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Live Reporting

Hugo Williams and Damian Zane

All times stated are UK

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  1. Goodnight - we'll be back tomorrow

    That's it for today on the BBC Africa Live page. Download the Africa Today podcast and visit BBCAfrica.com for the latest news on the continent.

    We leave you with this image from Ethiopia as people there mourn the 20 Ethiopians killed by the Islamic State group in Libya.

    Ethiopians in mourning
  2. Army deploys

    Soldiers have started arriving in the Alexandra township in Johannesburg as part of a plan to prevent attacks on foreigners, reports the BBC's Nomsa Maseko.

    Their deployment was announced earlier in the day by Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. The army was intervening because an "emergency" had developed, she said.

  3. Focus TV

    Focus on Africa TV on BBC World News at 17:30 GMT tonight will be reporting from Sicily where Peter Musembi has visited an abandoned hotel that has been turned into a refugee centre.

    Presenter Sophie Ikenye will be asking the African Union's Commissioner for Social Affairs if the continent can do more to tackle the crisis.

    Sophie Ikenye
  4. Broadcast from a migrant rescue boat

    The BBC's World Have Your Say has broadcast a special programme on the Mediterranean migrant crisis from a search and rescue vessel moored off Malta. The Phoenix vessel is part of an effort by the Migrant Offshore Aid Station, a privately-funded mission to help save migrants.

    the Phoenix serach and rescue vessel in Malta

    Ahmed (pictured below on the right), a Somali migrant who recently arrived in Malta, told the programme: "I came to Malta because of the war in my country. I want to integrate with Maltese people, I'm not here to disrupt your country". You can listen to the full programme here.

    migrants talking to the BBC on board the Phoenix search and rescue vessel
  5. IOM speaks out

    Joel Millman from the International Organization for Migration has told the BBC that a larger search and rescue operation in the Mediterranean would not encourage people to cross the sea.

    This was the reason given by the European Union for scaling back operations in the Mediterranean last November.

    "We know that a pull factor is kind of a specious argument," he said. Mr Millman pointed out that the number of migrants has not fallen since the operations were reduced.

  6. Singing for peace

    A group of eight African musicians - including three from South Africa and two from Zimbabwe - have come together under the name Unity to record a song calling for an end to the xenophobia in South Africa, reports the This Is Africa website.

    The Durban-based rapper Prinston said: "I'm so ashamed right now to be called South African, how ignorant are we?"

    Poster for the song
  7. Women speak out

    Rana Jawad

    BBC News, Tunis

    Libyan women have been taking part in a UN-organised dialogue in Tunis as part of the Libyan peace process.

    Difficult questions were raised and the regional, political and social divide is inescapable.

    Participant at Tunis talks

    Hamida told me that security in the south of Libya affects the whole country, but "despite this we're always ignored by everyone".

    Participant at Tunis talks

    A member of Tripoli's municipal council Fatima Baghi said that any new government in Libya will fail if corruption is not tackled.

  8. Going home

    A Malawian in South Africa Sam Elias has been telling BBC Focus On Africa's Audrey Brown in Durban about why he is leaving the country.

    Mr Elias said that people came to where he was staying during Easter and assaulted him and his friend. They also took his belongings. He said he was terrified after seeing blood on his friend and decided to return to Malawi.

    He is now at a camp for displaced people in the Chatsworth suburb of Durban, waiting for a bus to take him home.

    People carrying a mattress
    Image caption: People are taking all the belongings they have left back to their home countries
  9. Migrant disaster update

    The BBC's Imelda Flattery in Catania says Italian prosecutors have released more information on one of the deadliest migrant boat disasters. According to their latest statement:

    • The two men arrested in connection with the disaster will appear in court in Catania on Friday 24 April.
    • Police interrogations will take place later today.
    • According to survivors, the migrants were held for up to 30 days in a farm near to their departure point in Libya.
    • The cost of a ticket for the boat was between $375-$720 (£250-£480) per person.
  10. 'South Africa's Messi'

    BBC Africa sports reporter Nick Cavell tweets about the late South African footballer John Shoes Moshoeu: "SA's Nations Cup winning capt Neil Tovey on Shoes : 'An extreme athlete - his balance was like Messi's. A tremendous footballer' #RIPShoes".

    Shoes Moshoeu
  11. Photographs of boat disaster suspects

    Photos have emerged of the two men arrested in connection with the Mediterranean boat disaster in which an estimated 800 people died.

    Tunisian boat captain Mohammed Ali Malek, pictured on the left, has been charged with multiple homicide and people smuggling. Crew member Mahmud Bikhit, a Syrian, pictured on the right in a blue hood, has been charged as an accomplice to "clandestine immigration".

