Africa highlights: Tuesday 21 July 2015

The Somali government will cut salaries in the coming months to stop its "ballooning wage bill", the privately owned, US-based Somali Current website reports.

The finance minister said the government was on a tight budget and that it had to cut them by a "reasonable percentage" regardless of positions.

BBC Monitoring's Abdullahi Yussuf Osman says Somali civil servants regularly go unpaid, with the government citing a lack of funds from the international community.

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Namibia have lost their T20 World Cup cricket qualifier against the Netherlands in Dublin by four wickets.

That game finished in the Irish capital a short while ago. Namibia made 135 for six in their 20 overs but the Dutch reached their target with four balls to spare to qualify for next year's T20 World Cup in India.

Namibia have another chance to qualify for the World Cup when they meet Oman on Thursday.

The BBC's Mogadishu-based reporter tweets an update about the operation by African Union troops who went on the offensive around the coastal town of Merca (also spelt Merka) looking for those behind a landmine attack on Monday:

Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim says that Africa should strive for scientific independence, as Afro-centric science will provide solutions for the continent.

The president - a research scientist herself - told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that traditional African knowledge should be respected and harnessed to help solve some of the continent's problems.

One of the biggest club rivalries in Africa has even more significance today as Egyptian team Zamalek take on Al Ahly in the Cairo derby, which is being played without fans in Alexandria with a Serbian referee.

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Zamalek need just a single point from their final three matches to win the Egyptian Premier League title for the first time since 2004.

Al Ahly have claimed the eight titles since then.

The league in 2011-12 was not completed following the death of more than 70 Al Ahly fans in the Port Said disaster and the 2012-13 season was not cokmpleted because of the political unrest in Egypt.

Zamalek are currently on 83 points - nine ahead of Ahly.

Nigeria international defender Kenneth Omeruo has joined Turkish Super Lig side Kasimpasa on a season-long loan deal from English champions Chelsea, BBC Africa Sport reports.

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"I want to show the manager and the fans that they have made a good choice and I am completely focused on breaking into the squad and prove myself here," Omeruo told the BBC's Oluwashina Okeleji.

"The target is to get a lot of playing time and help the club achieve their objectives.

"They have strong faith in my ability and I need to prove it."

A Ugandan newspaper has tweeted a series of stomach churning pictures of a food-eating competition. 

The Daily Monitor says Juma Kabigi ate - among other things - three loaves of bread, eight chapatis, 10 eggs, two raw cabbages, four apples and two bundles of raw green vegetables.

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Daily MonitorCopyright: Daily Monitor

Mr Kabigi won 10,000 Ugandan shillings ( $3, £2) for his trouble.

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All motorbike and tricycle taxis on major roads in Nigeria's commercial capital are officially banned from today.

The Lagos State government had given them 21 days to comply, saying it was reinstituting a ban that has been largely ignored for the last few years.

Out of 9,100 roads in Lagos, 8,740 are now out of bounds for the taxis, which are a popular way of getting through the city's traffic jams.

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I have seen some bike taxis flouting the rules, but the police are going after some of them and impounding vehicles.

A leader of some of the taxi bikers told me that it was not clear which streets were affected and complained of harassment, alleging some officers were pursing them on minor roads to demand a bribe to stop the bikes being confiscated.

Officials say the motorbike taxis are a menace on motorways, causing accidents, and are often used in armed robberies.

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BBC Hausa's Nurah Mohammed Ringim says nine suspected cattle rustlers have been arrested in Kamuku forest and taken into custody in the nearby town of Birnin Gwari in Kaduna state.

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Two thousand head of cattle were also retrieved from the forest by soldiers:

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Our reporter says the police operation was part of a joint campaign to tackle castle rustling in five states in northern Nigeria.

Voting has now ended in Burundi's presidential election.

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In terms of turnout there has been a contrasting picture depending on where you are. The strongholds of President Pierre Nkurunziza - who is running for a controversial third term - saw a high turnout.

But polling stations in the areas of the capital, which were at the centre of the opposition to the third-term bid, were very quiet.

There was tension in one district - Niyakabiga - following the unexplained death overnight of someone believed to be an activist.

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The electoral commission says the results should be known in two to three days.

