Elettra Neysmith
BBC World Service News

Image source, AFP

The Nigerian army has issued a rare statement denying reports of an alleged coup plot within its ranks.

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said the suggestion was categorically false and called on the public to ignore it.

The statement follows a report from the Sahara Reporters, external news site that the Presidential Guard, an elite military unit responsible for protecting the president, had been mobilised because of the suspected coup.

The report alleged that emergency meetings had been held with the Nigerian president.

In response to the article, DHQ said its full commitment was to protecting and sustaining democracy in Nigeria.

The West African country is currently suffering a punishing economic crisis, with some warning the country is at tipping point.

A French journalist has been detained in Ethiopia after being arrested last week, his employer has said.

Antoine Galindo was on a reporting assignment in Ethiopia, having arrived on 13 February to cover the African Union summit, Indigo Publications Group, publisher of the Africa Intelligence website, said .

The publisher said Mr Galindo was being suspected of “conspiracy to create chaos” in the country and had appeared in court on Saturday.

“His detention has been extended until 1 March, when the next hearing of his case will take place,” a statement from Indigo Publications Group said.

The company condemned what it says was an “unjustified arrest”, adding that the “spurious accusations are not based on any tangible evidence that might justify this extended deprivation of liberty”.

It also said the arrest was a serious attack on press freedom.

The Committee to Project Journalists (CPJ) has called for Mr Galindo’s release adding that it is “outraged that a journalist on a legitimate reporting trip is targeted in this way”.

Ethiopian authorities have not commented on the matter.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

The West African regional grouping Ecowas said on Sunday that it was lifting sanctions it imposed on Guinea, a day after making a similar decision on military-led Niger.

The decision was taken at an extraordinary summit of Ecowas heads of state in Abuja, Nigeria.

The bloc also lifted "restrictions on the recruitment of citizens of the Republic of Mali to professional positions within Ecowas institutions" .

The organisation had imposed sanctions on Niger, Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso and suspended them because of military coups in those countries between 2020 and last year.

"The authority instructs the president of the commission to invite all four Ecowas member states in transition to technical and consultative meetings of Ecowas as well as to all security-related meeting," Ecowas said in a statement, external on Saturday.

It also urged Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to reconsider their decision to withdraw from the organisation.

On Saturday, Ecowas heads of state ordered the reopening of their land borders with Niger as well as the lifting of asset freezes against Niger's ruling generals on “humanitarian grounds”.

Analysts say the bloc's decisions signal its desire to ensure the junta-led nations remain as members.

Read more:

• Ecowas in crisis: Why West Africa's united front is in tatters

Three suspects are expected to appear in court in South Africa on several charges, including murder, in connection with the killing of a 74-year-old German tourist on Saturday.

South African police allege that the trio brutally assaulted the tourist before killing him and dumping his body in the town of Northam in the province of Limpopo.

The tourist had been driving from Botswana when he offered a lift to a hitchhiker.

The hitchhiker then called two other people, who drove with the tourist to his accommodation, tied him up, assaulted him and robbed his money and other valuables, the police said.

The suspects, who are foreign nationals, then dumped the body in a bush near a farm, the South African Police Service (Saps) added in a statement, external.

"We will work hard to secure a water tight case that will result in a lengthy conviction for these perpetrators”, the police commissioner of Limpopo province, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, said in the statement.

Image source, Smachs Foundation/Twitter

A prayer to God to provide a husband for Charlene Ruto, the daughter of Kenya's president, has sparked a flurry of online reactions in the country.

Ms Ruto was among thousands who attended a mass prayer meeting by the American preacher Benny Hinn over the weekend in the capital city, Nairobi.

President William Ruto and the first lady, as well as Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his wife, Dorcas, were also present.

As the preacher asked for those with prayer requests to come forward, the president’s daughter rose up, seeking prayers for the calling she said she has for young people.

The preacher prayed for her and later asked if there were any special requests. She whispered into his ear before he continued praying:

“Give her a husband that will fulfil that call with her. Lord send that young man her way, that will be a strength to her, a great supporter,” Benny Hinn prayed.

“She can’t do this alone, Lord, she is going to the battlefield to win souls... she needs a husband soon.”

This prayer for a husband got Kenyans talking - some criticising, some sending their marriage proposals to her, some mocking her.

“My name is Omwamba, a hustler and I am reaching out to you after witnessing your heartfelt request for a husband during your prayer session with the Pastor Benny Hinn.

"I was moved by your sincerity and the faith you demonstrated yesterday and God has sent me your way,” one Kenyan wrote on X,, external formerly Twitter.

