Africa highlights: Nigeria to investigate two ex-army chiefs, Nice attacker 'Tunisian'

Bamileke people in the highlands of Cameroon believe that improper care of ancestral skulls leads to illness, infertility, and even death.

So they exhume their relatives skulls.

The ceremony starts with people forming a massive circle before relatives take a pickaxe to the grave. 

BBCCopyright: BBC

In this ceremony they dug up the skull of a man who died 10 years ago:  

BBCCopyright: BBC

But, as BBC Afrique reports this practice has created a rift with the Christian leaders in the area.

The AFP news agency is reporting that among the 84 people killed in the Nice attack on Thursday night were at least three Tunisians and three Algerians.

The attacker Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel has been described by French prosecutors as a Tunisian living in France.

AFP quotes Tunisia's foreign ministry as saying that its national Olfa Bent Souayah was one of the victims along with Bilal Labaoui and mechanic Abdelkader Toukabr.

Algeria's ministry of foreign affairs is quoted as saying that two children from Algeria also died in the attack along with a 70-year-old Algerian woman who was visiting her daughter.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

The African Union (AU) says it will continue pushing for the rights of the people of the disputed territory of Western Sahara, and it backs the holding of a referendum on their self-determination. 

The AU announcement comes just hours after it emerged that Morocco is lobbying African countries to support its bid to re-join the African Union (see earlier post).

But the AU says that heads of states attending the weekend’s summit will have the final say on if it will be readmitted back into the union. 

Morocco left the AU’s predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity, in 1984 after the OAU recognised the independence of Western Sahara.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Statistics released by the UN's children's charity, Unicef, on Thursday show the majority of people in countries where female genital mutilation (FGM) persists actually oppose the practice.

The data shows that in some countries men oppose FGM more strongly than women.

Unicef says there is evidence of growing momentum and commitment to end FGM.

Watch some of those who have been campaigning to change the culture:

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

The African Union passport is to be unveiled this weekend at a summit in Rwanda's capital, Kigali.

Holders of the travel document will be entitled to visa-free travel across the continent and a maximum stay of 90 days in any member country.

Initially, it will only be issued to diplomats, but the intention is to make it available to others.

But commenters on the BBC Africa Facebook page are divided on the initiative. 

Margaret Wanga Mwale Liswaniso in Lusaka, Zambia, gives the initiative the thumbs up, depending on one thing:

Quote Message: I think this is a great initiative and should be applauded by all Africans provided these passports will be available to every common person and not just the 'elite'... I also think that it should boost tourism between African countries."

I think this is a great initiative and should be applauded by all Africans provided these passports will be available to every common person and not just the 'elite'... I also think that it should boost tourism between African countries."

While Abiy Solomon wonders why they are needed:

Quote Message: Wouldn't it be more straight forward if AU member states agree on visa-free travel across the continent for all Africans?"

Wouldn't it be more straight forward if AU member states agree on visa-free travel across the continent for all Africans?"

And Omondi Okello thinks it shows priorities are skewed:

Quote Message: Waste of precious time. Diseases, poverty, hunger, lack of water, proper shelter, wars, just to mention a few, are ravaging Africans. Which of these ills will this passport heal?"

Waste of precious time. Diseases, poverty, hunger, lack of water, proper shelter, wars, just to mention a few, are ravaging Africans. Which of these ills will this passport heal?"

There's been some debate about the nationality of Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, the attacker in Nice, southern France, who killed 84 people.

Initial reports said he was French of Tunisian origin, but now the French prosecutor Francois Molins has said though he was living in France he had Tunisian nationality.

For more updates on the Nice attack see here.

AFPCopyright: AFP

South African photographer Gideon Mendel has been publishing photos from the latest part of his Through Positive Eyes project on his Instagram feed.

HIV-positive people have been taking self-portraits and the pictures will be on display this weekend in Durban ahead of the Global Aids summit starting on Monday.

Mendel says for this photo "Xolisile used her tripod and self timer to make a beautifull image of herself breastfeeding".

Mendel says that Thulile took this photo in the public park in Durban that commemorates Gugu Dlamini, who was stoned and stabbed to death after she disclosed on television that she was living with HIV.

Zambia's government has announced that there will be a day of prayer a week on Sunday ahead of the 11 August general election.

People will be praying for a peaceful poll following a request from President Edgar Lungu after an increase in political violence.

It will not be the first time the country has had a special day of prayer.

In October, thousands gathered in the national stadium to pray for the economy.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Heads of State have been arriving in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, for the African Union summit due to start on Sunday.

The Rwandan government has been sharing photos of some of the delegates striding down the red carpet: 

Rwanda GovernmentCopyright: Rwanda Government

Rwanda GovernmentCopyright: Rwanda Government

Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a credit-crunch which could affect economic growth, think tank the Overseas Development institute (ODI) says.

It's published a graph which shows that the growth in the availability of credit is slowing and mirrors the overall economic slowdown:

ODICopyright: ODI

The report says:

Quote Message: Importantly for the region’s long-term growth prospects, scarce banking finance is being used in sectors with little or no transformational effect such as extractive [industries] or middle class consumer finance.