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The BBC's Ferdinand Omondi is in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve to witness the wildebeest migration when hundreds of thousands of animals cross the border from Tanzania for the greener plains in Kenya.

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Our reporter also spotted zebra on the run - his guide told him they were trying to keep their distance from a lion.

The migration attracts a large number of visitors, but the charter airline Safarilink told the BBC that the numbers this year have not been as high as last year.

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Most of the polling stations have closed in Burundi, the electoral commission has told the BBC.

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People have been voting in the controversial presidential election in which President Pierre Nkurunziza is seeking a third term.

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Four of the eight candidates on the ballot paper - including the main opposition leader - withdrew from the election.

President Nkurunziza voted in his home area and stronghold of Ngozi province in the north of Burundi.

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More money may need to be spent on security at the controversial rural home of South African President Jacob Zuma, a government minister has said according to South Africa's News24 website.

The home in Nkandla - in KwaZulu Natal province - has attracted a lot of criticism because of the large amount of public money spent on security features at Mr Zuma's private residence including a swimming pool that doubles as a fire pool.

Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko has told a parliamentary committee looking into the money spent that the scrutiny that the home has come under means that "security experts must go back to assess the extent of the vulnerability and how the president has been exposed," he is quoted as saying.

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He added that more money may have to be spent.

BBC World Have Your Say is broadcasting live from the Kenyan town of Eldoret, hearing from survivors of the militant al-Shabab attack on Garissa University College.

You can listen to the programme live now.

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More than 17,000 senior school students in South Africa’s Gauteng province are to receive computer tablets as part of its “wired for life” programme to create paperless classrooms.

The mayor of Tshwane tweeted from one school where some the devices were being handed out:

According to South Africa's Benoni City Times paper , more than 4,000 school classrooms, mainly in township and rural areas, have also had “to be re-furbished, with ceilings replaced and fitted with specialised lights, and blinds installed to improve lighting for the interactive boards” that will be used by teachers.

A BBC reporter in Burundi is tweeting about today's controversial presidential election:

The racist abuse that Ghanaian striker Emmanuel Frimpong suffered at the weekend in Russia while playing for his team FC Ufa was not an isolated incident, writes the BBC's Ben Sutherland.

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Brazilian star Hulk has said racism happens at "almost every game" in the Russian league, and this has led some to question Russia's ability to host the World Cup in 2018.

Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure has even gone so far as to suggest black players could boycott the Russia World Cup.

Get involved: Do you think a boycott of the 2018 World Cup would be a good idea? Let us know your views using #BBCAfricaLive on Twitter or text us on +447756205075.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has said that economic development and security will be his priorities during Barack Obama's historic visit - the first time a sitting US president has come to the East African nation.

He has also confirmed that Mr Obama will meet his deputy, William Ruto, despite his trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of allegedly planning the violence that followed disputed elections in December 2007.

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This will be Mr Obama first visit to his father's homeland as the American leader - having side-stepped Kenya during his last African tour over the ICC issue.

President Kenyatta himself faced similar charges as Mr Ruto at the war crimes court but these have now been dropped clearing the way for a restoration of closer diplomatic ties.

Both men - who were on opposite sides of the political fence in 2007 - have denied the accusations of inciting violence.

#Kiderograss is trending on Twitter in Kenya today as people poke fun at the freshly planted grass along Nairobi's city streets, laid by the county administration of Governor Evans Kidero.

Twitter users mocked the planting of the grass just three days before US President Barack Obama's visit.

One Twitter user wondered whether the grass was intended for the Obama visit or Pope Francis' visit scheduled for November.   

A former Kenyan member of the Somalia-based al-Shabab group has told the BBC that he was drawn to the militants because of the money on offer.

He told the BBC's Newsday programme that he was being paid $30,000 (£19,000) a month to fight for the group, but added that it was also fear of being killed for desertion that stopped him from escaping.

He said that he had carried out 10 missions - some against African Union peacekeepers in Somalia - but did not feel guilty at the time for killing people.

He said that he left al-Shabab after one of his relatives was killed in April's attack by the group on Kenya's Garissa University College.

