Image source, Getty Images

The people of Gabon are "forced to condense their days" because of a daily curfew maintained by the nation's new military leaders, a resident has told BBC News.

A curfew from 19:00 to 06:00 local time (18:00 to 05:00 GMT) was imposed by Gabon's previous government ahead of elections on Saturday.

Military leaders, who executed a coup hours after the poll results were announced on Wednesday, have extended the curfew to a 18:00 start.

But Theodora from Port-Gentil, a city also known as Mandji, said she was happy that Ali Bongo had been ousted as president and appreciated why the curfew had to remain in place.

"Many people take advantage of this type of situation to steal and loot. It's for our safety. It is also to allow the army to do its job and arrest the people they need to arrest.

"Within a week or two, things should return to normal. I can call whoever I want and do whatever I want. The army deployments have even been lightened," she said.

"They can see and feel that the population is with them. They are not a threat to us and we are not a threat to them. There will be no unjustified restriction of freedom."

Theodora added that people were thankful the coup had been carried out without bloodshed.

"We are also relieved that Ali Bongo and everyone around him are alive. You know, Gabon is a very small country and we are all related. At weddings or funerals, we all bump into each other.

"We do not want the death of Bongo, his wife, his family or anyone. We just want justice to be served, because they have to be held accountable.

More on the Gabon coup:

• Simple guide to the Gabon coup
• Who is Gabon coup leader Brice Nguema?
• Why young Africans are celebrating military takeovers

Kennedy Gondwe
BBC News, Lusaka

Image source, Rodgers Mwimba/via Reuters

Spying charges against five Egyptians and one Zambian arrested after a mystery plane landed in Lusaka with cash, fake gold and weapons on board have been dropped. They had faced up to 30 years in jail if convicted.

However, two of the Egyptians are being rearrested on lesser charges and will be granted bail, Zambia’s Drug Enforcement Commission said in a statement.

Five other Zambians who were also detained at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport just over two weeks ago were not released - and will be tried by the High Court for espionage, it said.

The authorities said about $5.7m (£4.5m) in cash, several pistols, 126 rounds of ammunition and what looked like 127kg (280lb) of gold bars were found on the private jet. It turned out the bars were a mixture of gold, copper, nickel, tin and zinc.

"This is not a time to mention anything. We knew from day one that we are clean,” one of the freed Egyptians told reporters outside court before they boarded a bus.

State prosecutors gave no reason for their decision to drop the charges. They entered a "nolle prosequi" - a decision to no longer prosecute the case, but which gives them the option to do so if more evidence becomes available.

Read more on the mystery plane:

• Zambia-Egypt plane seizure: The cash and fake gold that no-one is claiming

BBC World Service

Image source, Reuters

The online ride-hailing company Uber has announced it is launching electric motorcycle taxis in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in what it says is a first for the company in Africa.

It comes as the Kenyan government is preparing to roll out electric vehicles across the country as part of a green mobility scheme.

Uber said it would initially introduce around 3,000 two-wheeler bikes, with space for the driver and one passenger.

The World Bank has estimated that the motorcycle taxi sector in Kenya employs more than 1.5 million people and contributes more than $1.4bn (£1.1bn) a year to the economy.

Image source, Reuters

Five Tanzanians were among the 74 who died in Thursday's blaze that engulfed a building in the South African city of Johannesburg, the country's acting High Commissioner Peter Shija has said.

This is one of the first confirmations from an official of the nationalities of those who were killed, the BBC's Samantha Granville says.

Twenty Malawians were also among the dead, that country's foreign ministry is quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying.

The building was owned by the city of Johannesburg but it had been abandoned and then taken over - or "hijacked" - by criminals who rented out spaces to people desperate for housing.

Many among them were thought to be undocumented migrants.

The high commissioner told South African broadcaster eNCA, external that he had found out that 150 Tanzanians had been living there before the blaze.

Joe Inwood
BBC Newsnight

A new report says that if nothing is done to redress Africa’s huge debt burden, the consequences will be felt far outside the continent.

The One Campaign says African countries are paying 500% more for loans than they need to - costing them more than $50bn (£39bn) over the next few years.

