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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24746490
Ghana arrests Chinese and Indian illegal gold miners
Ghana arrests Chinese and Indian illegal gold miners Ghanaian police have arrested 46 foreign nationals from China and India accused of illegally mining gold. They were detained in overnight raids in the country's Central region where they were operating small barges to dredge the bed of the River Offin. More than 4,50...
a553ad2aa3e2efc8f6e8fbb0ca6f067b
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24783828
Horn of Africa piracy 'netted $400m' from 2005-12
Horn of Africa piracy 'netted $400m' from 2005-12 Pirates operating off the Horn of Africa netted more than $400m (£251m) in ransom money between 2005 and 2012, a new World Bank and UN report says. It says the financiers behind the piracy, and not the pirates themselves, collect most of the cash. The money is then used...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24787682
Two French journalists killed in Mali town of Kidal
Two French journalists killed in Mali town of Kidal Two journalists for French radio station RFI have been killed after they were kidnapped in the northern town of Kidal in Mali. Claude Verlon and Ghislaine Dupont were abducted after interviewing a local political leader. Their bodies were found outside the town soon a...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24901315
Somalia gets 888 emergency police line number
Somalia gets 888 emergency police line number Police in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, have launched an emergency police telephone service for the first time in more than 20 years. Residents can call the emergency number - 888 - and the authorities say a police car will be sent out. Police spokesman Mohamed Yusuf Madal...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24904924
Liberian leader's guard arrested over 'drug smuggling'
Liberian leader's guard arrested over 'drug smuggling' The head of the presidential motorcade in Liberia has been arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs in an official vehicle, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has said. Perry Dolo was arrested with 297kg (654lb) of marijuana after crossing over from Sierra Leone, it a...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24922833
Nigeria: US 'to name Boko Haram as a terrorist group'
Nigeria: US 'to name Boko Haram as a terrorist group' The US state department is expected to designate the Nigerian Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, as a foreign terrorist organisation. The move, expected to take place on Wednesday, means US regulatory agencies are instructed to block business and financial transac...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24986947
Libya spy chief Mustafa Nuh freed 'by Zintan militia'
Libya spy chief Mustafa Nuh freed 'by Zintan militia' Libya's deputy intelligence chief has been freed a day after being abducted at the airport in Tripoli, military sources have told the BBC. Mustafa Nuh had reportedly been held by gunmen from the western town of Zintan. Meanwhile, Tripoli is observing a three-day str...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25120108
South Africa outrage at rape scene school exam question
South Africa outrage at rape scene school exam question South Africans have been outraged by a question in the national school-leavers' drama exam which asked students to direct a rape scene. They were asked to describe how they would get an actor to maximise the horror of the rape of a baby, using a broomstick and loa...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25249520?utm_source=wnd&utm_medium=wnd&utm_campaign=syndicated
South Africa's Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg
South Africa's Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg South Africa's first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has died at the age of 95. Mr Mandela led South Africa's transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s, after 27 years in prison for his political activities. He had been receiving intensive...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25250082
Nelson Mandela death: World reaction
Nelson Mandela death: World reaction People around the world have been reacting to the news that South Africa's first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has died, aged 95. South African President Jacob Zuma announced Nelson Mandela's death , saying South Africa had lost "its greatest son" and callin...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25436316
Kenya's anti-terror forces face accusations after Westgate
Kenya's anti-terror forces face accusations after Westgate The attack on the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi in September has drawn attention to tensions in Kenya - and now the country's security services, funded by the UK and the US, stand accused of carrying out "pre-emptive" killings of suspected radicals, write...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25467445
South Sudan crisis: Voices from Juba
South Sudan crisis: Voices from Juba Two residents in South Sudan's capital, Juba, tell BBC about their experiences following clashes between rival army factions which have spread around the country. At least 500 people are believed to have died since last weekend, when President Salva Kiir accused his ex-deputy Riek M...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25511595
Thousands dead in South Sudan violence, UN says
Thousands dead in South Sudan violence, UN says Thousands of people must have been killed in the past week of violence in South Sudan, the top UN humanitarian co-ordinator there has told the BBC. Toby Lanzer, who is in Bentiu in northern Unity state, said it had been "a devastating week for South Sudan". The UN Securit...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25528728
