BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

At least 176 people have died in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray state due to drought-induced hunger, authorities said.

Hadush Asemelash, a regional administrator, told Tigray TV that those who have died so far comprise 101 men and 75 women.

About 45,000 people in Emba Sieneti district are facing severe hunger, worsened by the two-year civil war and drought, governor Kidanmariam Surafel said.

The authorities also said there was an increased number of people fleeing their homes as a result of the ongoing drought and insufficient humanitarian aid.

Last week, the Tigray interim administration declared a state of emergency after more than 200 people died from drought-related hunger in recent weeks.

The Horn of Africa has had five failed rainy seasons since 2019, according to the UN.

The US and UN suspended aid earlier this year after allegations of theft - a move that has worsened the humanitarian crisis.

Tigray is recovering from a two-year civil war which ended a year ago, while a conflict has erupted in the neighbouring Amhara region.

Azeezat Olaoluwa
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has been declared a suspect in the ongoing investigation over last month's attempted coup.

Mr Koroma, who was granted bail on Saturday, has been under house arrest.

Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu on Tuesday said Mr Koroma is not in police custody as the force is “giving him the respect he needs for now”.

“That does not mean he is above the law," Mr Sellu added.

He said that 80 suspects were in police custody, among them serving and dismissed military officers, serving and retired police officers, civilians and a correctional service officer.

Mr Koroma's daughter, Dankay Koroma, was also named among 54 wanted suspects in a list the police updated on Tuesday.

The government has promised a monetary reward to anyone with information that could lead to the capture of these suspects.

Mr Koroma last week said he would “trust due process and the rule of law to prevail”.

Meanwhile, Ecowas, an alliance of West African countries, has approved the deployment of its military to Sierra Leone.

Image source, AFP

Unidentified gunmen ambushed a convoy of an oil servicing company in Nigeria's southern Rivers state and kidnapped two South Korean workers and killed four soldiers.

The convoy was attacked on Tuesday around the Ahoada/Abua axis, along the East-West road in the state.

The Koreans were among workers of Daewoo Engineering and Company - a South Korean firm - who were being escorted to work by the Nigerian soldiers.

Two drivers were also reportedly killed in the ambush.

The Nigerian army has since confirmed the killing of the soldiers and the abduction of the expatriates.

In a statement, Major Jonah Danjuma, an army spokesperson, said the military was tracking down the attackers to secure the two abducted workers.

The army blamed suspected militants for the attack but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Abductions for ransom are frequent across Nigeria.

Our African proverb of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

Finding a way between opposing views over Rwanda will challenge the PM in 2024, writes Chris Mason.

Rishi Sunak is facing the biggest challenge to his authority from his MPs over his flagship asylum policy.

How Napoli sensation Victor Osimhen went from humble beginnings in Nigeria to being crowned Africa's Footballer of the Year.

Image source, AFP

Nearly 282 million people in Africa - about 20% of the continent's population - are undernourished, says a new report by the African Union and three UN bodies.

The joint report also revealed that the number of undernourished Africans has increased by 57 million people since the start of Covid-19 pandemic, signalling the deterioration of Africa's food crisis.

"The majority of Africa’s population - about 78%, or more than one billion people - remain unable to afford a healthy diet, compared with 42 percent at the global level, and the number is rising," the agencies added.

The report has attributed the widespread unaffordability of healthy food to escalating food costs in recent years, particularly in western and eastern Africa, which have left "not only the poor but also a large proportion of people defined as non-poor" unable to maintain a healthy diet.

The agencies also said that about 30% of children under five on the continent are stunted due to malnutrition.

Image source, AFP

Music promoters are threatening to scuttle Congolese singer Koffi Olomide's planned mega concert in Kenya on Saturday over a 2016 debt.

Nsana Productions, the promoters, say the 67-year-old rumba star violated contractual terms for a March 2016 concert for which they want a refund of $65,000 (£52,000).

Olomide was in 2016 blocked from performing and thrown out of Kenya for allegedly assaulting one of his female dancers. Footage of the incident at Nairobi's international airport was posted online and sparked outrage on social media.

This is the first time the singer is returning to perform in Kenya after the incident.

Through his lawyers, Olomide has assured his fans that the highly anticipated peace concert will go on despite the threats from the promoters.

The lawyers termed the debt allegations "frivolous" and without merit, local media reported.

The event's organiser says that the success of the concert will not be compromised.

While speaking at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday shortly after his arrival in Kenya, Olomide said he had missed his Kenyan fans whom he promised an electrifying performance.

