Africa highlights: Ethiopians 'killed with shovels', Nigeria's PDP in disarray with two leaders

UN peacekeepers and the US embassy have been accused of failing to respond when a compound used by foreign aid workers in South Sudan's capital Juba was attacked by armed men last month.

Several women were raped, men were beaten and a South Sudanese journalist was shot dead. It followed days of fighting between government troops and forces loyal to sacked Vice President Riek Machar.

Gian Libot, one of the foreign aid workers targeted during the attack, told  BBC Focus on Africa radio (listen to the full interview above) that there was no rescue attempt by the UN:

Quote Message: "[The compound was] about a 10-minute drive from the UN base... A number of people with us contacted the peacekeeping mission to ask them to help rescue us... Nobody during the whole ordeal from the UN came to join us."

"[The compound was] about a 10-minute drive from the UN base... A number of people with us contacted the peacekeeping mission to ask them to help rescue us... Nobody during the whole ordeal from the UN came to join us."

He also spoke of how he witnessed the killing of respected South Sudanese journalist John Gatluak, who was from the Nuer ethnic group, which is also that of former rebel leader Riek Machar:

Quote Message: One of the soldiers at the back shouted 'Nuer' and two shots were fired into his head right then and there."

One of the soldiers at the back shouted 'Nuer' and two shots were fired into his head right then and there."

The commander of the UN Mission in sudan, Lt Gen Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki, responded to the criticism of his forces in an earlier interview with the BBC's Newsday programme: 

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

A BBC Africa sports presenter has been tweeting his reaction to the death of Joao Havelange, the former head of world football's governing body Fifa, at the age of 100:

Mr Havelange was credited with transforming football into a multi-billion-dollar global enterprise. But he was also accused of corruption. 

He resigned from Fifa in 2013 after he was named as having accepted bribes. 

Mr Havelange, who swam for Brazil in the 1936 Olympics, was a powerful advocate for Rio's bid to host this year's Games. The current Olympic stadium bears his name.  

WARREN LITTLE/GETTY IMAGESCopyright: WARREN LITTLE/GETTY IMAGES

 More than 17,000 tweets made the hashtag #HandsOffCaster South Africa's top trend over the past weekend. 

It sent a clear message - South Africans were ready to defend their middle-distance runner Caster Semenya from persistent questions over whether she should be excluded from racing in Rio.  

Read the full BBC Trending article here

AFPCopyright: AFP

South Africa's opposition leaders have addressed thousands of miners at a rally to mark four years since the Marikana massacre - the deadliest police action in the country since apartheid ended in 1994. 

The leader of the Democratic Alliance Mmusi Maimane said: 

Quote Message: "We need a government that will put roads in this place so that the lives of Africans who live in this place will be restored. Until that time, none of us are free. We will continue to fight."

"We need a government that will put roads in this place so that the lives of Africans who live in this place will be restored. Until that time, none of us are free. We will continue to fight."

Mr Maimane shared a platform with Economic Freedom Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, in the latest sign of closer relations between the two as they try to weaken the governing African National Congress (ANC). 

Mr Malema told the crowd: 

Quote Message: We are eating this elephant called the ANC piece by piece."

We are eating this elephant called the ANC piece by piece."

Both the DA and EFF increased their majority in local government elections earlier this month. The ANC's performance was the worst since it took power in 1994. 

Police shot dead 34 miners who were on a wildcat strike at the Marikana platinum mine, owned by UK-based firm Lonmin. 

The shootings were seen as a major turning point in South Africa, as people accused the ANC government of behaving like the apartheid regime, which oppressed black people. 

See earlier post for more details

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Nigeria’s Divine Oduduru came second to Usain Bolt by just six hundredths of a second in their men's 200m heat, setting a personal best as he booked his place automatically in the semi-final.  

In fairness to Bolt, he slowed down almost to a canter by the 100m mark, keeping his lead but preserving energy for the next races. 

