Why opposition politician Job Sikhala, freed after 18 months in detention, refuses to be cowed.

One man convinced parents to let their daughters surf. Now they are challenging and changing social stereotypes in rural Ghana.

Hervé Bopda has been arrested for his own safety following "scandalous" allegations, his lawyer says.

The home secretary told MPs the number of flights would depend on deals with other countries.

The video-sharing platform says the late pastor's Emmanuel TV violated its hate speech policies.

South Africa players should "dream" of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final after upsetting Morocco, says coach Hugo Broos.

After decades of progress against the disease, a global upsurge since 2021 is hitting countries hard.

President Ruto says it will start "as soon as next week" despite court declaring it unconstitutional.

BBC Sport Africa picks out six stars whose performances at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations could attract bids from European clubs.

Funerals have been restricted to five relatives to curb the spread of the disease.

Crude fakes in Uganda A BBC investigation has uncovered a network of fake social media accounts seemingly working together to promote the Ugandan government and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Online, an information battle appears to be going on – one being waged by hundreds of social media accounts set on pushing narratives in line with those of the Ugandan government. As part of a coordinated campaign, they have been artificially inflating support for EACOP online and viciously targeting those that oppose the project – both at home and abroad. But who is behind these accounts? And how influential have they become?

South Africa register a shock 2-0 win over Morocco in the last 16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations as Achraf Hakimi misses a late penalty.

Stand-in boss Emerse Fae says Ivory Coast can win the Afcon title with the mindset which helped them beat holders Senegal.

Mali book a quarter-final meeting with hosts Ivory Coast at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations by beating Burkina Faso 2-1.

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now. We'll be back on Thursday morning. There'll be an automated service until then.

You can listen to the latest Focus on Africa podcast here - or read the latest updates on the BBC News website.

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And we leave you with this photo of Ivorians reacting to Monday night's victory in the Afcon knockout stages over reigning champions Senegal:

Image source, AFP

Ethiopia's premier says that the first aircraft built in Ethiopia in 1935 has been handed back to the country by Italy.

It had been taken during Italy's fascist era during the occupation of what was then Abyssinia, eventually going on display in the Italian Aviation Museum in Rome.

It was formally given to Prime Minister Aby Ahmed at a ceremony in Rome and he said it marked "a day of great pride" for the country.

Known as Tsehai, the green, red and yellow aircraft is said to have been named after then-Emperor Haile Selassie's daughter.

At least one person is known to have been killed in an attack claimed by English-speaking separatists in Cameroon's troubled South-West province.

Several other people are reported to have been injured in the attack that happened on Sunday in the city of Buea.

Militants who want to create a breakaway state have been forcing residents to observe so-called "ghost town" protests designed to bring economic activities to a halt.

Cameroonian authorities have not commented on Sunday's attack.

According to the privately owned news website Journal du Cameroun, five cars were also burnt and businesses destroyed.

David Bamford
BBC World Service News

Image source, Getty Images

Uganda's opposition leader, Bobi Wine, has called for civil disobedience and what he called a "moral uprising" against President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for 38 years.

In an interview with the news channel France 24, he said he feared for his life because the regime was bent on eliminating all challenges.

A film documenting Bobi Wine's presidential bid in 2021 has just been nominated for an Academy award at the year's Oscars ceremonies.

His political party, the National Unity Platform, filed a case with the high court in Kampala on Tuesday to compel security agencies to release 18 of its supporters who've been missing since the unrest during the 2021 election campaign.

Ish Mafundikwa
Harare

Image source, Mgcini Nyoni/Fadzayi Mahere/Facebook

Zimbabwe opposition politician and former MP Job Sikhala is finally a free man after a record 595 days on pre-trial remand.

A Harare magistrate has sentenced Sikhala and his co-accused, MP Godfrey Sithole, to a two-year, wholly suspended term for five years. Sithole was granted bail after five months on remand. They were both convicted of inciting public violence.

Sikhala's lawyers say they will appeal against the conviction at the High Court.

He was arrested in June 2022 and charged with encouraging the violence that followed the discovery of the dismembered body of Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) activist Moreblessing Ali in a well, three weeks after she went missing.

The news triggered violence in Ali's Chitungwiza neighborhood, some 30km (19 miles) south of Harare, the capital.

Sikhala, who was the Ali family lawyer, was accused of having used social media to encourage the violence. He denied the charge.

Convicting the duo, the trial magistrate said evidence showed that Sikhala, then a member of parliament, and Sithole were responsible for the violence.

The courts granted Sithole bail after five months in remand, but Sikhala's several applications for bail failed.

This fed rumours that Sikhala was a victim of persecution by the state. He said he had been arrested more than 60 times without a single conviction.

Sikhala's legal woes are, however, far from over.

According to his lawyer, he is still facing charges of disorderly conduct, inciting violence and publishing falsehoods.

Image source, Getty Images

Niger's junta has expelled 15 members of the European Union's capacity-building mission, Eucap.

According to the country's Interior Minister, Brig Gen Mohamed Toumba, the individuals had "returned to Niamey on various flights on 24 January" without informing the government.

He confirmed they were ejected from Niger days later on 26 January.

Niger has been ruled by a junta since July when officers seized power from democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. Soon after, the EU announced measures to impose sanctions on the junta leaders.

According to Niger, the Eucap mission - comprising 120 security officers helping to bolster Niger's forces - was terminated in December after more than a decade of working together.

The junta has indicated its intention to downgrade military ties with European countries, while "diversifying" links with countries such as Russia and Iran.

Niger's anti-Western rhetoric has also raised questions about the future of US troops stationed at a drone base in the northern city of Agadez.