    Mohammed Ali Malek (L), one of the survivors and understood to be the captain of the boat that overturned off the coasts of Libya, and a man identified as Mahmud Bikhit (C), another survivor and understood to be a crew member of the boat, standing onboard the Italian Coast Guard vessel Bruno Gregoretti at Boiler Wharf, Senglea, in Malta

    In the photo below, the Tunisian boat captain is photographed sitting with some of the 28 survivors on an Italian Coast Guard vessel in Malta. Many of those who died, including women and children, were locked in the boat's hold and were unable to escape when it capsized.

    the Tunisian boat captain is photographed sitting with some of the 28 survivors on an Italian Coast Guard vessel in Malta
  12. Drugs burnt

    Senegalese police have incinerated 3,900 tonnes of counterfeit drugs seized in 2014 as part of Interpol's Operation Porcupine aimed at ending the trade in fake drugs, reports the BBC's Anais Hotin from Dakar.

    Drugs being burnt in Senegal
  13. Market row

    At least four people including a police officer have been injured in a market brawl at the Agbogbloshie Onion market in Ghana's capital, Accra, reports the BBC's Sammy Darko.

    Gunshots heard in the market led to a heavy police deployment.

    And in the course of restoring calm a police officer was hit by a stone.

    Market people
  14. Kenya police suspended

    Kenya's Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery has suspended two civil servants and seven policemen over the Garissa University College attack in which 148 people died.

    The minister says in a statement that after an initial inquiry he now wants a full investigation "to establish possible criminal culpability" of those suspended.

    Among the policemen suspended is Christopher Muthee, the Garissa county commander.

    There have been reports that state officers may have been aware of the impending attack but failed to prevent it, says the BBC's Ferdinand Omondi in Nairobi.

    Phot board with victims of the Garissa attack
    Image caption: Some have blamed lapses in security for the deaths of the 148 victims
  15. The boss is back in town

    Stephen Keshi has been appointed coach of Nigeria's national football team for a third time, signing a two-year contract on Tuesday.

    Stephen Keshi
    Image caption: Keshi led Nigeria to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations title in his first spell in charge

    The 53-year-old had been in negotiations with the country's football federation for about 10 months, having been without a permanent deal since the end of the World Cup last year.

  16. Moshoeu passes away

    John Shoes Moshoeu, who played in midfield for South Africa's national football team, has died at the age of 49.

    His agent Glyn Binkin tweeted that his death came "after a long but brave battle with cancer". He added that "he may be gone but will never be forgotten".

    Moshoeu will be remembered for his key role in Bafana Bafana's victory at the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, says BBC Africa sports reporter Piers Edwards.

    Picture of Shoes Moshoeu
  17. Top policeman sacked

    Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked the police chief, reports the BBC's Naziru Mikailu.

    No reason was given for Suleiman Abba's dismissal, which came less than a year after his appointment.

    The president has now appointed Solomon Arase as the acting police chief.

  18. 'Leaders' fault'

    Most newspapers in Senegal feature the tragedy on the Mediterranean sea on their front pages, reports the BBC's Abdourahmane Dia from Dakar.

    One of the leading newspapers Le Quotidian denounces "the shipwreck of the African leaders". It blames them for failing to take action on migration.

    The newspaper has created an image showing African leaders in the background and a migrant boat in the foreground.

    Front page of Senegalese newspaper
  19. 'Who's this Trump?'

    US businessman Donald Trump is trending on Twitter in South Africa.

    This honour comes after a recent tweet: "As I have long been saying, South Africa is a total - and very dangerous mess. Just watch the evening news (when not talking weather)".

    South Africans have some harsh words for the property mogul. Many are tweeting that Mr Trump keeps mum on reports about the killing of unarmed African Americans in his country but has an opinion about something happening on another continent.

    Screen grab from Twitter
  20. Praise from Zimbabwe

    @ProfJNMoyo

    Zimbabwe's Information Minster Jonathan Moyo has been a critic of the South African government during this wave of xenophobic violence. He thought that it had not done enough to quell the trouble.

    But he now tweets praise: "The just announced deployment of SA's National Defence Forces in Alex township & KZN to end xenophobic attacks is a commendable action!"

  21. 'Thank them'

    The lawyer for the two men facing charges over the migrant boat that ran aground off the Greek island of Rhodes on Monday says they should be thanked for saving the people on board, reports the BBC's Deirdre Finnerty from Rhodes.

    Stelios Alexandris said the captain had abandoned the boat when it reached Greek waters, and the two detained men stepped in to steer the boat but they did not know where to land in Rhodes.

  22. Thumbs up

    @JamesEReynolds

    The BBC's James Reynolds tweets from the town of Mineo in Sicily, where survivors of Sunday's boat disaster have arrived:

    "Inside Mineo migrant centre: Watched shipwreck survivors get on a bus. I caught eye of one of them and offered thumbs up or down sign. The survivor responded with thumbs up. He then broke into a smile."