South Sudan government agrees to truce
South Sudan government agrees to truce The government of South Sudan has agreed to an immediate end to fighting with rebels but warned its forces would defend themselves if attacked. Welcoming the commitment from President Salva Kiir's government, East African states urged rebel leader Riek Machar to do likewise, as fi...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25588324
Madagascar poll: Rajaonarimampianina wins
Madagascar poll: Rajaonarimampianina wins Madagascar's former finance minister, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, has won the presidential election, officials in the Indian Ocean nation have announced. Mr Rajaonarimampianina, allied to incumbent President Andry Rajoelina, won 53.5% of the vote in December's run-off, the electo...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25660385
The unequal battle over West Africa's rich fish stocks
The unequal battle over West Africa's rich fish stocks Whether still trapped in the mesh of a net, on a market stall or on your plate with rice and an onion sauce, fish are everywhere to be seen in Senegal's peninsula capital, Dakar. "Families have lived off fish for generations," says Issa Fall, who co-ordinates the F...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25666470
Somalia's al-Shabab militants issue internet ban
Somalia's al-Shabab militants issue internet ban Islamist militants in Somalia have issued a directive banning companies from providing internet services. The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group has given firms 15 days to shut down mobile internet and fibre optic services, which are due to launch soon. Those who do not com...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25698119
CAR conflict: Ex-president 'heads to exile' in Benin
CAR conflict: Ex-president 'heads to exile' in Benin Former Central African Republic interim President Michel Djotodia has arrived in Benin, where it is thought he will go into exile. Mr Djotodia resigned his post on Friday, at a summit aimed at ending the ongoing religious violence. He was met off the plane by Benin's...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25749308?
Nigeria Islamic court tries gay suspects in Bauchi
Nigeria Islamic court tries gay suspects in Bauchi An Islamic court in Nigeria's northern state of Bauchi has put on trial 11 Muslim men accused of being homosexuals in violation of their religion, a religious leader has told the BBC. A 12th person arrested - a Christian - would be tried under secular law, a BBC report...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25908340
Tunisia assembly passes new constitution
Tunisia assembly passes new constitution Tunisia's parliament has adopted a new constitution - the first since the ousting of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali three years ago. The National Constituent Assembly passed the text by 200 votes from 216. Analysts say politicians hope it will send out a message of stability ...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26004268
South Sudan conflict: 3.7m in 'need of food', says UN
South Sudan conflict: 3.7m in 'need of food', says UN The United Nations has said it estimates 3.7 million people are in acute need of food in South Sudan as a result of the civil conflict there. The UN's humanitarian co-ordinator in South Sudan Toby Lanzer told the BBC $1.3bn (£790m) was needed to deal with the crisis...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26121995
Will FDLR rebels ever leave Congo and return to Rwanda?
Will FDLR rebels ever leave Congo and return to Rwanda? Twenty years after the Rwandan genocide, some of those responsible are still wreaking havoc in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are terrorising the local population and profiting from the area's rich natural resources. The BBC's Grainne Harrin...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26286264
Sudan court convicts Ethiopian woman over 'gang-rape'
Sudan court convicts Ethiopian woman over 'gang-rape' An Ethiopian woman who says she was gang-raped in Sudan has been convicted of "indecent acts". The woman of 18 was three months' pregnant at the time of the alleged attack. She was arrested after video of her allegedly being sexually abused was circulated on social ...
4d585e3355c172688db481dbe03d2406
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26853788
South Africa to use flavoured condoms to tackle HIV
South Africa to use flavoured condoms to tackle HIV South Africa's government will distribute coloured and flavoured condoms among students to end "condom fatigue", the health minister has said. Aaron Motsoaledi's comments came after a survey showed that condom usage had fallen in South Africa. The decline in usage may...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26973587
Somalia in high speed internet 'culture shock'
Somalia in high speed internet 'culture shock' Some residents of Somalia's capital have been experiencing a form of "culture shock" since fibre optic services launched over the last week, an internet provider has told the BBC. "Any video or site just pops up... they're very excited about the speed," Somalia Wireless's ...
7b002df088fe12ed219db874c80d50c5
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27146976
South Africa's 'born-free' generation
South Africa's 'born-free' generation South Africa's so-called "born-free" generation now accounts for some 40% of the population. Born since the country's first fully democratic elections in 1994, they have grown up without apartheid and the struggles of South Africa's older generation. Here, six "born frees" talk abo...
3586f5f8b04a78bc72f7352d2dc46742
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27293418
Will Nigeria's abducted schoolgirls ever be found?
