Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Image source, AFP

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir is in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The visit comes at a time when Russia and Western powers are trying to woo African support in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Kiir arrived in the Russian capital on Wednesday and was received by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko Yurevich, according to statement from the president's press unit.

Mr Kiir's office says the meeting with the Russian president on Thursday will discuss prospects for the development of bilateral relations in various areas, as well as regional and international issues.

It adds that the visit aims at deepening diplomatic relations and explore other areas of co-operation on trade, investment opportunities and security.

The two leaders will also discuss the lifting of an arms embargo and targeted sanctions imposed on individuals in South Sudan, the statement added.

In May, Russia abstained in the UN Security Council vote to renew sanctions imposed on South Sudan, which include asset freezes, travel bans and an arms embargo.

Grant Ferrett
BBC World Service

Image source, EPA

The United States has announced it will impose visa restrictions on anyone who undermines elections in Liberia next month.

It said the move targeted those "undermining democracy in Liberia, including through manipulation or rigging of the electoral process, use of violence... or engagement in any other activity designed to improperly influence the outcome of an election".

The State Department said the policy reflected a commitment to support Liberians in their desire to have a free and fair vote.

It did not name any specific individuals.

President George Weah is seeking a second term in office.

He'll face opposition leader Joseph Boakai who was the defeated candidate in the last election five years ago.

Image source, Getty Images

South African anti-apartheid struggle veteran Aziz Pahad has died aged 82, his family announced.

He passed away at his home in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening, a statement said.

The family described him as a patriot and freedom fighter who dedicated his life to the governing ANC party and serving South Africans.

Mr Pahad joined the struggle against apartheid rule from a very young age.

In 1964 he went into exile in the UK where he went on to co-ordinate the international call to free imprisoned ANC leader Nelson Mandela.

Mr Pahad returned to South Africa in 1990 after the white-minority government, led by FW de Klerk, freed Mr Mandela.

After the democratic election in 1994, Mr Pahad served as deputy foreign affairs minister for 14 years, first under Mr Mandela and then under President Thabo Mbeki.

In 2014, former President Jacob Zuma appointed him as his envoy on the crisis in the Middle East.

Mr Pahad documented his political life in his memoir Insurgent Diplomat.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said: "We will always cherish the sacrifices and contributions he made towards freedom in our motherland."

Tracy Bircham
BBC World Service News

Image source, Reuters

Burkina Faso's military government says the country's security and intelligence services foiled a coup attempt on Tuesday.

It's almost a year since the military leader and now interim President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, himself, seized power.

In a statement read on television, the junta said unnamed military officers and others had planned to destabilise Burkina Faso. They had "the dark intention of attacking the institutions of the republic and plunging our country in chaos", the Reuters news agency quotes the statement as saying.

It said some arrests had been made, without giving specifics.

There have been recent reports of discontent within the military.

On Tuesday, rumours of a brewing mutiny led hundreds of people to take to the streets of the capital, Ouagadougou, in support of the junta.

On the same day, the authorities suspended the French-language news magazine Jeune Afrique, accusing it of publishing articles discrediting the armed forces.

The current government took power last September - in what was the second coup in eight months.

Our African proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

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

Until then you can find the latest updates at BBCAfrica.com and listen to the Focus on Africa podcast for stories behind the news.

A reminder of Wednesday's wise words:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this picture of youngsters swimming earlier on Wednesday along Hann Bay in Senegal's capital, Dakar.

Image source, AFP

Peter Mwai
BBC Verify

Image source, @JacdecNew

Video footage has emerged showing how a plane believed to be operated by Mali’s air force crashed and went up in flames at the airport in Gao, northern Mali, last Saturday.

There has been speculation that mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group may have been on board but this has not been independently verified.

The plane is seen landing in what appears to be a late touchdown, before overshooting the runway at high speed.

It then powers through what appear to be concrete barriers before falling down an embankment into a gulley and erupting into flames.

An image of the wreckage of the plane has also now appeared online, showing how a huge part of the plane’s body was consumed by the fire:

A Planet Labs’ satellite image taken on Saturday morning captured smoke rising from the wreckage. The freshly disturbed ground between the wreckage and the runaway was also visible, a sign of how it overshot the runaway.

Mali’s army is yet to comment on the crash. According the AFP news agency, the junta has just paid tribute to a lieutenant colonel who relatives say was killed aboard the plane in Gao on Saturday.

The BBC has come across social media posts paying tribute to a Russian pilot said to have died in the crash.

Malian forces, Wagner mercenaries and the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali all use the Gao airport.

The country has been facing increasing attacks from Islamist militants and Tuareg rebels in the north.

The authorities say at least 11 people have died as floodwaters submerge parts of the province.

Tesfalem Araia
BBC Tigrinya

Image source, EBC

Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia and Eritrea are about to begin celebrating the annual religious holiday Meskel, which marks the finding of the cross that Jesus was crucified on.

