most of the attacks happen in Gauteng and Eastern Cape provinces.

Image source, Twitter / Hakainde Hichilema

Zambia's mining sector, a significant contributor to the country's economy, has made history after appointing its first female CEO to head one of the biggest mining operations there.

Mfikeyi Makayi will head up the copper unit in Zambia for KoBold Metals, according to a statement from Zambia’s presidential office.

KoBold Metals is a US-based company which uses artificial intelligence to identify battery metal deposits.

Zambia is Africa's second biggest producer of copper, which is in high demand with the global transition to a low-carbon economy and future transport needs.

"It's quite a huge task and nerve-wrecking task but it's also an honour to serve this country," Ms Makayi told BBC's Newsday programme about her appointment.

Her rise to the top of the organisation has been a 15-year journey that started out on the mines of the north-western province.

She said her appointment was a significant step in a sector that is traditionally male-dominated.

"It means a lot to people in the sector. It's a sector that its pivotal to our economy - 70% of our exports is copper.

"It means a lot to myself personally, my family and the industry. It means that the industry has been opened to women," she said.

Part of her efforts in the new role will be to bring more women on board, she added.

"It's an ongoing strategy. There's always been a drive for more diversity, inclusion. We have it as a metric."

Onyinye Udokporo wrote a book about her own experience growing up with dyslexia.

Namibia has lifted a ban on importation and in-transit movement of live birds and poultry products from Ireland.

This is after the European country was declared free from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The southern African country imposed the import ban on several European nations November last year following an outbreak of the avian flu.

Lifting the ban will allow the importation and in-transit movement of live poultry, birds, raw poultry products, live ostriches and raw ostrich products from Ireland said Nambia's chief veterinary officer Dr Albertina Shilongo.

Dr Shilongo said all previously issued import and transit permits “are hereby cancelled and recalled with immediate effect”, according to a statement.

Namibia last month announced an immediate ban on poultry imports from Argentina following the outbreak of the same bird flu in that country on 24 February.

Image source, AFP

The third-placed candidate in Nigeria's presidential election, Peter Obi, says he is being pressured to leave the country.

He did not offer proof to back the claim but said it was part of government's attempt to "divert attention" from a "blatantly stolen" elections.

Mr Obi has already challenged the results of the presidential election at Nigeria's highest appeal court.

"The attempts to manipulate Nigerians is very sad and wicked," he tweeted on Wednesday night.

An audio recording has been doing rounds in Nigeria of an alleged conversation between Mr Obi and a religious leader, in which the presidential election is likened to a religious war.

Mr Obi said the audio was a "fake doctored audio call".

"Let me reiterate that the audio call being circulated is fake, and at no time throughout the campaign and now did I ever say, think, or even imply that the 2023 election is, or was a religious war," he said.

He added that his lawyers will take action against an online publication that circulated the clip.

Image source, Getty Images

Uganda's Director of Public Prosecutions has approved corruption charges against Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu over her role in an iron sheets scandal in the north-eastern region.

The speaker of parliament and some cabinet ministers have also been mentioned in the scandal that involved the alleged theft of 5,500 iron sheets meant for disaster victims in the Karamoja region.

The prosecutor on Wednesday said Ms Kitutu, who is currently under police detention, will on Thursday be charged in court over corruption.

“The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has sanctioned charges of corruption and conspiracy to commit a felony against Hon. Kitutu Mary Goretti Kimono for diverting iron sheets meant for the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme,” a statement said.

Police have been directed to present the minister in court to give her plea.

She is expected to spend the Easter holiday in Luzira prison where she will be remanded by the Anti-Corruption Court after being charged, local media report.

President Yoweri Museveni has called for prosecution of all those found guilty.

Emmanuel Igunza
BBC News

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Sudanese leaders have again postponed the signing of a final agreement to re-establish a civilian government as differences within military factions intensify.