Will Nigeria's abducted schoolgirls ever be found? Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the northern town of Chibok on 14 April. An estimated 200 heavily armed militants arrived at night in 20 vehicles to steal supplies and kidnap the students. It has now ...
649a9b84a0a458513a8d6de59c6c22a4
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27417778
Nigeria soldiers 'fire at army commander in Maiduguri'
Nigeria soldiers 'fire at army commander in Maiduguri' Soldiers in Nigeria have opened fire on their commander in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, witnesses say. Maj-Gen Ahmed Mohammed escaped unhurt after soldiers shot at his car at the Maimalari barracks, the sources said. The soldiers blamed him for the killing ...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27492354?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D
Khalifa Haftar: The Libyan general with big ambitions
Khalifa Haftar: The Libyan general with big ambitions Khalifa Haftar has been part of the Libyan political scene for more than four decades, shifting from the centre to the periphery and back again as his fortunes changed. On 4 April he ordered his Libyan National Army (LNA) to advance to the capital, Tripoli, where th...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27611802
Niger sees first slavery conviction over 'fifth wife'
Niger sees first slavery conviction over 'fifth wife' A man has been sentenced to four years in jail in Niger in the first ever conviction for slavery in the country. The pressure group Anti-Slavery International told the BBC the 63-year-old man was convicted of having what is known as a "fifth wife". Men in Niger are ...
5f75b4dc9d2f637e9dd2e3d5f7450a10
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27662890
Rape 'routine' in DR Congo prisons
Rape 'routine' in DR Congo prisons Security officials "routinely" rape women in prisons in DR Congo as punishment for their political activities, a UK-based charity says. Freedom From Torture said medical reports of 34 women showed many of them had been brutally gang-raped. The women - who included traders and professi...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28374679
Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis: 'Many dead' in Damboa
Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis: 'Many dead' in Damboa Many people are feared dead after suspected Boko Haram Islamist gunmen attacked a town in north-east Nigeria. Eyewitnesses told the BBC that half of Damboa had been burnt down, including the town's main market. At least 18 bodies so far have been recovered from the att...
5db52f6518f3dedabf59d7185f43a74f
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28461875
Central African Republic's road to anarchy
Central African Republic's road to anarchy On a map, the RN (Route Nationale) 2 looks like a rather important highway linking the central town of Sibut with the entire eastern half of the Central African Republic (CAR) and beyond. If you want to drive from the capital, Bangui, towards South Sudan, Uganda and the Indian...
884e3d9e827b896d31e3a17c22a31a38
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28650035
Ebola crisis: Nigeria records second case in Lagos
Ebola crisis: Nigeria records second case in Lagos Nigeria has recorded its second Ebola case - that of one of the doctors who treated a man who died from the virus after his arrival from Liberia. The health minister said a further eight people who came into contact with him have been placed in quarantine. This year's ...
fcc8ee2b4f7b1bf3b4bf1d98ba254213
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28702356
WHO: Ebola 'an international emergency'
WHO: Ebola 'an international emergency' The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the spread of Ebola in West Africa is an international health emergency. WHO officials said a co-ordinated response was essential to stop and reverse the spread of the virus. In Nigeria, one of the latest countries to be affected, Pres...
b8ebd766a883685fe6f6a38fedfd231b
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29348295
Profile: Herve Gourdel
Profile: Herve Gourdel French tourist Herve Gourdel, who has been beheaded by Algerian militant group Jund al-Khilafa following his abduction in the north-east Kabylie region, was a 55-year-old qualified mountain guide. He was once quoted as saying he had two passions in life: travel and photography. "I was born in Nic...
a052250662084f486285d25531f7f485
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29680934
Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf urges world help on Ebola
Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf urges world help on Ebola Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says the whole world has a stake in the fight against Ebola. In a "letter to the world" broadcast on the BBC, she said the disease "respects no borders", and that every country had to do all it could to help fight it. Pre...