According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, St Helena, the mother of 4th Century Roman Emperor Constantine, lit a bonfire with frankincense in it - and its smoke led her to the spot where the cross had been buried in Jerusalem.

After its discovery, she lit a bigger bonfire - known in Ethiopia and Eritrea as a “damera” - to let her son know she had found the cross.

Other variations of this story say the initial bonfire was so big it collapsed to one side - pinpointing the spot the cross was buried.

As part of traditional Meskel events today bonfires are constructed with long sticks and lit in towns and cities across Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Image source, BBC/Girmay Gebru

Much symbolism is attached to which way the burning wood falls - if it is towards the east, it is a sign of good times ahead for the next year; the west is a bad omen and a warning of looming danger to come.

If the bonfire stays upright or goes either to the north or south, things will continue as they are - or at least things will not get any worse.

In a part of the world plagued by conflict and drought, many Orthodox followers will be keen to see how this year’s dameras fall.

Image source, EBC

In the past, there have been stories of unscrupulous authorities trying to manipulate the way the sticks fall.

For example, when Eritrea was still part of Ethiopia, some remember how officials of former Ethiopian ruler Mengistu Hailemariam interfered with the clergy, whose job it is to organise the event.

They tried to ensure the damera in Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, fell to the east - fearing if it went westwards, people would associate it with the fall of the Derg as Mengistu’s former military government was known.

His regime eventually fell with gunfire in 1991 - after 18 bonfires.

In Ethiopia, the main damera is lit in the capital, Addis Ababa, on the eve of Meskel - which this year is on Wednesday evening (see pictures above), while in neighbouring Eritrea, the principal bonfire is lit on the actual day.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

An Islamist militant group linked to al-Qaeda has said it has taken control of an army base in Mali's ancient city of Timbuktu.

Earlier the Malian armed forces said they had fought off what they called a terrorist attack.

A statement from the military said its troops had repelled the assailants at Acharane and soldiers were being evacuated from the base.

Islamist militants from the group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) have carried out several recent deadly attacks in the Timbuktu region.

Conflict with Tuareg rebels has also resumed after the collapse of a 2015 peace deal.

The violence coincides with the withdrawal of thousands of UN peacekeepers as demanded by Mali's military rulers.

More on this topic:

• Did the coup in Mali halt jihadist attacks?

Parisa Qurban
BBC Africa Daily podcast

Image source, Network Africa/Conforti

Sierra Leone’s Vice-President Juldeh Jalloh has told the BBC his country intends to tackle mental health, a big issue in a country that has experienced several traumatic events in its recent history.

He is leading a mental health taskforce that wants to help people scarred by civil war, high unemployment and poverty.

“If you have mental health as a big challenge, it’s going to affect the young population. It’s also going to affect family members,” he said.

During the conflict of the 1990s, child soldiers roamed the streets mutilating and killing their victims. This was followed by years of economic turmoil. In 2014, an outbreak of the Ebola virus left almost 4,000 people dead.

Sierra Leone’s government is currently updating the 1903 Lunacy Act, so that it includes modern, up-to-date mental health legislation.

The country has a population of around seven million people but has only ever had one hospital that offered mental health services - it is located in the country’s capital, Freetown.

Only 20 nurses in the country are trained to deal with mental health. There are two psychiatrists and one psychiatric doctor.

Talking about the government’s plan to make mental health services available more people, Mr Jalloh said: “We are going to engage on a nationwide awareness campaign. We want to increase awareness. We want to increase access.”

• Listen back to Mr Jalloh's full interview on the BBC's Africa Daily podcast

The Black Book has become Netflix's "biggest ever" Nigerian film, its director has said.

The action movie, which arrived on Netflix last Friday, follows a deacon who takes justice into his own hands after his late son is framed for kidnapping.

Director Editi Effiòng said on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter: "Just got off a call with Netflix. #TheBlackBook is a global hit! The biggest film out of Nigeria on Netflix ever."

Data from the popular streaming platform shows that in the two days following its release, The Black Book was watched 5,600,000 times. It also became that week's fourth most-watched film.

Netflix has boosted its collection of African-made films and TV shows over the past five years, adding popular products such as South Africa's Blood and Water and pan-African reality TV show Young Famous and African.

More on this topic:

• Genevieve Nnaji's rise from Nollywood to Netflix

Peter Jegwa
Lilongwe, Malawi

Image source, AFP

John Tembo, a dominant figure in Malawian politics for more than four decades, has died in hospital in the capital, Lilongwe, at the age of 91, his family says.

He became an MP aged 27 in 1960 in the run-up to the country’s independence from the UK.

He went on to be regarded as former President Hastings Banda's right-hand man and Mr Tembo's niece, Cecelia Kadzamira, was hired as the government’s official hostess in lieu of a first lady.

John Zenus Ungapake Tembo was Malawi’s first finance minister after independence in 1964 and went on to serve in various other cabinet roles during his career.