IAAFCopyright: IAAF

*Oduduru's first name is given in official results as Ejowvokoghene, but he is better known as Divine in Nigeria

AFPCopyright: AFP

Residents of Somalia's capital Mogadishu are complaining about the $20 (£15) fee they have to pay for the new electronic ID cards they are required to carry in the city. 

Officials say the cards have been introduced for security reasons in a city frequently targeted by militant Islamist group al-Shabab. 

Deputy mayor Ismail Maalim Abdi Gure said:

Quote Message: The card has an electronic chip that stores personal details - the details include the name and physical address. The person must carry the card at all times so that he can be identified by the security forces."

The card has an electronic chip that stores personal details - the details include the name and physical address. The person must carry the card at all times so that he can be identified by the security forces."

Residents say they cannot afford to pay $20, especially when given that unemployment is high and wages are low in the city. 

One resident told me: 

Quote Message: I have to pay for my four grown-up children as well as for myself. I can’t afford it. We appeal to the government to reduce the charges."

I have to pay for my four grown-up children as well as for myself. I can’t afford it. We appeal to the government to reduce the charges."

Satirist Ikenna Azuike is back this week with a new series of What's Up Africa. Here's a teaser:

To catch up with previous series, check out this BBC Africa YouTube playlist

BBC Africa Business Report's Lerato Mbele is in Botswana for the #BBCWorkingLives season.

She's been tweeting photos from Mokolodi Nature Reserve, where she is following the day-to-day life of a park ranger.

Lerato says she also saw Botswana's army out on an anti-poaching patrol during her time with David. 

BBCCopyright: BBC

Madagascar's conservationists are working in secrecy to protect one of the world's most beautiful tortoises from poachers.

Journalist Martin Vogl visited them at their villa in the capital, Antananarivo. Read his article here.  

Kenya's Transport minister  Irungu Nyakera  has stopped a Chinese firm from pressing ahead with building a railway line linking the capital, Nairobi, to the market town of Naivasha in the north-west, the local Business Daily newspaper reports.  

The decision comes after Kenyans two weeks ago attacked the firm's Chinese workers, accusing them of taking the jobs of locals. 

Mr Nyakera is quoted as saying that project still needed to be approved by the railway board and an environmental impact assessment needed to be conducted. 

He told the National Assembly's land committee:  

Quote Message: "Legally, they [the contractor] should not have started."

"Legally, they [the contractor] should not have started."

It is not entirely clear how the Chinese firm started building the railway line if permission was not granted. 

GettCopyright: Gett

African athletes through to the semi-finals of the men's 1,500m (23:45 GMT):

Algeria’s Taoufik Makhloufi, the defending champion, qualified fastest despite having won silver, behind David Rudisha, less than 12 hours earlier in the men's 800m.  

Other semi-final qualifiers:

Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop

Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman

Morocco’s Fouad Elkaam

Kenya’s Elijah Motonei Manangoi

Ethiopia’s Mekonnen Gebremedhin

Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi

Morocco’s Abdalaati Iguider

Uganda’s Ronald Musagala

Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde

Morocco’s Brahim Kaazouzi

South Sudan’ Santino Kenyi failed to progress, but still managed to set a national record with his time. 

Zambian police now say that 151 opposition supporters have been arrested for being involved in riots in their southern strongholds following President Edgar Lungu's disputed victory in elections. 

Some of the supporters of the United Party for National Development had set ablaze a house and a restaurant, police spokesman Rae Hamoonga said. 

BBCCopyright: BBC

In Monze town and surrounding areas, roads were barricaded with burning tyres, market stalls were torched and eight vehicles parked at the police station were damaged.

Mr Hamoonga added:

Quote Message: The situation has since been brought under control. We have intensified both foot and motorised patrols in the province".

The situation has since been brought under control. We have intensified both foot and motorised patrols in the province".

See earlier post for more details

One in four women living in a key platinum mining area in South Africa has been raped in her lifetime, a survey by medical charity MSF has said.

About half of women in Rustenburg had been subject to sexual violence or intimate partner violence, it said.

