BBC News Africa

Sudan's health ministry says it will immunise children against measles across the country, where more than three million people have been forced from their homes since fighting began in April.

"Most of the displacement camps offer vaccination services through traveling medical teams," says Health Minister Haitham Ibrahim. The doses were provided by the UN's children fund, Unicef.

White Nile and Sennar are likely to be the first states targeted. Remote areas including Darfur, which has seen some of the worst fighting, are also said to be a priority even though staffing levels are at 60% because of a lack of funding.

It's not clear how they will contend with ongoing fighting between Sudan's rival military forces, or if they've been granted safe passage to do their job.

Some regions have been more challenging than others, Mr Ibrahim tells the BBC.

"[In] Al-Gezira state the vaccination service covers 90% of the children including internally displaced people. In some states the vaccination services dropped from 60% to only 47%."

Measles is a serious concern, with 1,000 cases detected across seven states and a number of child deaths, he says.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Mozambique's first maritime court has opened in the capital, Maputo.

Coastal northern Mozambique has been hit by a six-year-long jihadist insurgency, while other national security threats include piracy, sea pollution, illegal fishing and the trafficking of drugs and people.

The country shares maritime borders with Tanzania, Madagascar and South Africa.

The new court will be led by Judge João Guilherme.

Somali novice sprinter Nasra Abubakar Ali, who's faced ridicule online, says she was chosen to compete by her university association and was suffering from a sprained leg when she raced this week.

Ali was competing in the 100m at the World University Games in China on Wednesday. Brazil's Gabriela Silva Mourão won the race with a time of 11.58 seconds while Ali finished last on 21.81 seconds.

She defended her performance in a Facebook interview with journalist Munasar Mohamed, saying the backlash she's received is unfair and her efforts should be considered courageous:

"I was heavily criticised for my performance despite the fact that I was injured... I made an attempt. If I had succeeded, they would have cheered me," she added.

Since Wednesday's race, the chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation has been accused of abusing her power and defaming Somalia and suspended from her position.

The Association of Somali Universities said it had not appointed any athlete to compete in the event, a press release on its Facebook page said.

Niger's military junta has cut ties with Nigeria, Togo, the US and France following failed talks with a delegation from the regional bloc, Ecowas, that were aimed at resolving the political stand-off after President Mohamed Bazoum's ousting last week.

Junta member Col Amadou Abdramane made the announcement on state TV on behalf on the coup leaders, recalling Niger's ambassadors from those four nations.

A delegation led by Nigeria’s former military head of state, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, met some members of the military junta on Thursday but left after just a few hours without any sign of progress.

The Nigerian President and Ecowas head, Bola Tinubu, has yet to respond to Niger's cutting of diplomatic ties.

West African defence chiefs are set to conclude a three-day meeting in Nigeria on possible military interventions to pursue should diplomacy fail.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

After 18 years of operating in Kampala, the UN's human rights mission will close on Saturday because the Ugandan government has ended its mandate.

Sub-offices in Gulu and Moroto, in northern Uganda, have already closed.

It comes after Uganda passed some of the world's harshest anti-LGBT laws against the advice of local and international rights groups, including the UN.

In a statement on Friday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was urging the government to ensure Uganda's national human rights body can function effectively and independently, as the main body tasked with human rights oversight in the country.

Mr Türk said the majority of 54 NGOs that were "arbitrarily suspended" in 2021 remain closed, and Uganda's amended computer misuse law could limit free expression even more.

He also expressed deep concern about the run-up to elections in 2026, saying human rights defenders, civil society actors and journalists in Uganda were operating in an increasingly hostile environment.

Explaining its decision to end the mandate of the UN's human rights office earlier this year, Uganda's foreign ministry assured the UN of its "commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights", and the presence of "strong national human rights institutions and a vibrant civil society".

AFPCopyright: AFP

The coup leaders in Niger have cited the continued insecurity in the country as one of the reasons why they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum last week. But a rift between some in the military and the president had been building up, according to an expert speaking on the BBC's Africa Daily podcast.

Olayinka Ajala, from Leeds Beckett University, said that there was an ethnic dimension to the power struggle as well as a growing anger at the presence of foreign troops in the country.