1c868852a22ed93dd61fd0ca2cbdbbcf
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29762713
Rwanda suspends BBC broadcasts over genocide film
Rwanda suspends BBC broadcasts over genocide film Rwanda has suspended BBC broadcasts in the Kinyarwanda language with immediate effect because of a film questioning official accounts of the 1994 genocide. The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (Rura) said it had received complaints from the public of incitement, hatre...
f4611a70097f12f60c42cf57c830b139
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30138998
Tunisia police rape: 'Meriem' attackers' sentences doubled
Tunisia police rape: 'Meriem' attackers' sentences doubled Two Tunisian policeman convicted of raping a woman in a police car have had their sentences more than doubled in a high-profile court case. The officers were jailed for seven years in March, drawing accusations of leniency. The sentences were extended to 15 yea...
c4d2d0573b15c34ab1cf5637989f6229
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30307333
Grace Mugabe: Who is Zimbabwe's former first lady?
Grace Mugabe: Who is Zimbabwe's former first lady? Zimbabwe's former first lady Grace Mugabe, a polarising figure, had for years been positioning herself as a potential successor to her 93-year-old husband Robert as president. Once a quiet figure known for her shopping and her charity work, she became more high-profile...
07d229f59833b25a592a9a520e750f65
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30384481
In pictures: Tanzanian acrobat school
In pictures: Tanzanian acrobat school In Tanzania, it is not unusual to see children and adults performing acrobatic stunts in the streets. But where does the country's reputation as the home of Africa's best acrobats come from? The BBC's Rafael Estefania went to Dar es Salam to find out. When Zimbabwean circus perform...
f69ca058c949c80204e711f205710563
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30512185
Floating arsenals: The boats full of guns for hire against pirates
Floating arsenals: The boats full of guns for hire against pirates The MNG Resolution may not immediately catch the eye but it is one of many floating arsenals, moored in the Gulf of Oman. The shipping container it is carrying is full of weapons, to be used by private security firms protecting ships from pirates. But a...
f7d290d51f863b8c56d7570411815874
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30709581
Dominic Ongwen - from child abductee to LRA rebel commander
Dominic Ongwen - from child abductee to LRA rebel commander Known as the "White Ant", convicted war criminal Dominic Ongwen is estimated to have been between nine and 14 years old when he was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) as he was walking to school in northern Uganda - going on over the next 27 years to...
a151d01ad27cf79c22f8514fbdf73204
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30794831
Tanzania bans witchdoctors over albino attacks
Tanzania bans witchdoctors over albino attacks Tanzania has banned witchdoctors in a move intended to stop attacks on people with albinism. Home Affairs Minister Mathias Chikawe said there would be a nationwide operation to "arrest them and take them to court" if they continued to work. Albino people, who lack pigment ...
a6c5ae5e5084fbde2cc99cc2f4dae932
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30826582
Nigeria's Boko Haram: Baga destruction 'shown in images'
Nigeria's Boko Haram: Baga destruction 'shown in images' Satellite images of Nigerian towns attacked by Boko Haram show widespread destruction and suggest a high death toll, Amnesty International says. They show some 3,700 structures damaged or destroyed in Baga and Doron Baga last week, the human-rights group said. Ni...
fadff30611264948ba54d3eb0fa373bd
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-31019887
Kenya's Christian-owned Hope FM radio hijacked
Kenya's Christian-owned Hope FM radio hijacked Suspected hackers briefly hijacked a popular Christian radio station in Kenya, and played Islamic verses before it went off air. Hope FM said on its Facebook account that a "foreign signal" had interfered with its broadcast on Tuesday night. It resumed transmission about t...
e414df30c323dfdef978b3212b309ea1
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-31624149
Ebola crisis: Sierra Leone's Augustine Baker dies
Ebola crisis: Sierra Leone's Augustine Baker dies A Sierra Leonean who worked with children orphaned by Ebola has died of the disease himself. Augustine Baker had been admitted to an Ebola treatment centre after becoming ill last week. He had worked for an orphanage run by a UK charity on the outskirts of Sierra Leone'...
94501d6b8bbb41d2a8cba3b0ae6ce8a6
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-31849531
Tanzania albino murders: 'More than 200 witchdoctors' arrested
Tanzania albino murders: 'More than 200 witchdoctors' arrested More than 200 witchdoctors and traditional healers have been arrested in Tanzania in a crackdown on the murder of albino people. The killings have been driven by the belief - advanced by some witchdoctors - that the body parts have properties that confer we...
fdf0c8d9878f1711fd5fb8eb59a72435
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32332744
South Africa's Durban city rallies against xenophobia
South Africa's Durban city rallies against xenophobia Up to 5,000 people have taken part in a rally against xenophobia in South Africa's coastal city of Durban following attacks on foreigners. President Jacob Zuma condemned the violence, which have claimed at least five lives, as "shocking", and called for calm to be r...
