The self-styled prophet says he skipped bail and left South Africa because he had received death threats.
Read moreBBC News Africa

Video 1 minute 4 seconds
Ethiopia conflict spreading as rockets hit Eritrea
The attacks from a restive region mark a major uptick in a conflict which is displacing thousands.
Top Stories

Video 1 minute 4 seconds
Ethiopia conflict spreading as rockets hit Eritrea
The attacks from a restive region mark a major uptick in a conflict which is displacing thousands.

Millionaire preacher flees S Africa before trial
The self-styled prophet says he skipped bail and left South Africa because he had received death threats.

Nigerian army denies firing live rounds at protest
Multiple eyewitnesses say they saw soldiers shoot and kill unarmed anti-police brutality protesters.

Culture clash over Nigeria's rival alphabets
A court case of the use of Arabic script on the local currency reveals deep cultural and religious divides.

Video 1 minute 33 seconds
Trove of sarcophagi unearthed in Egypt
Archaeologists opened one coffin to reveal a mummy, dating back over 2,500 years.

Video 1 minute 4 seconds
'We fled from death and murder'
Ethiopians explain why they fled their homes in Tigray to seek refuge in Sudan.

Video 2 minutes 26 seconds
'I'm just an ordinary, hungry, screaming Ghanaian'
Through decades of speeches and interviews, this is how Jerry John Rawlings spoke of his vision for Ghana and for Africa.
Featured Contents

Video 1 minute 4 seconds
Ethiopia conflict spreading as rockets hit Eritrea
The attacks from a restive region mark a major uptick in a conflict which is displacing thousands.

Millionaire preacher flees S Africa before trial
The self-styled prophet says he skipped bail and left South Africa because he had received death threats.

Nigerian army denies firing live rounds at protest
Multiple eyewitnesses say they saw soldiers shoot and kill unarmed anti-police brutality protesters.

Culture clash over Nigeria's rival alphabets
A court case of the use of Arabic script on the local currency reveals deep cultural and religious divides.

Video 1 minute 33 seconds
Trove of sarcophagi unearthed in Egypt
Archaeologists opened one coffin to reveal a mummy, dating back over 2,500 years.

Video 1 minute 4 seconds
'We fled from death and murder'
Ethiopians explain why they fled their homes in Tigray to seek refuge in Sudan.

Video 2 minutes 26 seconds
'I'm just an ordinary, hungry, screaming Ghanaian'
Through decades of speeches and interviews, this is how Jerry John Rawlings spoke of his vision for Ghana and for Africa.

Millionaire preacher flees S Africa before trial
The self-styled prophet says he skipped bail and left South Africa because he had received death threats.

Nigerian army denies firing live rounds at protest
Multiple eyewitnesses say they saw soldiers shoot and kill unarmed anti-police brutality protesters.

Culture clash over Nigeria's rival alphabets
A court case of the use of Arabic script on the local currency reveals deep cultural and religious divides.
Features & Analysis
Watch/Listen
Latest Updates
By Desta Gebremedhin
BBC Tigrinya
Video content
Video caption: Egypt: More than 100 intact sarcophagi unearthed near Cairo Archaeologists opened one coffin to reveal a mummy, dating back over 2,500 years.
Scroll down for Friday's stories
We’ll be back on Monday
That's all from BBC Africa Live for now, we'll be back on Monday at 0430 GMT.
Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or check the BBC News website.
A reminder of today's wise words:
Quote Message: A man who believes that he can do everything, let him dig a grave and bury himself" from An Igbo proverb sent by Emeka Obia, Lagos, Nigeria.Click here and scroll to the bottom to send us your African proverbs.
And we leave you with this picture from Johannesburg. It's one of our favourite pictures from the week.
Copyright: EPAKufuor: Rawlings contained his reservations about me
Copyright: AFPImage caption: Ex-President Jerry Rawlings died on Thursday at the age of 73 Ghana's former President John Kufuor has said he was "deeply saddened" by Thursday's death of his immediate predecessor Jerry John Rawlings at the age of 73.
He and Mr Kufuor were ideological opponents and rarely saw eye to eye.
Rawlings, Ghana's longest serving head of state, refused to attend the country's celebrations marking 50 years of independence in 2007 because he accused then-President Kufuor of oppressing Ghanaians.
But in his statement, Mr Kufuor praised Rawlings' willingness to relinquish power in 2001 after his two terms were up.
He "obviously tried to contain whatever reservations he had about me and my government".
Reviewing Rawlings' nearly two decades in power, Mr Kufuor said "even though it wasn't always [that] he and I agreed on many matters of state - I felt he was trying to do the best he knew and could, under his peculiar circumstances".
He will be remembered for "contributing to the sustenance of democratic governance" in Ghana, Mr Kufuor added.
Read more:
Innoss'B is still astonished by his own success