He also had a stint as head of the central bank and was regarded the most influential member of government during Dr Banda’s 30-year rule.

Popularly known by his initials JZU, his most prominent role was being part of a three-member presidential council that ruled Malawi between 15 October and 8 December 1993, when the then-ageing Dr Banda underwent brain surgery and was deemed incapacitated.

Following a referendum in June 1993, Malawi abandoned single party rule and in historic multiparty elections the following year, Dr Banda and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) lost power.

This paved the way for Mr Tembo to emerge as a prominent opposition figure, heading the MCP. He contested and lost presidential elections in 2004 and 2009 - both times to Bingu wa Mutharika.

He stepped down as MCP leader in 2013, replaced by Lazarus Chakwera who went on to become president in 2020.

BBC Arabic's Sudan Lifeline radio

Thousands of people forced from their homes by the war in Sudan have been living in schools that are not fit for purpose, a regional governor has told BBC News.

Months-long clashes between the Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary group have forced 40,000 families to flee to North Darfur, Nimr Abdel, who oversees the state, said.

Since the conflict began in April, Darfur has seen some of the worst fighting in the country.

Mr Abdel told the BBC's Sudan Lifeline radio service: "Many of the displaced people now dwell inside schools, which are not proper enough to stay in. These schools are not qualified to be shelter centres, as services are not available there.

"The services that were offered in these schools, such as bathrooms, were provided specifically for students, and their number was not proportional to the huge numbers of the displaced people."

If the fighting continues, the authorities will look into producing purpose-built camps.

More on this topic:

• Why the Sudan war matters to countries worldwide

The Kenyan government has offered 1000 police officers to lead a multinational force to Haiti to tackle the ongoing gang warfare.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News, Addis Ababa

Relative calm has returned to the historic Amhara city of Gondar in north-western Ethiopia after intense urban combat between government forces and local militia fighters over the weekend.

Residents in the city have told the BBC some normal activities have resumed but tensions remain high with soldiers carrying out house-to-house searches looking for militia members.

The army says it has killed more than 50 members of the militia, known as Fano, during the fighting in the city on Sunday.

The militia denies this, saying they freed prisoners after entering the city.

The BBC has been unable to independently confirm the claims because of an ongoing internet shutdown. However, residents told BBC Amharic that the militia attacked two jails and freed detainees.

Image source, Reuters

Fight has also halted in Lalibela, home to renowned 13th Century rock-hewn churches, and its surrounds, residents say.

However clashes are being reported along the main highway connecting the region’s two largest cities Gondar and Bahir Dar affecting transport.

In West Gojjam, an area in the region that has seen the fiercest clashes since August, the internet and phone lines are down - suggesting an escalation in fighting.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Soldiers have been evacuated from an army base in northern Mali following an attack by gunmen, the nation's military has said.

Mali's troops repelled the assailants at Acharane, an area near the ancient city of Timbuktu, a statement read.

It is not yet clear if the gunmen were Islamist militants or Tuareg rebels.

Both groups have increased their attacks in recent weeks - at a time when UN peacekeepers are pulling out of the country after being told to leave by Mali's military rulers.

More on this topic:

• Why UN peacekeepers are being told to leave Mali

Morocco will host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, while the joint bid of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania has won the staging rights for the 2027 tournament.

Nishat Ladha
BBC Africa sport

The president of the Confederation Of African Football (Caf), Patrice Motsepe, has announced Morocco as the hosts for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

It will be the second time the North African country has hosted the tournament, having first staged it in 1988.

The other 2025 contenders - Algeria, Zambia and a joint Benin/Nigeria bid - all agreed to withdraw, which left Morocco as the only candidate.

Hosting Afcon will allow Morocco a greater chance of bringing the World Cup to Africa in 2030 as part of a joint bid.

Afcon 2027 has been awarded to a joint bid from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

It takes Africa’s showpiece men’s football event to East Africa for the first time since 1976, when Ethiopia hosted.

The next edition, Afcon 2023, will be held in Ivory Coast, and will kick off on 13th January 2024.

Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba

Image source, AFP

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has appointed Angelina Teny, the recently sacked defence minister, as the new minister of the interior.

Ms Teny is the wife of opposition leader Riek Machar, who is the country’s vice-president in a unity government formed after 2018 to end the country’s brutal six-year civil war.

Her dismissal earlier this year sparked an opposition outcry and threatened to destroy the fragile peace deal between the president and his rival Mr Machar.

Under the terms of that agreement the defence ministry should be allocated to someone from Mr Machar’s SPLM-IO party.

The SPLM-IO has not yet commented on Ms Teny’s reappointment to cabinet, announced on Tuesday night in a presidential decree read out on the national broadcaster.

The peace deal is intended to lead to the country’s first election since seceding from Sudan 12 years ago. The polls are scheduled for December 2024.