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A lot of attention has been focused on the visit of US President Barack Obama to Kenya this weekend, but a series of tweets from President Uhuru Kenyatta shows that China is on his mind too:

President Kenyatta wants private Chinese investors to put money into Kenyan businesses - something he will also be hoping for from America.

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The BBC's Hassan Lali has visited Ngozi, the home town of Burundi's leader Pierre Nkunrunziza, to watch the presidential election.

He says that most voters have been happy with the process, and it took them very little time to cast their ballots.

Residents also said that they hoped the election would be conducted peacefully.

Mr Nkurunziza is running for a controversial third term.

Namibia play Netherlands this afternoon in a qualifying match for cricket's World T20 tournament in India next year.

If Namibia win they will qualify for the event and even if they lose they still have a chance of progressing, as they will play Oman on Thursday for a second opportunity to reach the World T20 finals.

Kenya also took part in the 14-team tournament in Ireland and Scotland but were eliminated in the group phase of the qualifiers.

US President Barack Obama's helicopter Marine One landed on the grounds of Nairobi's Kenyatta University as part of a security drill, ahead of the president's visit this weekend, The Star newspaper reported. 

Marine One was escorted by four US Marine helicopters capable of vertical take off and landing. 

Security has been stepped up in Kenya's capital ahead of the visit on 24-25 July. 

The postponed trial of Hissene Habre is a huge disappointment for the alleged victims after 16 years of judicial attempts to bring the former Chadian leader to justice.

One of their lawyers warned the special Senegalese court that adjourning the trial was a "risky and dangerous" decision as Habre has always refused to co-operate and is likely not to recognise his newly appointed legal team when the trial resumes on 7 September.

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That could result in new delays.

Habre, who denies killing and torturing thousands of his opponents during his rule, turned to his supporters as he was escorted out of court and made a V for victory sign.

Find out more about the man dubbed "Africa's Pinochet" in this BBC profile.

Burundi's elections will "lack credibility" and the government's insistence on holding the polls "risks its legitimacy", the US has warned.

"The legitimacy of the electoral process in Burundi over the past few months has been tainted by the government's harassment of opposition and civil society members, closing down of media outlets and political space, and intimidation of voters," US State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

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President Nkurunziza is seeking a third term in office, which his critics say is unconstitutional.

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Kenyan journalist Joseph Warungu has written his own travel advisory for President Barack Obama:

• Leave plenty of time to get around Nairobi, the traffic is a nightmare
• Don't bash into the freshly repaired kerbs - they could crumble
• Book ahead, Nairobi hotels are fully occupied for some reason
• Forget the fast food, try the local "road runner" or free range chickens
• Practice the local slang - Sheng

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BBC Arabic's Ali Gamal investigates what is driving young women to move away from their parents in Egypt, where they have traditionally stayed in the family home before marriage.

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"The path to independence generally begins when girls come to major cities to study and then see that life isn't as scary as was described to them," said Nehad Abul Qomsan, director of the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights.

Read the full article.

BBC Africa's Milton Nkosi has met some Barack Obamas in the traditional home of the US president's father in western Kenya:

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Watch his video about the town where everything is named Barack Obama.

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza arrived by bicycle earlier this morning to cast his vote in presidential elections in his home village of Buye in the northern province of Ngozi:

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Four of the eight presidential candidates on the ballot paper say they have withdrawn from the poll in which Mr Nkurunziza is seeking a controversial third term in office.

BBC Africa will be looking at the culture and politics of hairstyle choices on Wednesday.

So how do you wear yours?

Get involved and tweet @BBCAfrica a picture using the hashtag #hairtalks.

African footballers as young as 14 are being trafficked from Liberia to Laos and forced to sign contracts, the BBC has learnt.

Here's a map of the route they took:

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The Brics group of emerging economies has launched its New Development Bank (NDB) in the Chinese city of Shanghai:

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The bank is backed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - collectively known as Brics countries.

The NDB will lend money to developing countries to help finance infrastructure projects. It is seen as an alternative to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, although the group says it is not a rival.

Click here to read the BBC News story for more details.

Schelick Ilagou Rekawe, a French-speaking Gabonese player, has lost in the final of the French-language Scrabble world championship to a New Zealander who does not speak a word of French, the competition organisers say.

