Africa highlights: Mother's desperate search in Istanbul attack, Kenyan eaten by hyenas

BBC Facebook Africa readers have been outraged by an AP report that the US government has given a Cameroonian family $1,700 (£1,260) in cash as compensation for their child being killed in April by a vehicle in top US diplomat Samantha Power's motorcade.

Quote Message: What a mockery. What is $1,700 compared to the life of the boy and the family's loss? If it were to be an American child is that what you would've given as your so-called compensation?" from McEden Wangang

What a mockery. What is $1,700 compared to the life of the boy and the family's loss? If it were to be an American child is that what you would've given as your so-called compensation?"

Quote Message: It's a disgrace. Is this how we value human life, $1,700. Seriously, the horrors continue and it's not only the bombings. Daily we tread on humans around us. I am truly embarrassed." from Tracey Edwards

It's a disgrace. Is this how we value human life, $1,700. Seriously, the horrors continue and it's not only the bombings. Daily we tread on humans around us. I am truly embarrassed."

Quote Message: The amount is too small to be called 'compensation'. lt's an insult to the family, actually." from Kwame Awuah Kokodurufo Nyame

The amount is too small to be called 'compensation'. lt's an insult to the family, actually."

Quote Message: $1,700 should be BURIAL EXPENSES, NOT COMPENSATION!! No amount of money is equivalent to human life!" from Martin 'Bigbro' Baluku

$1,700 should be BURIAL EXPENSES, NOT COMPENSATION!! No amount of money is equivalent to human life!"

AP says the US, Cameroonian government, the UN and aid agencies have paid a total package of $10,000 to include improving the boy's community (see earlier post).

DONALD BOWERSCopyright: DONALD BOWERS

The second biggest rough diamond ever found - it's the size of a tennis ball - is on sale today at Sotheby's auction house in London.

It's one of three big diamonds found recently after a break of more than a century. 

The BBC's Clare Spencer asks "Why have so many huge diamonds been found recently?"

Heavily armed soldiers last week closed Radio Daljir, the leading news radio station in the Puntland region of Somalia, reports the Media Development Investment Fund.

It says the closure, which has caused international alarm, was in response to the station broadcasting an interview with a rebel leader.  

The South African men's football team have a tough time ahead in Rio as Brazil names one of the world's top players to their Olympic squad, tweets our sports reporter: 

Olympic men's football teams are made up of players under the age of 23 - but each country is allowed to include three older team members.

Olympique LyonnaisCopyright: Olympique Lyonnais

Cameroon defender Nicolas Nkoulou has signed a four-year deal with French Ligue 1 side Lyon.

The 26-year-old signed after his contract with Lyon's French rivals Marseille came to an end at the end of the season.

Read the BBC Sport story for more.

A ruling by the Supreme Court in  Angola to place 17 jailed activists, including prominent rapper Luaty Beirao, under house arrest has been welcomed by their lawyer Francisco Miguel Michel, the AFP news agency reports. 

Describing himself as "very happy", he said his clients had committed "no crime". 

The lawyer added:  

Quote Message: "Any court concerned with the application of justice would have ruled the same."

"Any court concerned with the application of justice would have ruled the same."

The 17 were given jail terms of between two and eight years in March for plotting a rebellion against long-serving ruler Jose Eduardo dos Santos  

See earlier post for more details

AFPCopyright: AFP

BBC Africa’s Manuel Toledo is in Denmark for the Roskilde Festival and snapped Malian ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate, British musician Damon Albarn and Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita during a rehearsal today:

BBCCopyright: BBC

They will be performing later today with the Orchestra of Syrian Musicians in a concert presented by Africa Express, which includes leading musicians from Africa, Europe and other parts of the world.

NORTHERN KWAZULU-NATAL COURIERCopyright: NORTHERN KWAZULU-NATAL COURIER

The family of renowned South African musician Khulekani "Mgqumeni" Khumalo appear to be split over the identity of the man who impersonated him. 

While his wives believed Sibusiso Gcabashe was their husband returned from the dead, a former lover was not convinced.

A court sentenced him to 28 years in prison, including kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman.  

Some of Khumalo's family have said they will appeal against the conviction in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg city because they still believe Gcabashe is their son, according to local reports.

The man apparently sang one of Khumalo's songs as he was being escorted to the police cells and said he would compose music in prison, according to the national broadcaster, SABC.

Khumalo was a popular Zulu folk musician who died in 2009. 

See earlier post for more details

AFPCopyright: AFP

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a French-drafted resolution to deploy an extra 2,500 extra troops and police to Mali to fight militant Islamists. 

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the UN force was "confronted with a resilient terrorist threat". 

The UN currently has 12,000 soldiers and police in Mali.

A total of 27 of its troops have been killed so far this year, making it the deadliest UN mission in the world. 

The resolution gave the force a "more robust mandate" and the extra troops would include "highly-specialised European contingents in terms of special forces, in terms of intelligence", Mr Delattre said. 

Read: World's most dangerous peacekeeping mission

AFPCopyright: AFP

Residents did not hear screams or shouts when hyenas ate most of a 45-year-old man in Kenya's Ongata Rongai town, near the Nairobi National Park, the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) says.

This raises the possibility that the man was killed elsewhere and his body dumped at the spot where it was found or the man died of alcohol poisoning before the attack on Monday night, said KWS spokesman Ngugi Gecaga.

Police took the body to a mortuary yesterday morning and a post-mortem would establish the exact cause of death, he added.

Mr Gecaga confirmed that hyenas -  not lions, as reported by a local newspaper - fed on the man's body.

His family has been informed of his death and is said to be extremely distressed.  

See earlier post for more details

Popular Nigerian singer Ado Halliru Daukaka, who went missing on Friday, has been found.