The charity said the findings of its survey were "shocking but not uncommon" in South Africa.

South Africa has one of the highest incidences of rape in the world and a low prosecution rate.

Based on its survey of more than 800 women aged 18-49 in Rustenburg municipality, north-west of Johannesburg, MSF said only 5% of the approximately 11,000 women and girls raped each year reported the incident to a health worker.

Six African athletes came through heats to qualify for the final of the women's 5000m, which will be on Saturday at 00:40 GMT:

Hellen Obiri (Kenya)

Mercy Cherono (Kenya)

Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia), who took gold in the 10,000m, won her heat very convincingly

Senbere Teferi (Ethiopia)

Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya), who took silver in the 10,000m

Ababel Yeshaneh (Ethiopia); went through as a fastest loser

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

AmisomCopyright: Amisom

Nine African Union peacekeepers have been jailed for running a fuel racket in Somalia, the AU mission in the country has said in a statement. 

The soldiers - all Ugandans, including two majors - had been sentenced to between one years and three years in prison after being tried by a Ugandan military court, it added. 

Three of the soldiers had also been "dismissed with disgrace from the army", it added.

It was the first time a military court connected to the AU mission had sat in Somalia since the troops were deployed nine years ago. 

Uganda is the highest troop contributor to the 22,000-strong AU force fighting militant Islamists.

South Africa's Zapiro celebrates the extraordinary world-record breaking performance by Wayde van Niekerk in the men's 400m on Sunday night, with a nod to Usain Bolt (pictured on the right), who congratulated the 24-year-old on the track after the race. 

Meanwhile cartoonist Victor Ndula tackles the ambiguity over athletes' nationalities, poking fun at Kenyans keen to claim Ruth Jebet's gold medal in the women's 3000m steeplechase as their own. 

That's despite the fact that the Kenyan-born athlete is running under the flag of Bahrain (tacked on to the end of the Kenyan flag in the cartoon), having decided to represent the Gulf state back when she was 16. 

AFPCopyright: AFP

Nigeria’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be in as much disarray as the Labour party in UK with splits and court cases in the battle for leadership of the beleaguered opposition party. 

The situation in Nigeria seems even more chaotic – as two federal high courts have given two different rulings on whether party’s annual convention tomorrow in the southern city of Port Harcourt should go ahead.

A ruling in the capital, Abuja, has cancelled the event, but a few hours earlier a high court in Port Court had said it should go on as planned.

The party also has two leaders, both of whom are powerful former governors: 

• Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna – his faction is in favour of the convention
• Ali Sheriff, a former governor of Borno – his faction is against it and he views it as an attempt to oust him after falling out with some key players in the party. 

All efforts to reconcile the two powerful camps have so far failed. 

It is a sad state of affairs for a party which ruled Nigeria for 16 years until losing elections last year.

It also means that with so much infighting, the country’s main opposition is not focused in its job of holding President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to account.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Uganda's interior minister has rallied around embattled police chief Kale Kaihura after he was accused of ignoring a summons to appear in court to answer charges of police brutality against opposition supporters. 

Speaking at a press conference in the capital, Kampala, Aboubakar Jeje Odongo said the police boss could not be sued, as an individual, because was "holding a constitutional office".

He added: 

Quote Message: The inspector-general of police is an institution. Therefore, to isolate him as an individual is not correct."

The inspector-general of police is an institution. Therefore, to isolate him as an individual is not correct."

About 20 human rights lawyers are behind a case against Gen Kayihura over alleged police brutality against supporters of defeated presidential candidate Kizza Besigye. 

Gen Kayihura failed to show up in court earlier this month, alleging that he had not received the summons. 

He also failed to appear before a parliamentary committee investigating the allegations.

Mr Besigye and his supporters have rejected long-serving ruler Yoweri Museveni's victory in elections in February as fraudulent.  

A South African news website reports that there are large crowds gathering at the scene of the 2012 Marikana massacre for an memorial event to mark four years since police shot dead 34 striking miners:

Marikana: 'My husband died in vain'