The report says the problem will fuel increased mass migration, reduce action on climate change, and will fragment the global economy.

It calls for a huge and urgent expansion of loans to Africa from lenders such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Citing Nigeria as an example, the report says it spends more than twice as much on debt repayments as it does on healthcare and education combined.

The One Campaign works to end extreme poverty and preventable disease.

Image source, _

More on this story:

• What a doctor's death in a lift may tell us about Africa's debt crisis

Many of the victims of fire at a block of flats in South Africa's city of Johannesburg cannot be identified, a government pathologist has said.

"We realised this morning that out of the 74 bodies that we have collected, we only have 12 bodies that are identifiable, that can be viewed by visual means. Sixty two of these bodies have burnt beyond recognition," Thembalethu Mpahlaza, a pathologist from Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services,told local media, external on Friday.

City officials have said that it could take a while to conduct fingerprint and DNA assessments to identify the bodies.

More on this story:

• Johannesburg fire: Fresh search for victims in South Africa

Inter Milan's Tabitha Chawinga, Serie A's top goalscorer last season, reveals she was beaten as a child for playing football.

BBC World Service
Newsroom

Image source, WAEL HUSSEIN

An Egyptian government official has submitted his resignation over the destruction of a number of historic mausoleums in centuries-old cemeteries in Cairo.

Dr Ayman Wanas - who is a professor of urban design - said his role in registering significant buildings in the Egyptian capital had become futile.

He described the government's moves to develop the cemetery areas as a waste of Egypt's rich and irreplaceable heritage.

The campaign has caused anger and outrage among many Egyptians on social media.

But the government says its campaign is one of restoration and development, rather than destruction.

More on this story:

• Cairo masterplan threatens ancient City of the Dead

Samba Cyuzuzo
BBC Great Lakes

Image source, RBA

New-born baby gorillas in Rwanda have been named - one by Hollywood star Idris Elba and his wife - in a much-vaunted annual event to promote conservation and tourism.

The naming ceremony, known as Kwita Izina, has been taking place in Kinigi, a small town beneath gigantic volcanoes.

This is home to rare mountain gorillas and the event attracts personalities from the worlds of activism, sport, politics, film, philanthropy, fashion and more.

Last year’s ceremony was attended virtually by British royalty. The then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, named a baby Ubwuzuzanye, which means “harmony” in Kinyarwanda .

This time 23 baby gorillas were named by key figures, who were there in person:

• Actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina: Narame, meaning “long life”
• Former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Bernard Lama: Ramba, meaning “sustainable”
• Local environmental activist Grace Ineza: Bigwi, meaning “achiever”
• British MP Andrew Mitchell: Mukundwa, meaning “favoured”.

US comedian Kevin Hart also attended virtually, and named one of the babies Gakondo, meaning “traditional”.

Image source, RDB

Rwanda has been incredibly successful at drumming up tourism revenue over the last few decades, though government critics question the transparency of how the money is spent.

The authorities maintain it is well managed and used to develop infrastructure near tourism sites.

The Algerian coastguard reportedly shot at four French-Moroccan tourists who strayed into Algerian waters.

Image source, AFP

The US government has announced that it will not issue visas to Sierra Leone officials who undermined elections held in the West African nation in June.

"Under this policy, the United States will pursue visa restrictions for those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Sierra Leone, including through the manipulation or rigging of the electoral process," US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement, external.

Individuals who had intimidated voters, election observers or civil society organisations or violated or abused human rights in Sierra Leone would also be denied US visas, he said.

This would also affect some of the relatives, he added.

Those on the blacklist were not identified in his statement.

Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio won the election with 56% of the vote. His main rival, Samura Kamara, who gained 41%, called the outcome "daylight robbery" and alleged that his electoral agents were not allowed to verify the ballot counting.

International election observers did highlight problems with transparency in the tallying process.

The campaign had been marred by several violent incidents involving both of the country’s main political parties.

Brentford add Nigeria youth international Benjamin Fredrick to their B team in a loan deal with an option to buy from Simoiben FC.

Image source, Getty Images

Elite Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge has launched a footwear and apparel collection in partnership with Nike.