Ata Ahli Ahebla
This is Africa, BBC World Service
Copyright: Studio KimiaAt the age of 12 the Congolese singer, Innoss’B won a nationwide talent contest fronted by Senegalese-American superstar Akon.
Since then he’s released a steady flow of danceable hits, but it’s now, a decade later, at the age of 23 that he has really hit the big time.
His song Yope was spotted by Tanzania's Diamond Platnumz last year and their remixed version has been viewed more than 120 million times on YouTube.
Quote Message: I thank Diamond, I will never stop thanking him for believing in the song.Quote Message: That song has opened so many doors for me – I’ve been seeing for the first time people from Asia dancing to my songs, I was nominated at the BET awards, and look at me I’m doing this interview on the BBC. It’s non-stop!”Innoss’B is mindful of his roots in Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Quote Message: My whole family’s still in Goma so my whole spirit is still out there, and I always feel like I have to be the messenger, I have to tell people what’s going on.Quote Message: Our governments have to take responsibility now because I was born 23 years ago and I was born in the same war situation, and to this day people of my generation, little kids, they cannot think about positive things they’re all just worried about what’s going to happen to them. The insecurity doesn’t help them grow their mindset, they’re just stuck in warring and worry.Quote Message: My goal is to show that we have so many other beautiful things to offer apart from violence and wars.”Quote Message: So now they know a little kid from Goma can have one of the biggest songs in Africa, and he is from Goma!"You can hear more from Innoss’B on This is Africa this weekend, on BBC World Service radio and partner stations across Africa and online.
Tunisian football fans return from protest at sea

BBC World Service
Copyright: Getty ImagesImage caption: The Tunisian football fans boarded fishing boats on 12 November Five boatloads of Tunisian football fans who had threatened to leave the country in protest at the treatment of their team have returned home.
Around 300 supporters from the town of Chebba were angry that the footballing authorities had banned their club, Croissant Sportif Chebbien, over a bureaucratic matter.
They were so disgusted that they said they would migrate to Europe, and headed off in a flotilla.
But they came back after a day at sea, saying they had received assurances from the authorities that the dispute involving the club would be settled soon.
Copyright: BBCOnly three survive migrant boat disaster
UN officials say 20 migrants are believed to have drowned when their boat was lost off the Libyan coast.
There were only three survivors.
The boat had set out for Europe from the western town of Surman.
Reports of its loss started coming through late on Thursday just hours after the UN said at least 74 people had died when another migrant vessel had foundered.
It had left from the port of Khums.
Magufuli 'says freedom and democracy have limits'
Copyright: Getty ImagesImage caption: Mr Magufuli won the presidential election by a landslide Tanzania's President John Magufuli has said that freedom and democracy have limits, reports the AFP news agency.
"The purpose of freedom and democracy is to bring about development, not chaos...
"Freedom, rights and democracy go with responsibility and each has limits. I hope I'm well understood," Mr Magufuli is quoted by AFP as saying as he was inaugurating the new parliament.
The comments come after the president won 84% of the vote in the election last month.
In addition, his CCM party won nearly every seat in parliament.
The poll has been rejected by the opposition as fraudulent.
The electoral commission denied that the vote was rigged.
UN calls for help for people trapped in Mozambique conflict