    From outside the same centre, the BBC's Julian Miglierini tweets: "Survivors of the shipwreck are taken to lunch at the canteen at the Mineo reception centre near Catania"

    survivors board a bus outside the migrant centre in Sicily
    Image caption: Survivors of Sunday's boat disaster are getting help in Sicily
  23. 900 repatriated

    Nomsa Maseko

    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Ngqakula says the request to deploy the army came after police asked for support. But she would not say exactly how many soldiers would be on the streets.

    The government has also announced that just more than 900 people have been voluntarily repatriated back to their home countries. Police say the situation is calm with no new violent attacks reported across the country.

  24. SA army deployment update

    The South African Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the army will be deployed from 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT) today in Alexandra township in Johannesburg.

    It says other troops "are on their way to hotspots in KwaZulu-Natal", the province which includes Durban, where the latest xenophobic attacks started.

  25. Prosecutors give details on boat disaster

    Prosecutors in Sicily have been discussing what was behind the capsizing of a vessel on Sunday, which led to the deaths of an estimated 800 migrants.

    In a statement, they said that the Tunisian captain of the vessel accidentally collided with a bigger merchant ship which was involved in a rescue attempt. Overcrowding of the vessel was given as the other main reason for the disaster.

  26. Army confronts xenophobia

    Pumza Fihlani

    BBC News, Johannesburg

    South Africa's Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has told the media that the army will be deployed to some areas of the country to restore calm.

    This is the second time that the military have been called in to address xenophobic violence in Johannesburg.

    Officials say they want to prevent a repeat of the 2008 attacks which left more than 60 people dead in the country.

  27. Army to deploy

    @StateSecurityRS

    South Africa's ministry of state security tweets this picture of a media briefing at Alexandra police station in Johannesburg with the ministers of home affairs, correctional services and state security.

    Picture of press conference

    Another tweet says: "Decision has been taken to deploy army to assist with stabilising certain areas in the country. #WeAreAfrica".

    But the ministry's Twitter account gives no details yet as to where or exactly why the army will be deployed.

  28. Joy of Tutu

    The Dalai Lama has been talking to Archbishop Desmond Tutu about "joy".

    Desmond Tutu meeting

    A video posted on the Dalai Lama's You Tube channel shows the Tibetan spiritual leader describing Archbishop Tutu as his "long term friend". He tells the archbishop that he has the "potential to create a happier humanity. You are always laughing and joyful."

    The Dalai Lama says that political and spiritual leaders have serious faces but the archbishop's face is something else.

    Archbishop Tutu laughs and mentions his "big nose".

  29. Mogadishu update

    @moalimuu

    The BBC's Mohammed Moalimu tweets from Mogadishu that a car bomb has exploded outside Banooda restaurant in front of the city's popular Central Hotel, with at least four people confirmed dead so far.

  30. Flawless diamond

    Sotheby's in New York is to auction what it says is a "flawless" 100 carat diamond later.

    "It was found in South Africa, mined we think in the last 10 years," jeweller Jonathan Lambert, former chairman of the Institute of Registered Valuers in the UK, told BBC Five Live.

    Screen grab from BBC video about the auction

    "There have only been five diamonds of this sort of quality that have ever been sold at auction, the last one was 118 carats and it sold for $30.6m in Hong Kong in 2013," he said.

  31. Call for change

    The BBC's Rana Jawad has tweeted this picture: "#Libya women meeting in Tunis today - part of the many political dialogue 'tracks' sponsored by the UN mission in Libya."

    Women at Libyan peace talks in Tuinis

    She adds: "'this meeting is like a festival, it means nothing if there's no change in our corrupt administrations' 1 delegate tells me #Libya."

  32. Migrant death toll 'could exceed 30,000'

    Imogen Foulkes

    BBC News, Geneva

    UN officials have called for Europe's proposals on the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean to focus on protection and asylum, predicting that the death toll in the Mediterranean could exceed 30,000 this year if no action is taken.

    The UN believes up to 40% of those fleeing across the Mediterranean are eligible for asylum. The International Organization for Migration said the death toll so far in 2015 is now 30 times higher than it was at the same time last year.

    Graphic
  33. Migrant statistics

    @melissarfleming

    Melissa Fleming from the UN Refuge Agency tweets: "Just in: Our grim #Mediterranean statistics"

    table showing statistics of migrants crossing the Mediterranean
  34. BreakingMogadishu explosion

    The BBC's Mohammed Moalimu reports from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, that he has heard a "huge blast in the heart of the city". He says ambulances are now rushing to the scene.

  35. Malawians march

    The Malawi News Agency has been tweeting pictures of an anti-xenophobia march in the capital, Lilongwe, from the parliament to the South African High Commission.

    Demonstrators in Lilongwe

    There were calls for a boycott of South African businesses and the news agency reports that there was chanting in support of South African opposition leader Julius Malema.

