Image source, Getty Images

Kenya’s trade minister is being accused of intimidating one of the largest media groups in Kenya over its exposé of a cooking oil scandal.

The Nation Media Group's investigation , externallooked at how a state agency under the trade ministry reportedly single-sourced private firms to import cooking oil tax-free.

Under Kenyan law, such tax exemptions can only be made for emergency relief goods - with the entire deal potentially leading to the loss of more than $100m (£78m).

The minister, Moses Kuria, lashed out over the report and has banned government agencies from advertising with the media group.

"Nation Media, you must now decide whether you are a newspaper, a broadcaster, a media house or a political party. I have said from tomorrow, even from today, any government department that is found adverting in the Nation Media Group, consider yourself out [of government]," the minister said during a public event.

He followed up the warning in a number of tweets picking out some of the advertisements, external, while calling journalists, external at the media house "prostitutes".

His remarks have been condemned by a number of groups, including the Kenya Union of Journalists.

The Media Council of Kenya described them as a threat to press freedom and as soiling Kenya’s global image.

Kenya's anti-corruption commission said no public institution or official should be victimised for doing business with Nation Media Group as public procurement was governed by the law.

Police in Nigeria are calling on victims of an internet prankster to come forward and report him for the distress he has caused them.

Trinity Guy films and uploads skits to social media for his thousands of viewers. Some of these show him pretending to be shot dead, to the shock of unsuspecting passers-by.

"I think the guy should have been arrested. Those individuals who feel the heat and fear of the pranks should be reporting the pranksters as many of their pranks are criminals [sic], immoral, and evil," commented police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi about the video below.

"These women have a good case against him," he added.

Some online have hit back at the police, saying the force should deal with its own record of brutality and corruption that prompted Nigeria's #EndSars protest movement.

Richard Hamilton
BBC World Service newsroom

Image source, AFP

The warring military factions in Sudan have accused each other of violating the latest temporary ceasefire.

The Sudanese army said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had carried out an attack in North Darfur for a second consecutive day.

On Monday, the Red Cross said the ceasefire was not being respected and they had had to abort an operation to transfer wounded soldiers to a hospital, external.

Earlier, residents in the capital, Khartoum, reported a lull in fighting, saying they had heard no air strikes, artillery or other fighting there.

US and Saudi mediators had announced the 72-hour truce on Saturday. Previous truces have been poorly observed.

More on Sudan's conflict:

• Doctors shaken by rape in Bahri and Khartoum
• West Darfur governor killed after genocide claim
• Mediators over a barrel in mission to end fighting

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Getty Images

France has requested an invitation to attend a Brics summit scheduled to take place in South Africa in August, the country's foreign minister says.

"We are thinking aloud - but this is obviously a decision that only the countries concerned can take - about the possibility of continuing this dialogue, why not at the Brics summit or in another format," Catherine Colonna said on Monday, following talks with her South African counterpart Naledi Pandor.

Brics is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It is seen by some as an alternative to the G7 group of developed nations, who have been highly critical of China and Russia.

South Africa is currently holding the Brics presidency.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to visit Paris later this week to further discuss the French request.

More on the Brics summit:

• Brics ministers call for rebalancing of global order away from West
• How Putin has given South Africa a big diplomatic headache

Image source, AFP

Officials in the northern Nigerian state of Kano declared a state of emergency on Monday over phone snatching and other criminal activities in Kano city, local media report.

The assembly expressed their concerns over rising incidents of phone snatching, shoplifting, drug abuse and other crimes they said were threatening the city's peaceful environment.

In a debate of the motion sponsored by the majority leader in parliament, members of the assembly agreed there was an urgent need to address the situation before it worsens.

The assembly adopted the motion urging the state government to take all measures to ensure the perpetrators of the crimes were apprehended and brought to justice.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

The US State Department has called for an "orderly and responsible" drawdown, external of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as Minusma, following Bamako's call for its departure "without delay".

"We are concerned about the effects this decision will have on the security and humanitarian crises impacting the Malian people. We will continue to work with our partners in West Africa to help them tackle the urgent security and governance challenges they face," the US said.

"We welcome further consultations with regional leaders on additional steps to promote stability and prevent conflict."

The US State Department added that the military-led Malian government "must adhere to all its commitments", notably transferring power to an elected civilian administration by March 2024.

Mali accuses Minusma, whose current mandate expires next week, of "failing" to respond to security challenges.

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, Getty Images

Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forced out the country's security chiefs and the head of police in sweeping changes.

The defence chief, head of the army, navy and the air force were all retired and replaced with new officers.

An official statement on Monday said Mr Tinubu had "approved the immediate retirement of all service chiefs and the inspector-general of police, advisers, comptroller-general of customs from service … with immediate effect".

Mr Tinubu has also dissolved the boards of all federal government institutions - but excluding some such as the judicial council, the electoral body and the police service commission.

The security changes come two weeks after he met security chiefs and ordered them to work jointly to tackle the challenges of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, oil theft and piracy.

Nigeria has been grappling with a rising wave of attacks blamed on jihadist groups and other criminal gangs, including bandits who mainly engage in kidnapping for ransom.

There were persistent calls by civil society groups during the last government for the security chiefs to be changed because of their inability to tackle the situation.

Read more:

• The five tests awaiting Nigeria's new president

The Newsroom
BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

Ugandan police say they have arrested 20 people suspected of collaborating with Islamist militants believed to have attacked a school last Friday.

The head teacher and school's director are among the detained.

Forty-two people - mostly students - were killed at Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe in western Uganda.

Many were burnt to death in their dormitory.

The Ugandan army is still hunting Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants, who have reportedly moved back over the border into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where they are based.

More on the school attack:

• I covered myself in blood to hide
• 'Gospel songs interrupted by screaming'

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A student tells the BBC he survived an attack by suspected Islamist rebels by pretending to be dead.