5ba7da0a7107af6e4ede2808a06dad19
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32412212
Angola police raid Kalupeteka sect in Huambo
Angola police raid Kalupeteka sect in Huambo Police in Angola have denied reports that some 200 members of a sect have been killed but they have confirmed 22 deaths, including nine officers. The main opposition party, Unita, says police carried out a massacre in revenge for the officers' deaths. The clashes occurred in...
86a0e2d40f6cc45aaa4e0e51d2b09d5d
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32874236
'Nigerians now depend on the black market to survive'
'Nigerians now depend on the black market to survive' A big Nigerian bank is shortening its opening times in the latest sign of the impact of the fuel shortage. The party of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has accused the outgoing government of "sabotage" as it is failing to deal with the crisis . The shortage, which ...
40d8284e73e751398313a4783e582fda
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-33228207
Ethiopia election: EPRDF wins every seat in parliament
Ethiopia election: EPRDF wins every seat in parliament Ethiopia's ruling party, the EPRDF, and its allies have won every single parliamentary seat in May's elections, according to official results. This includes the one seat held by an opposition politician following the 2010 poll. Election commission chairman Merga Be...
8f3a38f1d55ed681e489a108d7e8a06a
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-33455563
Ghardaia clashes: At least 22 dead in Algerian oasis city
Ghardaia clashes: At least 22 dead in Algerian oasis city At least 22 people have died in clashes between Arab and Berber communities around the Algerian oasis city of Ghardaia, the state news agency says. The city has seen clashes for the last two years, with rivalry among communities for jobs, housing and land. But t...
02ab5c7af4abc360ba215dc91340cff0
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-33702738
Anti-Boko Haram force 'to cross borders to fight'
Anti-Boko Haram force 'to cross borders to fight' Multinational troops fighting Boko Haram in West Africa will be able to pursue the militants across borders, Nigeria's presidential spokesman says. Garba Shehu told the BBC this was there was now trust between those contributing troops since the election of President Mu...
ec0027f170b3d5fa317b6dc18ce6c9cc
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-33912156
South Sudan: Obstacles to a lasting peace
South Sudan: Obstacles to a lasting peace This was a peace deal signed under duress - as President Salva Kiir made very clear in his speech. So although millions of South Sudanese are rejoicing, there are legitimate doubts about whether the agreement will bring lasting peace. Until Wednesday's dramatic signing ceremony...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34313745?utm_source=Frontier&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=Kenya_ivory_burn&utm_campaign=most_poached_animals
Kenya's ivory inferno: Does burning elephant tusks destroy them?
Kenya's ivory inferno: Does burning elephant tusks destroy them? The largest ever pile of ivory will be set alight in Kenya on Saturday. But will it actually burn? The fire will be seven times bigger than any previous ivory fires - 105 tonnes of tusks have been piled in pyramids, some three metres high (10 feet). The i...
d2b67004aca64e32949e0deb3ab0ceb3
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34398899
Timbuktu mausoleum destruction suspect appears at ICC
Timbuktu mausoleum destruction suspect appears at ICC A suspected Islamist militant accused of destroying cultural sites in Timbuktu has appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC), in the first case of its kind. Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi is suspected of war crimes over the destruction of nine mausoleums and a ...
af674c74507ac65edce437c931a6c009
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34508552
Why I cannot tell 'the African story'
Why I cannot tell 'the African story' Ugandan TV journalist Nancy Kacungira has won the first BBC World News Komla Dumor Award for Africa-based journalists. Here, she explains her dilemma when she is asked to tell "the African story". What comes to your mind when you think of "the African story"? Is it poverty, war and...
30cf17f276c2954f7a8afe775c19ce8b
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34630556
Ivory Coast holds first post-war presidential poll
Ivory Coast holds first post-war presidential poll Ivory Coast is holding a bitterly contested presidential election, the first since the civil war ended in 2011. The poll has been marred by prominent opposition candidates pulling out, citing widespread irregularities. President Alassane Ouattara is running for a secon...