Fisf/Pierre CalendiniCopyright: Fisf/Pierre Calendini

Nigel Richards, a previous English Scrabble champion, is reported to have learned the French dictionary and conjugations in nine weeks earlier this year.

BBC West Africa correspondent tweets from the special tribunal in Senegal set up to try a former Chadian president.

He says there will now be a seven-week delay:

Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has on Twitter urged people to turn out to vote in the controversial presidential election in which he is running for a third term.

He says, in French, that "this is a very important day for Burundian democracy. It gives a voice and choice to the people".

There are eight candidates on the ballot paper, but four, including the main opposition candidate, say they have withdrawn from the race.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has said he will not discuss the issue of gay rights with US President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to visit the East African nation on Friday.

"It's a non-issue," he said when answering questions from journalists this morning about the trip, "we as a country and as a continent are faced with much more serious issues."

Homosexual acts are illegal in Kenya and many other African states.

Before fielding questions, Mr Kenyatta had spoken about the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) which Mr Obama will address.

"This is the first time the summit has come to sub-Saharan Africa. In its choice of Kenya, the GES acknowledges the progress and potential of our nation," he said.

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The BBC's West Africa correspondent is tweeting about the possible delay in the trial in Senegal of the former Chadian President Hissene Habre for crimes against humanity:

A BBC reporter has been sending in more pictures of the barricade that has gone up in one area of the capital, Bujumbura, after a death overnight.

There is also graffiti that has appeared on the road making accusations against President Pierre Nkurunziza, who is today running for a controversial third term in office.

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South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu, nicknamed "The Arch", is now back home after spending a week in hospital where he was being treated for "a persistent infection", a statement from the Tutu Foundation says.

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His daughter, Reverend Mpho Tutu, said the medics had prescribed lots of rest: "They have been fantastic and we'll be doing our best not to disappoint them".

The statement said that he returned home wearing a dressing gown with the words "Feet Up Arch" on the back - underlining the message that the 83-year-old needs to take a break.

A BBC reporter has photographed a burning barricade and tweets about tension in one district in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, after people were killed in overnight violence.

The country is voting in a controversial presidential election today:

BBC Africa producer tweets from Kenya's capital, Nairobi, where President Uhuru Kenyatta has been talking about the forthcoming visit of his US counterpart:

African footballers as young as 14 are being trafficked to Asia and forced to sign contracts, a BBC investigation has found.

Six minors are still with top Laos side Champasak United, after it imported 23 under-age players from West Africa to an unregistered football academy in February.

Fifa regulations prohibit the movement of players to a foreign club or academy until they are 18.

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One 14-year-old player, Liberia's Kesselly Kamara, who scored in a full league game, says he was forced into signing a six-year deal before playing for the senior team.

His contract promised him a salary and accommodation, but Kamara says he was never paid and had to sleep on the floor of the club's stadium - as did the rest of the travelling party.

Click here to read the full report by BBC Africa sport's Piers Edwards.

BBC West Africa correspondent tweets from the special tribunal in Senegal set up to try Chad's former president:

BBC Africa reporter tweets from the suburb of Nyakabiga in Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura, about a body of a non-governmental worker and opposition supporter who residents say was found dead this morning in a gutter:

The former Chadian President Hissene Habre has appeared in court in Senegal for the second day of his trial on crimes against humanity.

But as the BBC's West Africa correspondent tweets from the court, proceedings have been suspended already:

In the district of Gisozi, about 50km (31 miles) outside the capital, Bujumbura, turnout has been low so far.

In one polling station, where about 1,000 people are registered to vote, only around 50 have cast their ballot some four hours after polls opened.

The BBC's Zoe Flood has posted a picture on Instagram showing small queues at the polling station where she is in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura:

The headlines of papers in Senegal today are all focused on the trial of former Chadian President Hissene Habre, which started on Monday: "Habre tortures the court", "Habre trial starts in chaos", "Habre denounces 'rotten politicians'".

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Some papers also mention a comment by the chairman of Senegal's bar association that Chad's current leader, Idriss Deby, should also be summoned to give evidence as he was army chief of staff for several years under Habre's rule.

After refusing to appear in court on Monday afternoon, Habre - who denies the charges - has been forced to attend today and is waiting in the courtroom for the special tribunal to start proceedings.