Midfielder Muataz Hashem believes qualification for the 2023 Afcon will lift spirits for football fans affected by Sudan's civil war.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now. There will be an automated news feed here until Tuesday morning.

You can also follow the latest at BBCAfrica.com and listen to the new BBC Focus on Africa podcast for more on the big topics in the news.

A reminder of the wise words:

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We leave you with this picture of a textile worker in Ethiopia on the day when the UK launched a new trade scheme to simplify trading rules and cut tariffs on products from 65 developing countries. UK International Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston was in Addis Ababa for the launch:

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

British actor Idris Elba, who also has Sierra Leonean citizenship and heritage, has called for a peaceful general election in Sierra Leone, which will take place on Saturday.

"This election please let it be peaceful," he said in a message in Pidgin English., external

He reminded young people that they have the "power" in this vote, and that if the country is destroyed due to violence, it will be down to Sierra Leoneans to have to patch it back up again.

"Not only is the world watching," he said, but the whole of Africa.

Saturday's vote will be the country's sixth presidential vote since a military takeover in 1992.

It will see the incumbent, President Julius Madaa Bio of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), go up against Dr Samura Kamara of the All People's Congress (APC).

There have been arrests of critical opposition voices in the the run up to the vote.

Elba's comments come on the same day that the Commonwealth Observer Group in Sierra Leone, led by former Nigerian Vice-President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, called for peaceful elections to reflect the will of the people.

“The eyes of more than 2.5 billion people of the Commonwealth - more than 60% of whom are young people under the age of 30 - will be upon Sierra Leone. Watching, in solidarity and in hope," Prof Osinbajo said. , external

Richard Hamilton
BBC World Service Newsroom

The Somali government has sacked the head of the country's army.

Brig Gen Odowaa Yusuf Rageh has been replaced by Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow.

It comes as the government prepares a new offensive against Islamist militant group al-Shabab.

Earlier this month they attacked a beachside hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, killing nine civilians.

And in southern Somalia more than 20 children were killed by mortar shells which exploded while they were playing. Al-Shabab was blamed for their deaths.

Yusuf Akinpelu
BBC News, Lagos

Image source, Reuters

Burkina Faso's military government has said it welcomed Mali’s decision to affirm its “sovereignty... to be the sole masters of their destiny” after Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop called on the UN to withdraw its peacekeeping force from his country "without delay".

Burkinabé government spokesman Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying it was a "courageous decision".

Earlier this year, Burkina Faso had asked a small French force to leave its borders.

Mali's foreign minister accused the UN force, Minusma, of having "become a part of the problem in fuelling intercommunal tensions" in an address to the UN Security Council.

Minusma has more than 13,000 troops, but its decade-old mission has failed to stop the spread of jihadist violence.

Russian Wagner mercenaries are now assisting Mali's military rulers.

Western officials have accused Wagner of human rights abuses in parts of Africa. Last month, the US announced sanctions on Ivan Maslov, whom it described as Wagner's top official in Mali.

Wagner has not commented on the Western allegations and its activities in Mali and other parts of Africa remain shrouded in secrecy.

The 15-member UN Security Council is scheduled to vote to renew Minusma's mandate before it expires on 30 June.

A resolution requires at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the US, the UK, or France to pass.

South Africa's leader hails last week's trip as "historic" but what difference did it really make?

France denies soldiers 'arrested' in Chadpublished at 15:40 British Summer Time 19 June 2023

15:40 BST 19 June 2023

The French authorities have denied claims that French military personnel were recently detained by Chadian forces near the border with Sudan because they were in the area illegally.

Video and images shared on Twitter show several uniformed men with French military insignia crouching on the ground guarded by a group of Chadian soldiers, one of whom is speaking on the phone. Some posts refer to the men being “arrested” because they were illegally mining gold or spying.

The joint staff of the French armed forces told the BBC that the incident - on 8 June - was a “misunderstanding”.

They said a joint French-Chadian patrol had set off from Abéché in eastern Chad and was about 30 miles (48km) away from the border, when they were stopped at a Chadian army checkpoint, which had been unaware of their mission.

The French soldiers were out checking the state of the roads before the rainy season in Chad, and were allowed to proceed once the misunderstanding had been cleared up, the French authorities said.

Richard Hamilton
BBC World Service Newsroom

Image source, Reuters

UN chief António Guterres says Sudan has descended into "death and destruction" at an unprecedented speed.

"Without strong international support, Sudan could quickly become a locus of lawlessness, radiating insecurity across the region," Mr Guterres added when addressing a pledging conference.

He's been speaking at the start of an international humanitarian summit in Geneva, organised by the UN, Egypt, Germany, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as the African Union and the European Union.

The UN says it's appealed for $3bn (£2.3bn) of funding this year, but less than 17% has been provided.

The conference comes mid-way through a three-day ceasefire between the rival military factions. Several previous truces have broken down.

Read more on this story:

• Sudan conflict: What to do with the dead bodies in Khartoum

The Newsroom
BBC World Service

Image source, AFP

The jail sentence of a prominent independent journalist in Algeria has been substantially increased by an appeal court in Algiers.

Ihsane el-Kadi was sentenced to three years in jail with two years suspended earlier this year on charges of receiving foreign financing for the independent media group he owns.

His sentence has been raised to seven years - with five to be served in prison.

Kadi was arrested last year on Christmas Eve - an order was issued to close down his media company.

His lawyers denied the charges, saying that the only foreign transfer of money came from his daughter who's a partner in the company and lives in the UK.

Read more on this story:

• Algeria jails journalist Ihsane el-Kadi as old guard asserts power

Nigeria beat Sierra Leone 3-2 to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, while Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Mali also book their places.