Some have been supportive: “There is nothing wrong with Charlene Ruto asking Benny Hinn to pray for her to get a good husband. Marriage is sacred,” another Kenyan said, external.

More on this topic:

• Charlene Ruto: Kenya's 'first daughter' denies using public money

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya’s athletics governing body says it is in touch with Cameroon’s government and athletics' authority after a Kenyan runner died in the West African country.

Charles Kipkorir Kipsang collapsed and died on Saturday after crossing the finishing line in the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, which was held in the city of Buea, the capital of Cameroon's south west region.

Kipsang, 33, was leading the race but briefly stopped near the finishing line, Bernard Okalai Bilia, the region's governor, was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

He ultimately crossed the finishing line, but collapsed and died shortly afterwards.

"We cannot say exactly what happened. He was fine. He was good after the race. We might believe that it is something like heart attack," Mr Bilia was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

Athletics Kenya, Kenya's governing body for the sport, lamented that Kipsang's death follows the passing of two renowned runners from the East African nation.

"This is indeed very sad considering it is coming just a day after burying the world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum who died in a tragic road [accident], and when we are preparing to bury the legendary Henry Rono," read a statement shared on X, external, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

“We are in touch with the athletics authority and Cameroonian government and will keep you posted on the next steps.”

The Mount Cameroon Race of Hope is an annual endurance marathon race held on the slopes of Mount Cameroon.

It is known to be gruelling because of the mountain's steep terrain.

Peter Jegwa
Lilongwe, Malawi

Image source, Getty Images

The influential Catholic church in Malawi has criticised President Lazarus Chakwera, saying the country has become worse in the four years of his leadership.

In a scathing attack that appears to be directed at the president, the church, through its bishops, said “we have witnessed a glaring failure of leadership”.

"Most Malawians fail to see anybody in the current government who cares about them or who is able to improve their situation,” it added.

In a 16-page pastoral letter titled “The sad story of Malawi”, read out in all Catholic churches across the country on Sunday, it accused the administration of multiple failures including unfulfilled campaign promises, nepotism and rampant corruption.

The letter also suggested that when appointing officials, Mr Chakwera's government favours people from the president's ethnic group or region.

“It is essential to ask of candidates, what their record of service has been, what they are capable of doing, before voting for them – not who they are or where they come from or what connections they have,” the church wrote.

The letter also said the government had failed to raise people’s incomes even after the purchasing power of the local currency, the Malawian kwacha, had drastically fallen.

The church said it had attempted to privately engage with Mr Chakwera several times but had been largely unsuccessful, hence the decision to try a different approach through the letter.

Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu has acknowledged the issues raised by the church but says the government will not engage in an item-by-item response to the letter.

“Instead we will not get tired of utilising engagements we do have with the clergy from time to time,” Mr Kunkuyu said.

Image source, Reuters

The Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) has barred a Norwegian cruise ship from docking at its ports, fearing health risks after some passengers onboard the ship developed a stomach illness.

"The decision not to allow the cruise ship access to the quay was taken in order to avoid any health risks," the ports authority said in a statement on Sunday, external.

"The health and safety of passengers as well as that of the country as a whole are of the utmost importance to the authorities."

Passengers of the ship, named Norwegian Dawn, developed mild symptoms of a stomach illness during a voyage to South Africa, a representative of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the company that operates the ship, was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.

Mauritian health authorities have taken samples from 15 quarantined passengers and expect the test results in 48 hours. Until then, boarding and disembarking the ship is prohibited.

The ship has 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members on board, MPA said.

About 2,000 passengers were to disembark the ship in Mauritius's capital, Port Louis, and 2,279 new passengers were to board it.

The 25 people killed in a multi-vehicle crash in Tanzania hailed from seven different countries, it has emerged.

The accident occurred when a Kenyan-registered lorry hit three other vehicles, including one carrying foreign nationals volunteering at a school, on a highway to Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha.

Ten women, 14 men and a girl were killed in the crash on Saturday, the presidency said in a statement the following day.

At least 21 people, also from different countries, were injured in the accident.

The dead included 16 Tanzanians, an American, a South African and other nationals from Kenya, Togo, Madagascar and Burkina Faso.

The injured were people from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Switzerland, Britain and Mali, the statement added.

Police are looking for the driver of the Kenyan-registered lorry involved in the accident, who is said to have fled after the incident.

President Samia Hassan has sent her condolences to the families of the deceased and called for motorists to adhere to road safety regulations.