06a2c0fa020b16e6558e670ffe913b0a
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34670600
Living under a shadow of fear in Central African Republic
Living under a shadow of fear in Central African Republic Working days start early in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, and they end early too because of a dusk-to-dawn curfew. The country has been in turmoil since a loose alliance of mainly Muslim rebel groups, operating under the name Seleka, left thei...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34852971
Nigeria blast: Yola market explosion kills 30
Nigeria blast: Yola market explosion kills 30 More than 30 people have been killed in a suicide attack at a market in the northern Nigerian city of Yola, officials say. The blast, heard across the city, struck a busy vegetable market where traders were closing up on Tuesday. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visited ...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-34903828
Burundi violence: US to place sanctions on officials
Burundi violence: US to place sanctions on officials The United States is to put sanctions on four current and former officials in Burundi in connection with the continuing violence there. They include the minister of public security and the deputy director of police. The four will face an asset freeze and visa restric...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35059563
Nhlanhla Nene: South Africa uproar after finance minister sacked
Nhlanhla Nene: South Africa uproar after finance minister sacked The decision by South Africa President Jacob Zuma to sack the finance minister has been widely criticised. South Africa's currency fell close to a record low against the dollar on Thursday morning as the markets were digesting the news. BBC Africa busines...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35159024
Nigeria's Boko Haram 'forces one million out of school'
Nigeria's Boko Haram 'forces one million out of school' An Islamist insurgency has kept about one million children out of school in Nigeria and three neighbouring states, the UN children's agency has said. More than 2,000 schools were shut, while hundreds had been attacked, looted or set ablaze, Unicef said. Boko Haram...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35492525
Kenya refuses to register atheist group
Kenya refuses to register atheist group A group of Kenyan atheists say they have suffered "blatant discrimination" after the authorities refused to register their society. They were told the application was turned down because of concerns that registration could affect the "peace... [and] good order" in the country. Th...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35577300
Uganda opposition candidate Kizza Besigye held by police
Uganda opposition candidate Kizza Besigye held by police One of Uganda's main opposition candidates has been briefly detained by police ahead of presidential elections on Thursday. Kizza Besigye has been arrested on many occasions in the past but this is the first time during this campaign. Mr Besigye has in the past l...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35882396
Boko Haram militants 'took my children' in Chad
Boko Haram militants 'took my children' in Chad Boko Haram has been driven out of most of its bases in northern Nigeria but in the past year, it has moved across the border to Chad. The BBC's Thomas Fessy met one family who have been devastated by the Islamist militant group. Djibrilla, 64, sits quietly in the corner o...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35971793
Djibouti’s thin-skinned democracy
Djibouti’s thin-skinned democracy Djibouti is clearly a little nervous about democracy, as within 48 hours of arriving to report on the forthcoming elections, I was among a three-man BBC team detained and expelled without explanation. The Red Sea nation is an important security hub, hosting military bases from the US a...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35974641
Libya's Tripoli government to step down
Libya's Tripoli government to step down One of two rival governments in Libya has announced that it is stepping down, a justice ministry statement has said. The announcement comes less than a week after the arrival in Tripoli of a UN-backed national unity government. The Tripoli-based administration said it was standin...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35989401
Nigeria Boko Haram militants offered olive branch by army
Nigeria Boko Haram militants offered olive branch by army Nigeria's army says 800 militants from the Islamist Boko Haram group who have surrendered and shown remorse will be rehabilitated into society. They would be profiled, documented and offered training in new skills at several camps currently being set up, the arm...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36041860
Boko Haram abductions: Freed 'bride' tells of stigma ordeal
Boko Haram abductions: Freed 'bride' tells of stigma ordeal Zara is 17 years old and she has a terrible story. It is the story of Boko Haram and what this brutal Islamist group is doing to thousands of people in north-eastern Nigeria and surrounding countries. Zara was kidnapped by Boko Haram and then freed by the army...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36047601
Zimbabwe: 2,000 people join anti-Mugabe protest in Harare
Zimbabwe: 2,000 people join anti-Mugabe protest in Harare Two thousand Zimbabwean opposition supporters, some holding placards calling for 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe to resign, have rallied in the capital Harare. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called for countrywide demonstrations against the deterioratin...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36141930
South African inventor wins Vodacom 'Please Call Me' battle
South African inventor wins Vodacom 'Please Call Me' battle A South African man has won his legal bid to force leading mobile phone firm Vodacom to pay him for inventing a popular messaging service. The country's highest court ordered the firm to compensate ex-employee Nkosana Makate for the Please Call Me service. He ...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36159583
Nigeria's Buhari orders crackdown on Fulani cattle raiders
Nigeria's Buhari orders crackdown on Fulani cattle raiders Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the security forces to crack down on cattle raiders accused of killing hundreds of people this year. Soldiers and police would "go after the groups terrorising innocent people all over the country", he said. The ...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36300592
Somaliland: Making a success of 'independence'
Somaliland: Making a success of 'independence' Exactly 25 years ago, after a ferocious civil war, north-west Somalia broke away from the rest of the country and declared itself independent. A quarter of a century later, not a single country recognises Somaliland, but this territory of about 3.5 million people is arguab...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36553127
Ugandan soldier shoots seven dead in Kampala barracks
Ugandan soldier shoots seven dead in Kampala barracks A Ugandan soldier has killed seven people, including three children, in a shooting spree at a military police barracks in the capital, Kampala. The soldier, Sgt Isaac Obua, was then shot dead himself. Military police spokesman Maj Edward Birungi said Sgt Obua had ha...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36776401
Zimbabwe shutdown: What is behind the protests?