Talks continued overnight with negotiations centred on a draft deal that was to be signed on Thursday.

Sudan has been in political crisis since October 2021, when the army overthrew a civilian government that ousted long-serving leader Omar al Bashir in 2019.

Violent street protests followed, hundreds of people were killed and many more injured over the last one and a half years.

Last December, the military agreed on a roadmap to hand over power to civilians.

But the negotiations have stalled due to disagreements over the unification of the national army and the dreaded paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by the deputy head of Sudan's ruling council Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The spokesman for the talks however said they were still determined to reach a consensus with the military.

The factions hope that a final peace deal will unlock millions of dollars frozen by the European Union and the US and help the country’s struggling economy.

Image source, Getty Images

A Nigerian court has given the owner of a noisy rooster until Friday to slaughter it after a noise pollution complaint by neighbours, local media report.

The court in the northern city of Kano declared the cockerel a nuisance to the neighbourhood for its relentless crowing that two neighbours said deprived them of their sleep, Premium Times news website reports.

One of the neighbours, Yusuf Muhammed, told the court that the rooster’s crowing was an infringement of his right to a restful sleep.

Isyaku Shu’aibu told the court that he had bought the bird for Good Friday celebrations and asked to be given until the Christian holy day before killing it for a family feast.

Magistrate Halima Wali granted the request on Tuesday but warned him to prevent the cockerel from roaming the area and disturbing residents, the Daily Trust news website adds.

The owner was also ordered to ensure he slaughters the bird on Friday as promised or face a penalty.

Image source, Getty Images

Zimbabwe might implement a law criminalising the recruitment of its health personnel by other countries, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has said.

Mr Chiwenga, who is also the health minister, said the drain of health care professionals was as good as human trafficking.

He said stiffer penalties will be imposed on those he accused of robbing the nation of its human capital.

"If one deliberately recruits and makes the country suffer, that's a crime against humanity. The people are dying in hospitals because there are no nurses and doctors. That must be taken seriously,” Mr Chiwenga said on Wednesday.

“Zimbabwe frowns at this heinous crime which is also a grave violation of human rights," he added.

Local media say more than 4,000 nurses and doctors have left Zimbabwe since February 2021.

The UK’s National Health Service has been an attractive destination for Zimbabwean doctors and nurses as wages are far higher than those paid back home.

Last month, the UK halted the recruitment of Zimbabwean health workers after the southern African country was placed by the World Health Organisation on the red list, which denotes countries facing serious health personnel challenges.

According to the Zimbabwe Medical Association, the country has about 3,500 doctors for a population of 15 million people.

Zimbabwe is battling an economic crisis that has seen wages decimated by endless inflation.

Oliver Andrews is accused of using counterfeit money while on holiday in Morocco.

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, MET POLICE

Nigeria's former president Olusegun Obasanjo has written to court officials in the UK, asking for justice to be tempered with mercy when Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice are sentenced for organ trafficking.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, his wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 50, were last month found guilty of taking a 21-year-old street vendor to the UK from Lagos to exploit his kidney.

The Old Bailey heard the organ was for the couple's daughter, Sonia, aged 25, who was cleared of the same charge.

The suspects remain in custody in the UK ahead of sentencing scheduled for 5 May in the first such case under modern slavery laws.

In his letter, Mr Obasanjo said what the couple did was “condemnable" and "can’t be tolerated in any sane or civilised society”.

But he wants the court to consider Senator Ekweremadu’s sick daughter “whose health is in danger and requires urgent medical attention”.

He also told the court to consider "the good character of the senator" while sentencing him.

It's unclear if Mr Obasanjo's intervention will make any impact.

The former president did not indicate if he was acting on behalf of the Nigerian government, but introduced himself as a soldier who was commissioned into the British Army of the West Africa Frontiers Force, and who rose to become a full general in the Nigerian Army.

Read more:

• Ike Ekweremadu: Organ-trafficking plot politician and wife guilty

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