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service
Copyright: Getty ImagesImage caption: Thousands have fled their homes The UN has called for urgent measures to protect civilians in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, where Islamist militants have stepped up attacks and there have been reports of beheadings and kidnappings.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned that the population was in a desperate situation - trapped in conflict-affected areas with barely any means of survival.
She called on the Mozambican government to guarantee unhindered access for humanitarian agencies.
More than 350,000 people have been displaced by the violence over the last three years, the UN says.
Since mid-October, more than 14,000 people have fled by sea to the provincial capital, Pemba.
Dozens have died when their boat capsized.
Scuffles as top ANC official appears in court for graft case

BBC World Service
Copyright: Getty ImagesOne of South Africa's most senior politicians has appeared in court on corruption charges.
The secretary general of the governing ANC party, Ace Magashule, has denied involvement in a multi-million dollar procurement scandal over a government housing contract.
There were scuffles outside the courthouse in Bloemfontein as his supporters angrily declared he was the victim of a political witch hunt.
Prosecutors, who have already charged more junior officials and businessmen in the same case, insist they have evidence that Mr Magashule was involved.
He was released on bail.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to fight against the corruption that flourished under his predecessor Jacob Zuma.
Archaeologists to dig in former African Kingdom of Benin

BBC World Service
Copyright: Getty ImagesImage caption: British soldiers and sailors stole thousands of sculptures from the site in 1897 A joint archaeological project between Nigeria and Britain has been announced that will investigate a site in southern Nigeria hugely important to the former African Kingdom of Benin.
Excavations in Benin City, formerly known as Edo, will begin next year.
A museum will then be built on the site, incorporating important artefacts unearthed during the dig.
British troops razed the whole city to the ground in 1897 to avenge the killing of an earlier force.
Countless artefacts were looted.
The new Edo museum will also reunite artworks now held abroad.
The site of Benin city is not part of modern-day Benin, on Nigeria's western border.
Read more: Nigeria's opportunity for return of Benin Bronzes
Copyright: BBCBy Oluwashina Okeleji
Football Writer, Nigeria
Ethiopia Tigray crisis: UN says massacre could be a war crime

BBC World Service
Copyright: BBCThe UN Human Rights Commissioner is warning that reports of mass killings in Ethiopia, would, if verified, amount to war crimes.
This comes after Amnesty International reported that scores of civilians had been killed in a town in Tigray state.
Speaking in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet called for a full investigation and said those responsible must be held accountable.
The authorities in Tigray have denied eyewitness reports that Tigrayan forces carried out the killings.
Ms Bachelet said the first priority must be ending the fighting.
The UN fears the conflict could spiral out of control and even spread across Ethiopia’s borders.
Thousands of people are already fleeing the fighting into neighbouring Sudan.
The UN refugee agency said many are children who are arriving exhausted and terrified.
Polisario says Moroccan military has broken ceasefire

BBC World Service
Copyright: BBCThe pro-independence, Polisario Front says a three-decades-old ceasefire in Western Sahara has been ended by a Moroccan military operation in a buffer zone.
A senior Polisario official said "war had started".
Earlier Morocco said it intended to clear the main road between Western Sahara and neighbouring Mauritania.
Polisario supporters have been blocking the highway for weeks.
Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, was annexed by Morocco in 1975. Since then it's been the subject of a dispute between the Moroccans and the indigenous people, led by the Polisario Front.
Senegal's Senghor final bidder for Caf presidency
Copyright: BBCImage caption: Augustin Senghor, president of Senegal's football federation. Senegal Football Federation president Augustin Senghor has submitted his candidacy for the Confederation of African Football (Caf) presidential elections in March.
Senghor, who has yet to publicly announce his campaign, told BBC Sport Africa he is the fifth candidate for the elections when asked if he had applied.
"Yes, this is true," the Caf Executive Committee member replied. "When the time comes, I will communicate about this candidacy. This will be after our game against Guinea-Bissau on Sunday."
Senghor is understood to be awaiting official approval from Senegal President Macky Sall to run before publicly announcing his bid.
Probe into arrest of journalists in Ethiopia begins
The journalism advocacy group Reporters Without Borders is investigating the arrest of at least six journalists in Ethiopia amid the ongoing conflict in Tigray.
The organisation said the arrests were conducted in "very secretive conditions".
"Many journalists have been prevented from covering this issue," it tweeted:
The federal government forces and those loyal to the Tigray regional government have been fighting in the northern state over the last couple of weeks.
Read more:













































