Image source, Reuters

Riot police in Guinea have clashed with anti-junta protesters, firing tear gas in the capital, Conakry.

Groups of young people were hurling stones at officers and burning barricades, footage filmed by the Reuters news agency shows.

According to AFP, at least 10 people were injured in the confrontations.

Image source, Reuters

Demonstrations also took place in the northern town of Labe and in Nzerekore in the south-east, it reports.

An alliance of opposition parties, trade unions and civil society groups called for peaceful demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday.

Amongst their key demands is a call for talks to fast-track a return to civilian rule.

Lt Col Mamady Doumbouya, the commander of the country's special forces, overthrew President Alpha Condé in a coup in September 2021.

Aboubakar Famau
BBC News, Dodoma

Image source, Benjamin Mkapa Hospital

Tanzania has opened its first bone marrow transplant centre in the capital, Dodoma.

According to the director of Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, it marks a milestone for the country’s health sector and the unit will focus on treating patients with sickle cell.

Image source, Benjamin Mkapa Hospital

Very few countries in Africa offer bone marrow transplants - only Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia have similar treatment programmes.

Image source, Benjamin Mkapa Hospital

Sickle cell is an inherited disorder and most cases are found in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is caused by a faulty gene that affects how red blood cells develop and the condition can cause severe pain and organ failure.

A bone marrow transplant replaces bone marrow with healthy cells. It is also used to treat patients with leukaemia or blood cancer.

The East African nation ranks fourth in the world for the highest rates of sickle cell, with around 11,000 children born with the disease each year, according to Tanzania’s health ministry.

Two worshippers and three security guards are killed in an attack on the Tunisian island of Djerba.

They were rescued near the shores of Lake Kivu, days after DR Congo landslides killed hundreds.

Image source, AFP

A former Rwandan military policeman has gone on trial in France, where he lived under an assumed identity for many years, for alleged crimes committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Philippe Hategekimana obtained refugee status in France and then French nationality under the name Philippe Manier.

"My name is Philippe Manier," the AFP news agency quotes the 66-year-old as telling the judge when asked to confirm his identity.

He had worked as a university security guard in France and fled to Cameroon in 2017 when he heard a complaint had been filed against him, AFP reports. He was arrested in Yaoundé and extradited to France the following year.

According to the 170-page indictment seen by France’s Le Monde newspaper, he is accused of actively participating in the killing of hundreds of ethnic Tutsis while working as a senior gendarme in Nyanza, a town in the south of the country.

He has denied the charges and will face life in jail if found guilty.

The trial's main hearing - when witnesses will testify - is scheduled to take place next month.

It is the fifth such trial in France of an alleged participant in the genocide.

The killings of around 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus took place over 100 days in 1994.

More on this topic:

• Rwanda genocide: 100 days of slaughter

Zeinab Mohammed Salih
Journalist, Omdurman, Khartoum

Image source, Abd al-Mohimen Sayed

Ferocious fighting between paramilitary fighters and the military is taking place in the northern suburbs of Sudan’s capital, residents say.

The battles in Bahri echo those that took place in central Khartoum in the first days of the conflict, which erupted more than three weeks ago.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) group said in a video that it had shot down a military fighter jet in Bahri. This is yet to be confirmed independently.

Since the start of the conflict, RSF fighters have been in control of much of Khartoum with the army attacking them from the air.

The army now says it is making good progress on the ground, and maintains it is gaining the upper hand in Bahri.

From Omdurman, where I live in the west of Khartoum, I can see black smoke across the city and can hear the sounds of heavy shelling and artillery.

Other residents in Omdurman say shells have fallen at the famous al-Mahdi mosque – and a huge market in the area has just been overrun by looters.

Any goods can be found at the Libyan Souq - from clothing and mobiles phones to computers and food.

Some traders there have been open for business despite the fighting.

With people short of food and money, widespread looting broke out on Wednesday afternoon - targeting all shops whether open or closed.

Meanwhile, a Khartoum resident has sent the BBC photos taken by a drone on Wednesday morning. They show the plumes of smoke over the skyline and also the compound of the presidential palaces, which includes the old historic building (in the foreground) and the current seat of government (behind to the left).

Image source, Abd al-Mohimen Sayed

On Tuesday, the RSF said that the old presidential palace had been destroyed - but it appears intact in the photo.