Named “EK Umoja”, it features eight pieces, including five Nike running shoes, a running jacket, short and two T-shirts.

According to Nike, it is inspired by Kipchoge’s 2003 victory at the World Athletic Championships, where he claimed the 5,000m title.

The collection's colours are an appreciation of Kipchoge's Kenyan heritage and also feature some of the athlete's famous mantras, such as “No human is limited”, which he coined after becoming the only person to run a marathon in under two hours in 2019.

According to Kipchoge, the name of the collection, “umoja” - a Swahili word that translate to “unity” - symbolises his feelings about his running family and community.

There has been an enthusiastic response to the launch from Kenyans on Twitter, now known as X. However, some have pointed out that prices tags - ranging from $40 (£30) to $275 - make it out of reach for most in the East African nation.

Here are some facts you may not have known about Alain Bongo or better known as Ali Bongo.

Richard Hamilton
BBC World Service newsroom

There has been an angry reaction among many people in Morocco, after coastguards in Algeria shot dead two tourists who had strayed into Algerian waters on their jet skis.

The men, all French-Moroccan dual nationals, were among four who got lost after setting off from the Moroccan resort of Saidia on Tuesday.

On social media Moroccans called for the coastguards to be prosecuted.

So far the government in Rabat has declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the judiciary.

There has been no official comment from Algeria.

The border between the two countries has been a source of tension for decades.

Image source, AFP

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has suggested a nine-month transitional period for the Niger junta to return the country to civilian rule as he warned of copycat coups.

Mr Tinubu said Niger could emulate the example of former Nigerian military ruler Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, who returned the country to democratic rule in 1999 after a nine-month stint as a junta leader.

Mr Tinubu, who is also the current chairman of the West African bloc Ecowas, said the Nigerian example had "proved very successful, leading the country into a new era of democratic governance".

“The president sees no reason why such cannot be replicated in Niger, if Niger’s military authorities are sincere,” the statement from the presidency said.

The Niger junta had announced a three-year transition period which has been rejected by Ecowas.

Mr Tinubu spoke as he hosted Islamic leaders who have been on two tours to Niger for talks with the junta.

"I must thank you for your several visits to Niger Republic but you will still have to go back. My fear has been confirmed in Gabon that copycats will start doing the same thing until it is stopped," he said.

He said Ecowas would not lift sanctions imposed on Niger until the junta made “positive adjustments”.

BBC World Service
Newsroom

Image source, AFP

The opposition coalition in Gabon has accused the military of showing no indication that having overthrown the former President Ali Bongo they plan to hand back power to a civilian government.

A coalition spokeswoman, Alexandra Pangha, told BBC’s Newsday programme it would be absurd for the putschists to swear in a president on Monday before institutions they had themselves dissolved.

She criticised their reluctance to hold talks with the party she said had won last Saturday's presidential election.

"Up to today we have been waiting for an invitation from the military so that they can talk to us and tell us exactly what's the plan," Ms Pangha said, adding that she did not believe that the Bongo dynasty had left power.

She alleged, without providing evidence, that the coup leader, General Brice Oligui Nguema, was being supported by other members of the family.

More on Gabon's coup:

• Gen Brice Oligui Nguema: Who is the coup leader?
• Why young Africans are celebrating military takeovers
• Simple guide to the Gabon coup

Nigeria spends twice as much on debt repayments as on health and education combined, a report says.

The singer says he has the financial freedom to bring Afrobeats influences to his new material.

Risto Pyykkö
BBC World Service newsroom

Image source, AFP

The African Union has suspended Gabon's participation in all of its activities following Wednesday's military takeover, which it strongly condemned.

The decision followed a meeting on Thursday of the bloc's Peace and Security Council, external.

Earlier, the Gabonese junta said it would phase in what it is calling transitional institutions after the removal of President Ali Bongo.

The soldiers gave no details on how long these would remain in place nor on how or whether power might be handed back to a civilian government.

The main opposition alliance has urged the junta to discuss the best way forward.

It added that Gabonese should be grateful that they had dethroned the Bongo dynasty but called on the military to act responsibly.