Importantly for the region’s long-term growth prospects, scarce banking finance is being used in sectors with little or no transformational effect such as extractive [industries] or middle class consumer finance.

Quote Message: This is starving sectors that would transform the economy – such as manufacturing, trade and agri-processing – of the financing they need to grow."

This is starving sectors that would transform the economy – such as manufacturing, trade and agri-processing – of the financing they need to grow."

Recently the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was in the news for travelling to the UK and getting medical treatment.

Our own satirical President Olushambles doesn't see what's so controversial.

Instead he has his own rather radical ideas.

He suggests saving money by scrapping hospitals and spending that money on medical trips abroad:

Uganda has been evacuating some of its citizens from South Sudan with the help of its army, as this reporter shows in his tweet:

  An army spokesman has been tweeting about the scale of the operation:  

African heads of state have been tweeting messages of support for France after at least 84 people died when a lorry slammed through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the southern French city of Nice.

According to the tweet above Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza sent "a message of support and solidarity to France".

Zimbabwe's soldiers have not been paid on time for a second month in a row, the Reuters news agency is reporting.

It says that they normally get their money on the 14th of every month, but they have not received it yet.

The cash-strapped government has had difficulty paying troops and civil servants.

Last month's army salaries were a fortnight late and the month-long delay in paying civil servants contributed to the success of a mass stay away last week.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Dozens of Nigerians are now being investigated over corruption allegations relating to arms procurement deals (see earlier post).

An investigation has discovered that contracts have only been partially fulfilled or not fulfilled at all.

Three companies that were to supply military hardware including boats and ambulances only delivered about a third of the equipment. 

Another company that was supposed to provide spare parts for armoured vehicles within three months is yet to deliver five years later. 

The investigating committee says that many of the companies which benefited from procurement contracts lacked the technical know-how to provide the equipment.

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered further investigations into the roles played by some serving and retired military officers, including two army chiefs in the last administration and their civilian collaborators.

But Mr Buhari is accused of waging a one-sided anti-corruption war, mainly targeting the opposition.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Tweeters in Ghana are paying their respects to gospel singer Danny Nettey who local press are reporting was found dead in the early hours of the morning.

His name is trending on Twitter in Ghana.

His debut album Positive Change, released in 1995, "ushered in the contemporary style of gospel music in Ghana" reports Citi FM.

He presented a programme on Joy FM who also reported the news.

His singles included I Will Worship You:

A Moroccan special envoy has met Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to seek support for his country to re-join the African Union (AU). 

BBCCopyright: BBC

The envoy of King Mohamed VI, Taib Fassi Fihri, told Mr Kenyatta that Morocco wants to re-join the AU without any preconditions. 

President Kenyatta has promised to lobby for Morocco. 

Morocco left the Organization of African Unity in 1984 after the OAU recognised the independence of Western Sahara, but has now started lobbying African countries to support its bid at the on-going African Union Summit in Kigali Rwanda. 

News reports say the country’s Foreign Minister has already visited other African countries including Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Ethiopia.

BBCCopyright: BBC

We reported earlier that French police said they found papers in the lorry that ploughed down 84 people in Nice belonging to a man of Tunisian origin who lived in the city.  

The BBC's Rana Jawad has been asking people on the streets of Tunis, Tunisia's capital, how they feel about the news:

Quote Message: "This affects us as Tunisians and it affects the people of the Arab world in General. We don’t want to be associated with it, and be labelled as terrorists. The person who carried out this attack is the sole one responsible for it. Tunisians are peaceful. This is a catastrophe, and terrorists make up a tiny fraction of the population and do not represent Tunisians. from Fawzi Ouslati]

"This affects us as Tunisians and it affects the people of the Arab world in General. We don’t want to be associated with it, and be labelled as terrorists. The person who carried out this attack is the sole one responsible for it. Tunisians are peaceful. This is a catastrophe, and terrorists make up a tiny fraction of the population and do not represent Tunisians.

Quote Message: It’s abnormal what these people [attackers] are doing, it’s abnormal. They should be dealt with using powerful policies and with an iron fist. An iron fist is needed to clean up this dirt in the world." from Mohamed

It’s abnormal what these people [attackers] are doing, it’s abnormal. They should be dealt with using powerful policies and with an iron fist. An iron fist is needed to clean up this dirt in the world."

Quote Message: What happened in Nice yesterday hurts us a lot, especially given that we have friends and family there, and in the name of humanity, it’s so sad." from Ayesha

What happened in Nice yesterday hurts us a lot, especially given that we have friends and family there, and in the name of humanity, it’s so sad."

Get the lastest updates on the France lorry attack. 

Two former heads of Nigeria's army are part of a long list of Nigerian officials to be investigated over "irregularities" in procurement of military equipment, a government statement says.

Lt Gen OA Ihejirika and Lt Gen KTJ Minimah are both named along with a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nurudeen Mohammed in a list of 54 individuals.

This comes as a result of the continuing investigation into alleged corrupt arms procurement involving hundreds of millions of dollars.

The report included details how contracts were only partially fulfilled or not fulfilled at all, and how competitive tendering processes were not followed.    

AFPCopyright: AFP