The new presidential palace, which is the one with the dome, appears severely damaged by a fire.

This is all happening against the backdrop of talks between the rival sides in Saudi Arabi aimed at securing humanitarian corridors and an eventual ceasefire.

Pastor Mackenzie's sermons feature calls to sacrifice life and apocalyptic conspiracy theories.

Dorcas Wangira
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, AFP

A Kenyan magistrate has ordered that Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, the leader of a doomsday cult, remain in custody for a further 30 days.

This is to allow the police to continue their investigation into the deaths of more than 100 of his followers. The founder of Good News International Church is alleged to have encouraged them to starve themselves to death.

State prosecutors in Mombasa had wanted permission to hold Pastor Mackenzie, who was arrested in April, for another three months.

Even though the pastor has not yet been charged, he - and 17 others being held alongside him - would be safer in detention, the magistrate said.

On Tuesday, a further 21 corpses were unearthed in the Shakahola forest, bringing the total of those known to have died to 133.

Hundreds of other people have been reported missing.

More on this topic:

• 'My wife and six children followed Pastor Mackenzie'
• What did the starvation cult leader preach?

Samba Cyuzuzo
BBC Great Lakes

Image source, The Kalehe community

Two babies have been rescued after they were found near the shores of Lake Kivu, days after deadly floods in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Residents said they were found floating on the debris of houses washed into the lake.

“They were rescued alive. It is a miracle, we were all amazed,” Delphin Birimbi, a community leader in Kalehe region, told the BBC.

Sadly the babies' parents had died in the floods, he said.

"We are in touch with people who can help us to raise them," he added.

They were rescued on Monday in different areas - one in Bushushu another in Nyamukubi, the most affected localities in Kalehe.

Mr Birimbi says around 5,255 people are still missing - and rescue activities are ongoing.

More than 400 people are known to have died in last week's floods.

According to those in the community, 200 people are being treated for injuries in local clinics following the floods, which have destroyed at least 1,300 homes and many schools, health facilities, churches and much water infrastructure.

Tunisian football fans will be rewarded with cash for "ideal" behaviour in a bid to cut violence in stadiums.

Image source, Tanzania parliament

Tanzanian MPs have been warned not to take off any of their clothes when in parliament.

Speaker Tulia Ackson issued her warning after MP Mwita Waitara took off his jacket and tie during a debate.

He had become angered during a heated session - regarding compensation for his constituents who had been displaced by mining - and ended up storming out of the chamber.

Ms Ackson was not bothered about the manner of his leaving, but by the breach of parliamentary dress code, which requires formal wear in the chamber.

She described his removal of jacket and tie as “undisciplined”.

"This behaviour is not permitted inside parliament and it should never happen again. If you're angered, go wind down outside," said Ms Ackson.

Richard Hamilton
BBC World Service newsroom

Image source, AFP

The Supreme Court in London has ruled that it is too late for a group of Nigerian claimants to sue the oil giant Shell, in relation to an offshore spill more than a decade ago.

Lawyers representing nearly 30,000 people in the Niger Delta have been trying to sue Shell, saying the oil slick polluted their land and waterways, damaging farming, fishing, drinking water and religious shrines.

An estimated 40,000 barrels worth of crude oil leaked from a tanker at Shell's Bonga field in 2011.

The Supreme Court upheld rulings by two lower courts which found the claimants had brought their case after the expiry of a six-year legal deadline.

Fifteen children have drowned and 25 others are missing after their boat capsized on the Shagari River in north-western Nigeria.

Local administrator Aliyu Abubakar, who oversaw the recovery mission in the Shagari district of Sokoo state, told the AFP news agency that the children had been going to collect firewood when their overloaded vessel tipped over.

He said the bodies of 13 girls and two boys had been recovered and buried.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Reuters

Democratic Republic of Congo's President FélixTshisekedi has accused the regional force deployed to the east of his country of not doing its job and colluding with M23 rebels.

“In some regions, there is cohabitation between the regional force and the M23 terrorists. This was not in the programme,” the Congolese leader said.

The East African force, known as the EACRF, was deployed last year to help quell fighting and enforce a ceasefire.

Mr Tshisekedi said he had expected the East Africans to force the rebels to go into camps, warning if they did not do so by June they would be asked it to leave DR Congo.