Zimbabwe shutdown: What is behind the protests? Zimbabweans are being urged on social media and the messaging service WhatsApp to observe a two-day national "shutdown" in protest at the government's alleged mismanagement of the country. A one-day stay away was organised last week and led to a complete shutdown of schoo...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36794384
Zimbabwe's pastor 'hero': #ThisFlag preacher
Zimbabwe's pastor 'hero': #ThisFlag preacher A Zimbabwean pastor is being hailed by many of his countrymen as a hero on social media for calling for an end to the country's economic woes. With no known political credentials but with a powerful mix of religion and patriotism, Evan Mawarire seems to have won over Zimbabw...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36875676
Koffi Olomide case: Kenya deports singer over airport 'kick'
Koffi Olomide case: Kenya deports singer over airport 'kick' The Kenyan authorities have deported one of Africa's biggest musicians, Koffi Olomide, after he was filmed apparently kicking a woman. Footage of the incident at Nairobi's international airport was posted online and sparked outrage on social media. Olomide, f...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36940906?SThisFB
What is behind Ethiopia's wave of protests?
What is behind Ethiopia's wave of protests? Ethiopia's Olympic marathon silver medallist Feyisa Lilesa crossed his hands above his head as he finished the race in Rio - bringing the world's attention to a wave of protests in his home country. It is an anti-government gesture used by protesters in the Oromia region. Eth...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-37365835
US lifts decades-long trade sanctions against Myanmar
US lifts decades-long trade sanctions against Myanmar Long-standing trade sanctions against Myanmar are to be lifted, US President Barack Obama has said. The news came as Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, arrived in Washington on her first official visit. Myanmar's access to trade benefits for poorer nations...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-37840961
UN sacks South Sudan peacekeeping chief over damning report
UN sacks South Sudan peacekeeping chief over damning report UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has sacked the commander of the UN force in South Sudan after a report said it had failed to protect civilians in July. The report backed claims by aid workers that the UN troops refused to respond when government soldiers atta...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-37948866
Zimbabwe drops charges against Cecil the lion hunter
Zimbabwe drops charges against Cecil the lion hunter A Zimbabwe court has dropped charges against a professional hunter alleged to have helped an American dentist to kill a famous lion named Cecil. It ruled that the charges against Theo Bronkhorst "were too vague to enable to him to mount a proper defence". His lawyer,...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38078238
Bamenda protests: Mass arrests in Cameroon
Bamenda protests: Mass arrests in Cameroon At least 100 people have been arrested following days of protests against the use of French in courts and schools in English-speaking parts of Cameroon. Several others are being treated with bullet wounds in hospital in the region's main city, Bamenda. Lawyers are opposed to t...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38239138
Kenya Muslims 'targeted in extrajudicial killings'
Kenya Muslims 'targeted in extrajudicial killings' Kenya's anti-terror police have carried out at least 81 extrajudicial killings in country's mainly Muslim coastal region since 2012, a rights group says. Haki Africa said the figure could be higher but some families were reluctant to come forward for fear of victimisat...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38402728
Africa's top shots: 16-22 December 2016
Africa's top shots: 16-22 December 2016 A selection of the best photos from across Africa this week: Images courtesy of AFP, EPA, Reuters
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38574457
Morocco 'bans the sale and production of the burka'
Morocco 'bans the sale and production of the burka' Morocco has banned the sale, production and import of the burka, according to local reports. Letters announcing the ban were sent out on Monday, giving businesses 48 hours to get rid of their stock, the reports stated. There was no official announcement from the gover...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38663693
Al-Qaeda affiliate claims Mali car bomb attack in Gao
Al-Qaeda affiliate claims Mali car bomb attack in Gao Al-Qaeda's North African affiliate says a group linked to it carried out the suicide attack that killed at least 50 people in northern Mali. A vehicle packed with explosives detonated at a camp housing soldiers and members of rival armed groups in the region's main ...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38730741
Nigeria air strike dead 'rises to 115' in Rann
Nigeria air strike dead 'rises to 115' in Rann The number of people mistakenly killed last week in an air attack on a camp for those who have fled conflict in north-east Nigeria has been revised to 115, an official has told the BBC. Camp residents and aid workers were among those killed when the air force bombed Rann, ...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39096885