Tickets for the concert are still on sale.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

Soldiers belonging to the East African Community (EAC) who were deployed a year ago to fight M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have since been deemed ineffective by the Congolese government, and their mandate expires on Friday.

The troops - from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and South Sudan - have begun flying home, after President Félix Tshisekedi refused to extend their stay and top officials criticised their performance.

Soldiers from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) bloc are expected to replace the East African force, but no date has been set for their arrival.

In a related development, the M23 rebel group has captured the town of Mushaki which is 40km (25 miles) from Goma, the capital of the mineral-rich Nord Kivu province.

The rebels seized the town on 7 December after clashing with the Congolese army. Mushaki is a key transport hub in the region and has changed hands between the M23 and the army several times.

DR Congo is scheduled to hold a general election on 20 December.

Danai Nesta Kupemba
BBC News

Image source, AFP

The Nigerian military has apologised for an air strike that killed 85 innocent civilians and says in future only targets they are "100% sure" about will be targeted.

In a media briefing on Thursday, Director of Defence Media Operations Major General Edward Buba said the army would get "more training" and "more understanding of the protocols" that involve air strikes.

Gen Buba said the army would deal with the air strike incident "squarely".

The airstrike happened when villagers from Tundun Biri gathered for a religious festival on Sunday evening.

More than 60 people were admitted to hospital for treatment following the air strike, officials said.

Nigeria's military has for years been battling armed criminals and militants who have been operating in parts of northern Nigeria, raiding villages and kidnapping residents for ransom.

State Governor Uba Sani said civilians were "mistakenly killed" by a military drone "targeting terrorists and bandits".

Dorcas Wangira
Africa health correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The Ugandan authorities have banned the sale of beef products in an effort to stop an anthrax outbreak spreading from Kyotera district in the central region.

At least 17 people have died there more than 20 others are bedridden in several local villages, local media report.

John Mary Lutaaya, the Kyotera district veterinary officer, says local traders in the smaller zone of Kabira will not be allowed to move their cattle until the outbreak is contained.

More than 40 cows are reported to have died in the last two months. The outbreak was confirmed by health authorities on 26 November.

Anthrax is a rare but serious, infectious disease caused by a bacteria known as bacillus anthracis, which occurs naturally in soil but usually affects both wild and domestic animals.

People can get infected if they come into contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products - and symptoms include blisters, fevers, swelling limbs and difficulty in breathing.

Some victims are visiting shrines instead of healthcare facilities. Health officials fear this will hinder their efforts to contain the outbreak.

Prime Ndikumagenge
BBC News

Image source, AFP

Burundi’s general and former prime minister has been sentenced to life in jail by the country’s Supreme Court.

Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni was found guilty of multiple counts of crimes including attempting to kill Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye and undermining the national economy.

Four properties and 14 vehicles belonging to the general will be confiscated.

Two of his six co-defendants were sentenced to 15 years in jail, another three to three years, and one was acquitted.

Bunyoni’s trial took place a month ago after his arrest in April.

Six months earlier he was prime minister in the government of his former rebel comrade President Ndayishimiye.

During the trial, it was not clear when Bunyoni committed the crimes he was accused of after holding top government jobs for over 15 years since 2005 until he was sacked.

Image source, Getty Images

Most goods coming from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Mali, Madagascar and Mauritania will no longer have tariffs slapped on them when entering the Chinese market.

China is the biggest consumer of cobalt from DR Congo, while a booming café culture among Chinese youth is driving sales of coffee.

China's new policy, which comes into effect on Christmas Day, follows criticism that it focuses on buying mainly raw materials from the continent.

It's being touted by China's Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council as proof of "the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation" leading to "a high-quality China-Africa community with a shared future".

At present, more than 20 other African nations already have tariff-free deals with China, according to the South China Morning Post, external.

O ṣeeṣe lati sọ anthrax di ohun ija oloro nitori ara ohun ẹlẹmi lo maa n wa, o si ṣeeṣe fun awọn onimọ ijinlẹ lati pelo rẹ ninu laabu.

A South African court rules the president failed to comply with the law when recognising the new king.

Zahara, known for her soulful voice and hit song Loliwe, was once named in a BBC 100 Women list.

Ivory Coast will use school children and volunteers to fill some stadiums during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in January.

MPs vote through the prime minister’s new Rwanda deal on asylum seekers by a majority of 44.

The BBC's analysis editor Ros Atkins answers key questions about Tuesday's Commons vote on the Rwanda bill.