    The protesters then handed a petition over to the South African High Commissioner calling for action to be taken against the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini. It has been alleged that his comments about foreigners helped fuel the recent wave of violence.

    Handing petition to South Africa High Commissioner
  36. Resting up

    @deefinnerty

    The BBC's Deirdre Finnertytweets from the Greek island of Rhodes: "#Migrants inside #Rhodes coastguard building. No reception centre in place to deal with influx."

    migrants rest inside the coast guard building on Rhodes island

    There were 93 people on board the boat which ran aground off Rhodes yesterday, including 21 Eritreans. Three people died.

  37. Challenging xenophobia

    ANC supporters were out in force today at the Alexandra magistrates' court in South Africa where the four men accused of being involved in the murder of Mozambican Emmanuel Sithole were appearing for the first time, reports the BBC's Justine Lang.

    ANC supporter outside court

    The murder, captured on camera by a photojournalist, has come to symbolise the xenophobic violence and shocked people in South Africa. The case was adjourned until May 4.

    ANC supporter outside court
  38. Peace call

    Front page of the Juba Telegraph

    This morning's Juba Telegraph in South Sudan leads on comments by President Salva Kiir that he is committed to ending the conflict in the country "by peaceful means". He was speaking at the opening of the country's parliament.

    South Sudan's Citizen newspaper also leads on President Kiir's remarks but is concerned about what it calls the "ailing economy" and focuses on an economic report calling for reforms.

    Front page of Juba Citizen
  39. Migrants leave Lampedusa

    @DominicHurst

    The BBC's Dominic Hurst in Italy tweets this photo of migrants waiting with to board a ferry Lampedusa to Sicily. Many migrants leaving Lampedusa are Eritrean. They have been describing appalling conditions and violence in Libya.

    sfdgsfg

    The ferry with 300 rescued migrants on board has now left Lampedusa for Sicily.

    boat leaves Lampedusa
  40. Sithole case adjourned

    The four men accused of being involved in the murder of Mozambican Emmanuel Sithole in Johannesburg have appeared in court. The murder was caught on camera by photojournalist James Oatway and has come to symbolise the worst of the recent wave of xenophobic violence.

    The case was adjourned until May 4.

  41. Somali refugees

    The foreign ministers of Kenya and Somalia have been speaking to the press after discussions regarding the closure of the Dadaab refugee camp, which houses more than 500,000 Somalis. The government has called on the UN to close the camp for security reasons after the attack in Garissa which left 148 dead.

    Kenya's foreign minister addressing the press

    The ministers say they aim to repatriate the refugees on a voluntary basis in three months depending on the availability of resources. If that deadline is not met they say the refugees will be taken to another camp at Kakuma, more than 1200km to the north-west of Dadaab.

  42. Going home

    The BBC's Stanley Kwenda took this picture at the Chatsworth displaced people's centre in Durban.

    Mozambicans boarding bus in Durban

    It shows Mozambicans carrying their belongings to three waiting buses which are there to take them to Mozambique. They are leaving South Africa in the wake of the xenophobic violence.

    Buses have already left for Zimbabwe and Malawi.

  43. Survivors arrive in Sicily

    Twenty-seven survivors from what is thought to be the worst migrant boat tragedy in recent years have arrived in Sicily. The UN says that about 800 people died in Sunday's disaster. The Tunisian captain of the vessel has been arrested, along with a member of the crew, for assisting people-smuggling.

    survivors arrive in sicily
    Image caption: Survivors from Sunday's boat disaster arriving in Sicily late on Monday night

    The passengers came from a wide range of countries - including Eritrea, Somalia, Syria and a number of West African nations. Two survivors told rescue workers that they had managed to stay afloat by clinging to the bodies of their fellow passengers.

    boat carrying survivors of the boat disaster arrives in sicily
  44. BreakingBreaking News

    The ousted president of Egypt Mohammed Morsi has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on the charge of inciting the murder of protesters.

  45. King's message

    Front page of Durban Mercury

    This morning's Durban Mercury newspaper leads on the comments by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini that there should be an end to violence after attacks against migrants in South Africa.

  46. Morsi verdict due

    Egypt is due to deliver its first verdict today in a number of cases against former President Mohammed Morsi who was deposed by the military in 2013.

    Egypt"s ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi sits in a defendant cage in the Police Academy courthouse in Cairo, Egypt

    If found guilty he could receive the death penalty. Since Mr Morsi was overthrown, the authorities have banned his Muslim Brotherhood party and arrested thousands of his supporters.

  47. Wise words

    Today's African proverb: Fruits in the hand are not thrown away to get others from a tree. A Somali proverb sent by Mohamed Sheikh in Kenya.

  48. Good morning

    Welcome to the BBC Africa Live page. We will be bringing you updates on the main African stories throughout the day.