He has just spoken to me from a hospital in Lafiya Lamorde, where he is recovering from his kidnap ordeal.

It is about 120km (75 miles) from the north-eastern city of Yola where he was abducted.

He said the kidnappers targeted him because he had released a song critical of politicians (see earlier post).

Mr Daukaka said they tricked him into a car on Friday morning by asking him to record a song for them.

They drove out of the city and then played his new release, and began asking him why he had recorded a track that mocked politicians for failing to keep their promises:

Quote Message: They threatened me and said they would take my life and repeatedly asked why I was criticising politicians and warned me to stop or lose my life."

They threatened me and said they would take my life and repeatedly asked why I was criticising politicians and warned me to stop or lose my life."

He said they kept him without food for two days during his captivity.

This morning the kidnappers blindfolded him and let him go in a forest, Mr Daukaka said.

Police say the singer was found unconscious and emaciated.

Somalia's government has publicly launched the initial draft of a national development plan, the first in three decades. 

The country descended into civil war in 1991.

The planning minister, who used to a BBC reporter, has tweeted a photo that starkly sums up the passage of time.

For the authorities, it is a strong sign that progress is being made to rebuild the country. 

However, much of the south of the country - especially rural areas - is still held by Islamist militant group al-Shabab.

The development plan notes that as 70% of Somalia’s 12.3 million people are under the age of 30, its aim is to help the young:

Quote Message: We believe that the youth bulge in our country poses great deal of risks, but it can also become an advantage to our economy and the vibrancy of our society from Planning Minister Abdi Aynte

We believe that the youth bulge in our country poses great deal of risks, but it can also become an advantage to our economy and the vibrancy of our society

EPACopyright: EPA

An Angolan court has ordered the conditional release of 17 activists, including well-known rapper Luaty Beirao, the AFP news agency reports.

It comes three months after they were jailed for plotting a rebellion against 73-year-old President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

"Release warrants under house arrest were issued on behalf of 17 applicants to be executed from the present day," AFP quotes the Supreme Court in Luanda as saying. 

The independent Angolan news site Rede Angola says it spoke to Beirao's wife, Monica Almeida, who said she had received a message on her phone this morning saying it was important for her to go to Sao Paulo Prison Hospital today.  

It was reported last week that the rapper, also known by his stage name Ikonoklasta, was on hunger strike and had been moved to the prison hospital.

The 17 were arrested a year ago after discussing a book about non-violent resistance at their book club.  

They were given jail terms of between two and eight years in March.

Kenyan troops repelled an al-Shabab attack in Lamu county, killing four militants and seizing weapons after a shootout this morning, a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) statement said.

Quote Message: “The troops had been in hot pursuit of the al-Shabab terrorists after they conducted a probing attack on a KDF camp in Mangai, Lamu county, yesterday evening.” from KDF statement

“The troops had been in hot pursuit of the al-Shabab terrorists after they conducted a probing attack on a KDF camp in Mangai, Lamu county, yesterday evening.”

A rocket-propelled grenade, two hand grenades, four AK47s and an unused improvised explosive device (IED) were recovered.

The attempted attack took place near Baure, a remote village 60km (37 miles) north of the coastal town of Lamu.

This is not far from Boni forest where the army is conducting an operation to flush out al-Shabab, which is based in neighbouring Somalia.

The authorities believe al-Shabab cells are in the vast forest which extends from Lamu into Somalia.

The militants are believed to have launched several attacks on Lamu and neighbouring areas from the forest.

Read: Why al-Shabab targets Kenya

AFPCopyright: AFP

There's been been great fanfare in Addis Ababa after Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of a new Airbus plane  this morning (see earlier post). Staff marked the occasion by breaking a Guinness World Record, according to a tweet from this government-affiliated broadcaster:

AFPCopyright: AFP

A leading think-tank says West African nations should crack down on illegal foreign fishing off their coastlines, and build up their fishing industries, to protect the livelihoods of millions of people. 

In a report, the Overseas Development Institute also says selling fishing rights to foreign companies is often a mistake.

It believes that West African countries could create more than 300,000 jobs by awarding more fishing and exporting rights to national fleets.  

It is estimated that the region loses at least $1.3bn (£906m) a year from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.  

AFPCopyright: AFP

Gay men in Ivory Coast say they have been assaulted and forced to leave their homes after the US embassy in Abidjan published a photo of them signing a condolence book for victims of the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the Associated Press reports. 

The photo, published on the embassy's website and shared on social media, showed six men with the caption "LGBTI community signing the condolence book".

AP spoke to four of them who requested anonymity. Two said they had been attacked by mobs shouting homophobic remarks while another two said family pressure had forced them to leave their homes. 

Embassy spokeswoman Elizabeth Ategou said the embassy "deeply regrets that any individuals were attacked", AP reports.

She added the men were notified that their photos would be taken and published -  something the men deny, the agency says. 

Daily SunCopyright: Daily Sun

A man who impersonated dead South African musician Khulekani Mgqumeni Khumalo has been sentenced to 28 years and three months in prison. 

Sibusiso Gcabashe made headlines in 2012 when thousands of music fans flocked to his home in KwaZulu Natal province, to see the man who said he was the dead idol. 

Gcabashe, who still insists he is the famous Zulu folk musician, was found guilty of rape, assault, kidnapping and attempting to escape from custody. 

The rape charges emanate from the accused having sex with the late musician’s widows under false pretences.  

The 29-year-old claimed he was the musician who died in 2009 and he had turned into a zombie after rising from the dead. 

He also told police he was held captive in a cave, forced to sing and eat mud to stay alive.

Sentencing him at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg city, the judge said he did not show any remorse during the trial. 

Gcabashe, however, is expected to appeal his sentence.