We pictured a voter scraping ink off his hand after voting in the presidential election in the capital, which saw most of the protests to President Pierre Nkurunziza running for a third term:

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I asked him if he was trying to get rid of the mark because he did not want it to be known he had voted, but he said: "Everything is ok."

National observers, like this man below, say the vote is going smoothly so far despite the violence overnight in Bujumbura:

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Chad's former leader Hissene Habre is in court for the second day of his historic trial for crimes against humanity, reports the BBC's Laeila Adjovi.

Proceedings in the court in Senegal's capital, Dakar, were suspended on Monday when Mr Habre refused to return to the courtroom for the afternoon session after he was thrown out in the morning for causing a disturbance.

The judges ordered him to reappear.

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Mr Habre denies being responsible for hundreds of deaths during his rule from 1982 to 1990.

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Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza, dressed in a tracksuit, queued up to cast his vote in the presidential election in his home village of Buye in Ngozi province.

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He is running for a third term, a move which has led to weeks of tension in the country.

He told the people that the country is peaceful, that the poll was an opportunity for people to choose their leader and that he is proud that democracy has been in place since 2005.

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The controversy over Burundi's presidential poll goes back to the end of April when President Pierre Nkurunziza was nominated to run for a third-term.

Opponents argued that this was unconstitutional, but the Constitutional Court has backed his argument that his first term in office did not count towards the two-term limit, as he was elected by MPs.

Weeks of violence followed the third-term announcement and tens of thousands of people have fled the country.

The African Union urged for a delay in the poll to wait for more conducive conditions and despite two postponements it is still not happy that it is going ahead.

The BBC's Moalimu Mohamed says African Union (Amisom) troops are still in villages near Merca (also spelt Merka), about 70km (45 miles) south of the capital, Mogadishu, conducting a search for weapons.

Witnesses say at least 11 people have been killed and others injured in the Amisom operation this morning.

It follows a landmine that destroyed an Amisom water tanker and caused casualties late on Monday.

Over the last four years, al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants have been driven from most of the key towns they once held but they still control rural areas in the south.

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There are very few international observer missions watching the poll. The African Union has said it has not sent a team because it said conditions are not in place for a free and fair vote.

But the East African Community (EAC) has sent a team after an invitation from Burundi's electoral commission.

The EAC is leading the efforts to find a way to resolve the political tension in Burundi, but talks it was hosting between the government and opposition broke down at the weekend.

BBC's Mogadishu-based reporter tweets about an offensive this morning along the coast by African Union troops, who are helping the UN-backed government battle Islamist militants:

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The BBC's Hassan Lali in Ngozi in the north of Burundi has sent us this close up of the ballot paper.

The eight candidates are there including the four who have boycotted.

They are Agathon Rwasa, Jean Minani, Domitien Ndayizeye and Sylvestre Ntibantunganya.

You can seen President Pierre Nkurunziza's name on the ballot paper next to his party symbol of an eagle.

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• There are 3.8 million registered voters
• Polls opened at 08:00 GMT and will close at 14:00 GMT
• There are eight candidates on the ballot paper including President Pierre Nkurunziza
• Four have withdrawn from the poll including the main opposition leader Agathon Rwasa
• Counting will start as soon as polls close
• To win in the first round a candidate must have 50% plus one vote
• Otherwise the two candidates who receive the most votes go for a run-off

A freelance journalist in Bujumbura has tweeted a picture of the ballot paper:

The streets in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, are mainly calm at the moment, but overnight there was sustained gunfire and explosions and two people were killed.

It is not clear who was behind the violence, but the government has accused people of trying to disrupt the vote.

Voting has been slow here so far at the Stella Matutina school polling station:

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Polls in Burundi's presidential election have been open for three hours.

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Pictures from the BBC's Hassan Lali in President Pierre Nkurunziza's home town of Ngozi in the north of Burundi show people queuing calmly:

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Today's African proverb: "The family's oil is not for rubbing into the skin of strangers." A Kikuyu proverb sent by Paul Mbugua, Nairobi, Kenya.

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

Hello and welcome to BBC Africa Live as Burundians go to the polls for the controversial presidential election. We'll be keeping you up-to-date with developments as well as other stories in the continent.