President Bazoum is from the country's ethnic Arab minority and was seen by some as having foreign origins, Dr Ajala told the BBC.

"This did not sit well within the military circle, which is predominantly composed of the larger ethnic groups," the expert has written.

Dr Ajala also said that the transfer of French troops to Niger after they were expelled from Mali last year and the siting of US and French drone bases in the country became increasingly difficult for some in the Nigerien military.

David Kampmann from BBC Monitoring also said that there had been reports that the man at the helm of the coup, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, was about to be replaced by Mr Bazoum as head of the presidential guard as part of reforms to the security apparatus.

He then pre-empted this move by ousting the president. But these are unconfirmed rumours, Mr Kampmann points out.

Listen to the Africa Daily episode here.

Zimbabwe police have now arrested 10 people in the political violence that killed an opposition supporter at a campaign rally south of the capital, Harare, on Thursday.

A police spokesman says the group is assisting with investigations.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

The police in Zimbabwe have arrested two people following the death of an opposition supporter during political skirmishes at a campaign rally south of the capital, Harare, on Thursday.

A video posted on social media appeared to show Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members and vehicles fleeing the scene followed by a group of people throwing stones.

Local human rights monitors say the country is witnessing rising levels of violence and rights violations as the country prepares to hold general elections later this month.

The police say investigations are conitinuing into the violence that led to the death of Tinashe Chitsunge.

While official details remain sketchy, CCC eye witnesses say they were heading to a pre-booked venue for a rally in Glen Norah.

They say that it was supporters of the governing Zanu-PF party who had camped at the rally grounds who then chased them away, ripped up their campaign posters and stoned them.

They say Mr Chitsunge was hit and fell to the ground.

He then may have been run over by a CCC-affiliated vehicle that was fleeing the violence.

@GovernorAUFCopyright: @GovernorAUF

The announcement by the governor of north-east Nigeria's Adamawa state that he was appointing a 47-strong media team has been met with anger and ridicule.

Ahmadu Fintiri's tweet listing all the names has been viewed a million times, according to the social media site.

There are:

• Two special advisers
• Ten senior special assistants
• And 35 "special assistants social media and content creation"

"I'm confident that this diverse and talented team will play a crucial role in enhancing our communication efforts and strengthening our public engagement," the governor wrote.

Reacting underneath, people have been asking why he needs such a huge group.

Some responded on X, previously known as Twitter, with laughter emojis and memes.

One person joked that even Nollywood stars didn't have such large media teams.

Staying with the theme, another said that "maybe this man wants to open a media production company to rival Universal Studios".

In an angry comment, one tweeter asked how the governor planned "to reduce the cost of governance with so much advisers on media only".

The state of people's personal budgets is on the minds of many in Adamawa state and beyond as prices continue to rise.

Last weekend, looters raided warehouses in the state capital, Yola, in a move that was seen by some as a response to the increasing difficulties that people are facing.

A West African delegation which was supposed to be mediating in Niger following last week's coup has left after just a few hours without any sign of progress.

The negotiators appointed by the regional body Ecowas didn't meet the coup leader or the deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum.

Ecowas has imposed sanctions on Niger and has threatened to use force if Mr Bazoum is not reinstated.

He has urged the rest of the world to help restore constitutional order.

Mr Bazoum warned that the entire Sahel region could fall under Russian influence.

Late on Thursday the coup leaders in Niger criticised all military agreements with France. French troops are in the country to fight Islamist extremists.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Ethiopia’s cabinet has agreed to declare a state of emergency in the restive Amhara region following days of clashes between local militias and the army.

The move comes a day after Amhara region’s head, Yilkal Kefale, called on the federal government to intervene, declaring security in the region had become “difficult to control within regular law enforcement mechanisms”.

Local militias, known as the Fano, have reportedly gained control of several towns and villages as well as some bigger cities.

Flights have been suspended to at least two cities in the region and the mobile data services have been cut off.

A statement published by the prime minister’s office said the constitutional order was under threat in the region, explaining the need for a state of emergency decree.

The decision still has to be approved by parliament to take effect.