South Sudan conflict: The hungry emerge from swampland for aid
South Sudan conflict: The hungry emerge from swampland for aid Three years of civil war in South Sudan have driven thousands of families into the marshes of the Nile to hide from the fighting. A famine has been declared some parts. The BBC's Alastair Leithead has been to the rebel-held town Thonyor in Leer County, wher...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39266509
Libya's Khalifa Haftar 'retakes oil ports from Islamist militia'
Libya's Khalifa Haftar 'retakes oil ports from Islamist militia' Forces loyal to Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar say they have retaken key oil-rich areas in the country's east. Ground, sea and air forces were engaged in the fight for sites at Ras Lanuf, Sidra and Ben Jawad from a rival Islamist militia, a spok...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39279210
Ethiopia landslide: Number of dead at rubbish dump hits 113
Ethiopia landslide: Number of dead at rubbish dump hits 113 The death toll from Saturday's landslide at a vast dump in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, has now risen to 113 people, local officials say. A search operation at the Koshe landfill will continue overnight. As many as 150 people are believed to have been at t...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39283911
Somalia ship hijack: Maritime piracy threatens to return
Somalia ship hijack: Maritime piracy threatens to return The hijacking of a merchant fuel tanker by pirates off the Somali coast this week has sent shockwaves through parts of the shipping industry. It is the first successful hijacking of a major commercial vessel in the Somali Basin since 2012 and is prompting debate ...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39332438
Chad's ancient Ennedi cave paintings defaced
Chad's ancient Ennedi cave paintings defaced Ancient cave paintings at a world heritage site in the Sahara desert have been defaced with graffiti, Chad's minister of culture has told the BBC. The graffiti drawn on the paintings, which are about 8,000 years old, was "a tragedy... offensive to the whole history and memor...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39846326
Nigeria Chibok girls: Parents learning if daughters among those freed
Nigeria Chibok girls: Parents learning if daughters among those freed Parents of the missing Chibok girls are slowly learning if their daughters are among the 82 freed by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria two days ago. The girls' names were put on Twitter by the president's office on Sunday. They were flown to the capita...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39855735
How do you solve a problem like Somalia?
How do you solve a problem like Somalia? This Thursday, the great and the good will descend on London to discuss Somalia , a country that has topped the Fragile States Index for eight of the past 10 years. The London Somalia Conference, co-chaired by the UK, Somalia and the United Nations, will be held in Lancaster Hou...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40236808
Gaddafi's son Saif freed in Libya
Gaddafi's son Saif freed in Libya Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, second son of the late deposed Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, has been freed from jail under an amnesty law. His father's preferred successor, he had been held by a militia in the town of Zintan for the past six years. The Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Battalion said he...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40261913
Fin - the secret Facebook group of Nigerian women
Fin - the secret Facebook group of Nigerian women It is one of Facebook's fastest growing communities and has become such a phenomenon that last week, Mark Zuckerberg asked to meet its founder. But what is Fin? Female IN or Fin is a "secret" Facebook group that has recently clocked up over a million members, largely fr...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40733455
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma - South Africa's first female leader?
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma - South Africa's first female leader? South Africa's President Jacob Zuma is keen to hand over the reins of power to the mother of his children. Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma, 68 - a senior member of the governing African National Congress (ANC) - has been criss-crossing the country in recent mo...
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40740359
Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe urged by first lady to name heir
Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe urged by first lady to name heir Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, 93, has been urged by his wife to name his successor in order to end divisions over who the next leader will be. The president should not be "afraid" to choose his heir and his word would be "final", Grace Mugabe said. Mr Muga...