Image source, Getty Images

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday officially opened The Great Mosque of Algiers, the largest mosque in Africa.

It is also the third largest in the world, after the mosques in Saudi Arabia's Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The massive mosque is spread across 70 acres (28 hectares) and can hold up to 120,000 worshippers at one time.

It also has the world's tallest minaret, which is the tower used to project the Muslim call to prayer.

The mosque was constructed over seven years, costing more than $800m (£631m).

It is expected to host prayers during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins in two weeks.

The mosque was a project of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who stepped down in 2019 after his bid for a fifth term in office led to massive protests.

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Zoe welcomes author and screenwriter Femi Kayode to the Book Club to discuss his brilliant new novel, 'Gaslight'.

Femi has spent the last two decades in advertising, whilst also building an impressive resume on prime-time television, by creating and writing several award-winning TV dramas. He recently completed an MA in Crime Fiction - and is finishing a PHD now too (it seems he likes letters).

Femi published his first novel, 'Lightseekers', in the pandemic. This was the beginning of a series of books based on the investigations of Dr Philip K. Talwo. Gaslight is the second book in this series, which centres around a murder within a Nigerian megachurch.

Zoe chats with him about his inspirations for this story, his influences and how on earth he fits everything in!

Now Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead, can anyone in Russia challenge President Putin’s power? BBC Russian news editor Famil Ismailov gives us his vision of the future for Ukraine.

Machismo in Mexico is alive and kicking, but it looks like the country’s heading for its first female president. South America correspondent Katy Watson analyses what this might mean for women’s rights and society as a whole. Plus, after more than a decade in South Africa, BBC correspondent Andrew Harding reflects on the highs and lows and his hopes for the nation’s future.

Produced by Pandita Lorenz and Ben Watt

What should we done with stolen treasures? The BBC's culture editor, Katie Razzall, confronts colonialism's legacy with world affairs editor John Simpson. John also finds out if victory is finally in sight for the Ukrainians. Security correspondent Frank Gardner thinks it might be if they can push past the Russians' strong defences - but not all Ukrainians are up for fighting. Eastern Europe correspondent Nick Thorpe has been on the trail of those who risk life and limb to escape the front line. Plus, who might fill the vacuum left by first French and now UN troops leaving Mali - Wagner or jihadis? Beverly Ochieng from BBC Monitoring reveals a precarious state of affairs.

The BBC's world affairs editor, John Simpson, asks defence correspondent Jonny Beale where the war in Ukraine is heading and what victory might look like; finds out from North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher if any of the Republican presidential candidates will give Donald Trump a run for his money; analyses a new era in relations in the Middle East with Baran Abbasi from BBC Persian; and explores why South Africa is in so much trouble, and what can be done about it, with South Africa correspondent Nomsa Maseko.

Produced by Pandita Lorenz and Benedick Watt.

Relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia have historically been difficult. Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year war. A bitter border war between the two countries began a few years later. But by 2020, Eritrea sent troops to fight alongside the Ethiopian government against rebel forces in its northern Tigray region.

Kalkidan Yibeltal is a BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa. He explains the complex history between the two countries, and looks at the tentative peace now emerging in Tigray.

Presenter: Claire Graham Producer: Owen McFadden

A military coup in 1989 brought Omar al-Bashir to power, until being overthrown by the military in the face of mass protests in 2019. During this time, war has raged in Darfur, South Sudan has gained independence and the Sudanese people demanded a return to civil government.

BBC journalist Mohanad Hashim grew up in Khartoum and has reported extensively on the Middle East and Africa. He speaks to Claire Graham about Sudan’s journey from independence to revolution.

Producer: Owen McFadden Presenter: Claire Graham

Claire Graham talks to the former BBC News Africa Bureaux Chief, Milton Nkosi, to get a better understanding of why the post-apartheid dream of a ‘Rainbow Nation’ has still not materialised.

The Explanation is a snackable audio guide giving you the backstory behind the headlines. Unpacking complex chains of events, The Explanation will make the stories in question much easier to understand.

Claire Graham talks to the BBC’s West Africa correspondent, Mayeni Jones, to get a better understanding of how Boko Haram, the militant Islamic group, took hold in northern Nigeria.

My mum’s letter to me! Namulanta’s own mum, Dorcas, is back on the show with a letter to share. She talks with her daughter about self-preservation, mum-guilt and life in colonial, pre-independent Kenya. Episode 6 letter writer: Dorcas Inspired by Dorcas? Please send us your letter. Go to bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter