BBC News Africa

EPACopyright: EPA

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is expected to address the country’s parliament on Thursday as pressure mounts on his government over the killing of hundreds of ethnic minorities in two separate attacks in recent weeks.

The violence last month in farming villages in Oromia region, in the country’s west, claimed more than 300 lives.

Many were killed in yetanother attack two weeks later.

This will be Mr Abiy’s second appearance before lawmakers in less than a month.

While authorities have been quick in blaming a rebel group for the attacks in Oromia, public anger has been directed towards the government with some accusing officials of complicity.

Protests were held in multiple places in recent weeks.

And with violence continuing to rage in several parts of the country, questions are being raised about the government’s capacity to deal with insecurity.

There has been a lull in fighting in a civil war in northern Ethiopia after a humanitarian truce was declared in March.

But conflicts in other parts of Ethiopia indicate the country is still struggling with violence.

Mozambique PresidencyCopyright: Mozambique Presidency

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone conversation on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

The two leaders discussed the situation regarding the war as well as the impact it is having on food security, according to a tweet by Mr Zelensky.

The conflict in Ukraine has worsened already existing grain shortages in Africa caused by bad harvests and insecurity. Over 40% of wheat consumed in Africa usually comes from Russia and Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader also congratulated Mozambique on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Mr Zelensky expressed his interest in explaining to African countries about the security situation in his country.

On his part, the Mozambican president said why his country abstained from voting on a UN resolution that condemned Russia's invasion of its neighbour.

Mr Nyusi said the dispute should be resolved through dialogue.

He welcomed Mr Zelensky's intention to speak to African countries.

AFPCopyright: AFP

A Nigerian senator will appear in court in London later Thursday, accused of trying to take a child to the UK in order to harvest his organs.

Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice are charged with offences under legislation to combat modern slavery.

They have been in custody in Britain since last month.

The Metropolitan Police, which arrested the couple, says the alleged victim is 15 years old.

It will be Mr Ekweremadu’s third appearance before the court. He has not entered a plea.

His arrest and detention along with his wife has triggered a move by the Nigerian parliament to get the country’s High Commission in the UK to hire a lawyer for his defence.

AFPCopyright: AFP

The presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have held talks at a time of increased tension over violence in eastern DR Congo.

DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi said after the meeting in Angola that he and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame had agreed to restore trust and de-escalate tension.

Angolan President João Lourenço has been mediating the talks. He announced a "ceasefire" without giving any details.

“I am pleased to announce that we have had positive results, in our view, in that we have agreed on a ceasefire, among other measures," he said at the end of the talks.

There have been diplomatic tensions between the two neighbours - with DR Congo accusing Rwanda of backing a Tutsi militia known as the M23. Kigali denies this.

On Wednesday there were handshakes between the two leaders and some optimism – judging by the Congolese president’s comments.

Mr Tshisekedi said he and Mr Kagame had agreed to normalise diplomatic relations which have been extremely tense in recent weeks.

He also mentioned the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the M23 rebel group from its positions in eastern DR Congo.

Quite how that will be achieved is unclear.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Renowned Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga is planning to challenge an arrest warrant after she failed to appear in court over a charge of incitement to violence.

Dangarembga told the BBC that she missed the late June court appearance because of a medical condition.

The charge relates to anti-government protests that had been reportedly planned in 2020, but the novelist denies accusations that she incited violence against the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The author of award-winning books Nervous Conditions and This Mournable Body has spent the last year tutoring aspiring writers across Africa.

She's been telling them about the importance of creativity on the continent - that “the problems we have need to be solved by new ideas".

"Writing is an act of bravery, it’s an act which requires courage," she added.

Dangarembga says she trusts the Zimbabwean justice system to do its job when it rules on her case.

Mozambique PresidencyCopyright: Mozambique Presidency

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has thanked his Italian counterpart for the training his troops have received in the fight against Islamist insurgents in the country's northernmost region.

“We would like to express, Mr Sergio Mattarella, our deep gratitude to Italy, which is part of the European Union's military training mission," Mr Nyusi said in a speech last night at a banquet honouring the Italian president.

In his remarks, Mr Mattarella said Italy would also offer technical and scientific training to help Mozambique explore hydrocarbons.

Italian energy company ENI has been doing natural gas exploration in the Cabo Delgado province, which has been severely disrupted by militant activities since 2017.

Aron WeldegebrealCopyright: Aron Weldegebreal

Residents of a town in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region are still searching for missing bodies after heavy rain and flooding killed at least 10 people last week.

Residents of Selekleka town, in north-west Tigray, say the search is continuing amid fears that the death toll could rise.

Teame Woldegebriel, a resident of the town, told the BBC that the 10 bodies recovered had already been buried.

He said the town had been swamped and “many people” swept away in the 26 June incident.

“[The flood] destroyed shops at the market site. Everyone there was also swept away by the floods. There are others whose bodies haven’t been found,’’ Mr Teame said.

Other residents told the BBC that the heavy floods had destroyed homes, markets and crops.

Guesh Aregay said he was the only one to have survived out of the dozens of people who were at the Selekleka market during the flooding incident.

“We were 25 people together. I’m the only survivor, the rest were swept away by the flood. Two mothers who were here in the market were swept away with their children.

He said though he had survived, he lost 80,000 birr ($1,530; £1,280).

“Now I don’t have anything, I’m just on an empty stomach,” he said.

Tadelech Gela told the BBC that her home was swamped while she was in and had lost all her belongings. She said was rescued by nearby forces but now had nothing to eat.

The residents say many of them had been displaced from their homes but there was no-one who had come to offer help.

Tigray authorities have not responded to the BBC’s queries on the matter.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Suspected Boko Haram militants are among 436 inmates on the run after gunmen from the extremist group attacked a prison outside the Nigerian capital, Abuja, government officials say.

Some 879 detainees escaped after Tuesday night's attack but 443 of them have been recaptured, Umar Abubakar, spokesman for the Correctional Service, has said.

Shuaibu Belgore, a senior official from the interior ministry said the attackers were Boko Haram militants and, "they came specifically for their co-conspirators."

He added that that some of the escapees either returned voluntarily or had been recaptured.

Witnesses said they heard loud explosions and gunfire around the Kuje prison last night.

The prison was holding a number of high-profile detainees, including suspected militants and jailed politicians.

This is the latest in a series of jailbreaks in Nigeria in which more than 5,000 inmates have escaped since 2020.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Officials in Nigeria say dozens of Boko Haram suspects are missing after a prison in the capital, Abuja, was attacked by armed men on Tuesday night.

The authorities have not said the total number of inmates who are on the run.

Witnesses described hearing loud explosions and gunfire around the Kuje prison.

The security forces said they later retook control of the facility.

Islamist militants have carried out several jailbreaks across Nigeria in recent years.

Other armed criminal gangs have also carried out similar attacks.

More than 5,000 inmates have escaped since 2020.

Hours before the latest prison attack, gunmen opened fire on a presidential in the north of the country. President Muhammadu Buhari was not in any of the vehicles.

AFPCopyright: AFP

The president of Democratic Republic of Congo has warned that his country could be on the brink of a war with Rwanda amid worsening relations between the two neighbours.

“This possibility cannot be ruled out. If Rwanda’s provocation continues, we will not sit and do nothing about it. We are not weak,” Félix Tshisekedi told UK newspaper Financial Times in an interview.

He accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group and also of having "illicit vested economic interests in the DRC."

Mr Tshisekedi is set to meet his Rwanda counterpart Paul Kagame on Wednesday in Angola.

The Congolese leader told the FT ahead of the meeting that Mr Kagame should show "sincerity" in discussions and admit that his government was backing M23 rebels whose activities, among other groups, have destabilised mineral-rich eastern DR Congo.

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has repeatedly rejected the accusations.

He said on Monday that the ongoing crisis was an internal DR Congo matter and his country was not involved.