He also criticised the Kenyan authorities over the resignation and replacement of EACRF commander Gen Jeff Nyagah over unspecified “threats”.

The DR Congo president expressed these frustrations during a state visit to Botswana. Both countries are members of the regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

Earlier this week, Sadc agreed to deploy troops to eastern DR Congo with “an offensive mandate”.

He calls for help as a vigil is held in in Derry to show solidarity with the city's Sudanese community.

Jessica McCallin
BBC World Service Newsroom

Sudan's paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has accused the army of launching airstrikes on the country's old presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum.

Residents of the city reported heavy bombing of the area but the army has denied the RSF's allegation that it has destroyed the palace.

The paramilitaries said they would reply decisively.

The old Republican Palace is located along the Blue Nile River, near the current premises that were inaugurated in January 2015.

The two warring parties have been holding peace talks in Saudi Arabia but there is little sign of progress.

Conditions for civilians trapped in the city continue to deteriorate, with doctors saying the health service is near total collapse.

More on Sudan's crisis:

• Mediators over a barrel in mission to end fighting

Image source, AFP

Dorcas Wangira
Africa health correspondent

Ethiopia has the highest rate of premature births in Africa - followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and Ivory Coast, according to a new report by UN agencies.

The report shows that preterm births are now the leading cause of child deaths globally.

They account for more than one in five of deaths of children before their fifth birthday.

Where a baby is born often determines whether they will survive.

Of every 10 babies born globally, one is preterm - and every 40 seconds, one of those children dies.

The report, released by the World Health Organization, Unicef and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), also suggests that preterm birth rates have not changed in any region in the world in the past decade. At least 152 million babies were born too soon from 2010 to 2020.

"There is now no excuse for silence. We now have in our hands the devices and the knowledge to change outcomes for our most vulnerable newborns,” said Tanzanian Dr Nahya Salim, one of the report's co-authors.

Dorcas Wangira
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, AFP

The leader of a Kenyan cult is expected back in court on Wednesday as police continue to investigate the deaths of more than 130 of his followers.

They want to permission to hold Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who was arrested last month, for longer.

He is believed to have ordered his followers to starve themselves to death to get to heaven more quickly. The pastor has yet to be officially charged in court.

The exhumation of mass graves in Shakahola forest in Kilifi county is ongoing - a further 21 bodies were unearthed on Tuesday.

Hundreds more people are reported to be missing.

More on this topic:

• Pastor Paul Mackenzie: What did the starvation cult leader preach?

A controversial Kenyan preacher has been summoned by police as the government cracks down on what it calls rogue churches and extremist religious leaders.

Eliud Wekesa, popularly known as "Jesus of Tongaren", the leader of the New Jerusalem sect, was summoned on Tuesday for questioning about his suspicious religious teachings.

He has led members of his church to believe that he is Jesus. Mr Wekesa has 12 disciples named after the descendants of the biblical Jacob.

He is expected to appear before police in the western county of Bungoma on Wednesday.

However, the preacher says he has done nothing wrong to warrant an arrest, adding that he only spreads the gospel, local media reports.

This comes as investigators in Kilifi county on the coast looking into a separate case involving a doomsday cult said they had exhumed 21 more bodies, bringing the total of those known to have died to 133.

Pastor Paul Mackenzie, the leader of the Good News International Church based in Kilifi, is awaiting trial amid accusations of ordering his followers to starve themselves to death. Hundreds of others have been reported missing.

President William Ruto has formed a commission of inquiry to probe the deaths.

On Monday, police in the coastal county of Kwale rescued 200 people, including 50 children, from a forest in a suspected case of religious kidnapping.

More on the starvation cult:

• 'My wife and six children followed Pastor Mackenzie'

Richard Hamilton
BBC World Service newsroom

Image source, AFP

A coalition of opposition parties in Senegal says it will stage protest rallies over what it says is a move to block one of its leaders, Ousmane Sonko, from standing in presidential elections, following his conviction in a defamation case.

On Monday an appeals court increased Mr Sonko's suspended prison sentence from two to six months for defaming Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niangtou.

H is also facing trial later this month for alleged rape and death threats over a complaint filed by an employee at a beauty salon.

He says the accusations are politically motivated. The government denies this.

In 2021, the rape charge against him provoked riots against the current president Macky Sall, in which at least 12 people died.