The Yaba Buluku Boyz hope to replicate the success of their wildly successful debutImage caption: The Yaba Buluku Boyz hope to replicate the success of their wildly successful debut
When
Mozambican DJ and super-producer Tarico came up with a particularly energetic
beat one day, he couldn’t have predicted how it would change his life and that
of his two friends.
One of those friends, songwriter and vocalist Nelson
Tivane, came up with the lyric "Yaba Buluku", inspired by the sound of coins
jangling in a pocket
The other friend, Preck, belted out that lyric with his gravelly,
powerful voice. It was an instant hit.
"After
we concluded the song we went to a rural zone and we put a car with a big sound
there, and we connected the song on the car and we saw many people dancing and
ask ‘who is the owner of this song?’ Then we knew this song was going to be
big!"Tarico recalls, chuckling.
None
other than the African Giant, Burna Boy, realised the strength of Yaba Buluku
and jumped on the remix, a move which had a massive impact on Tarico, Tivane and Preck.
"We
were travelling all over Africa. Too many big artists were asking us for
features. People started to know our face outside of Mozambique. We became
internationals," says Nelson.
"And
money! I bought a car, land and a house for my mother," adds Preck.
Now
calling themselves Yaba Buluku Boyz, the trio dropped their first album, Donsa,
on Friday.
Like the original hit, it is high-energy, danceable amapiano, and
features big African names including Ghana’s dancehall king Shatta Wale, Timaya
from Nigeria and Harmonize from Tanzania.
"Music
for us is coming out naturally, it’s an organic thing," says Tivane,
"When Tarico is done with the beat, he shows the boys and we start to exchange
ideas. When we get to the studio, it is magical, we feel the energy. I love all
the songs on the album."
To hear the Yaba Buluku Boyz in conversation listen to This is Africa on
BBC World Service radio and partner stations across Africa, and online here.
Ex-apartheid era police officer: We were basically brainwashed
Mpho Lakaje
BBC Africa Daily
BBC Africa DailyCopyright: BBC Africa Daily
Lourens Groenewald used to work for South Africa's notorious apartheid-era police forceImage caption: Lourens Groenewald used to work for South Africa's notorious apartheid-era police force
A former police officer who helped suppress dissent during South Africa's apartheid era told the BBC youngsters like him were "basically brainwashed".
Lourens Groenewald spoke to the BBC's Africa Daily podcast ahead of the 30th anniversary of the fall apartheid, which takes place this Saturday.
Racial segregation was formalised by the National Party when it took over in 1948, introducing a variety of laws that made the black population second-class citizens.
But over the years, there was fierce resistance to the regime. Thousands of dissenters died, while leading political activists like Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe were incarcerated.
Explaining why he joined the notorious police force, Mr Groenewald said: "We were young people, teenagers. We were basically brainwashed concerning racism, being a patriot for your nation and your people. That’s what we believed in,"
Sandile Swana, an activist operating in the township of Soweto, spoke about the views he himself held during those years: "My feeling towards white South Africans were that they were the principal obstacle that had to be removed on my path to self-realisation."
Apartheid officially came to an end when millions of people voted in the country’s very first democratic election on the 27 April 1994. While Mr Swana was initially excited about freedom, he is now disillusioned. "My children face terrible odds. There’s absolutely nothing [jobs-wise] for graduates."
The blackouts have interrupted daily life in a number of Sierra Leonean citiesImage caption: The blackouts have interrupted daily life in a number of Sierra Leonean cities
Residents of Sierra Leone have described their frustration at the blackouts which have plagued the country in recent weeks.
The power cuts, which have hit cities including the capital, Freetown, have disrupted hospitals and daily life for many.
Fatmata Gassim, a second-year engineering student in Freetown, told the What in the World podcast: “There are so many things wrong with [Sierra Leone], especially electricity. Like you wake up one morning and poof, there is no [electricity]."
Ms Gassim, 19, is particularly frustrated as she relies completely on internet connectivity to study.
Most of Freetown’s power comes from a Turkish ship floating off the country’s coast. It has massively reduced electricity supply to the city - from 60 megawatts to 6 megawatts - because of unpaid bills.
Karpowership is one of the world's biggest floating power plant operators, with several African states relying on it for electricity.
Ms Gassim said the blackouts were affecting countless aspects of her life.
"How do you iron your clothes, how do you make your food, how do you go to sleep? We pay our electricity bills so I don’t see why we should be forced to live like this,” she said.
Some other Freetown-dwellers told the BBC they were experiencing a power cut which had lasted for five days in a row.
They have had to rely on generators, go to neighbours’
houses for their electricity needs or just sit in the dark.
In other cities, like Bo and Kenema, residents are able to access some
power, but still less than normal.
A filmmaker told the podcast he had been forced to use his laptop, with its relatively small screen, to edit his work, rather than use his usual desktop computer. The desktop keeps turning off or using up fuel from his generator.
Businesses like barbers, hotels and restaurants are also relying on generators, which heavily impacts their running costs.
Listen to What in the World - a podcast helping you make sense of what is happening around the globe - here.
The UN Human Rights Office has said it is "concerned" about authorities in Burkina Faso suspending broadcasts from the BBC and Voice of America.
As we mentioned earlier, the Burkinabè media regulator banned the platforms for a fortnight after they both covered a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report that accused the Burkina Faso army of massacring civilians.
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Marta Hurtado said in a statement: "Restrictions on media freedom and civic space must stop immediately. Freedom of expression including the right of access to information is crucial in any society, and even more so in the context of the transition in Burkina Faso."
AU 'deeply concerned' about north Ethiopia tensions
The African Union (AU) has expressed "deep concern" about "escalating tensions between local communities" in a disputed area of northern Ethiopia.
More than 50,000 people have been displaced by this month's clashes in Alamata Town, Raya Alamata, Zata and Ofla - all part of a disputed area claimed by the Tigray region and neighbouring Amhara region.
The district had been under Tigrayan administration until war broke out between the federal government and Tigrayan forces in 2020. The Amhara forces, which fought alongside the federal army during the war, have since seized the areas.
According to a statement published on Friday, AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat "calls on both sides to urgently halt hostilities and ensure the safety of civilians to end the renewed displacement of the local population."
He also "calls for the commencement of the political dialogue, which is the most viable means to respond to the issues of contested areas".
The escalating violence threatens to disrupt the implementation of the peace agreement signed by the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in Pretoria, South Africa, in November 2022 that ended the civil war.
Video caption: Former head of ICJ explains ruling on genocide case against Israel brought by S AfricaFormer head of ICJ explains ruling on genocide case against Israel brought by S Africa
Joan Donoghue speaks to BBC Hardtalk about the case brought by South Africa to the ICJ over alleged violations of the Genocide Convention by Israel.
DR Congo legal warning to Apple is 'first move' - lawyer
The Democratic Republic of Congo issuing a formal notice to Apple is the country's "first move" in a drive against the "exploitation" of its raw minerals, a lawyer representing DR Congo's government has told the BBC.
French lawyer William Bourdon spoke to the Newsday programme after the Democratic Republic of Congo accused Apple of using "illegally exploited" minerals in its products.
He was among a team of lawyers who on Thursday sent a formal notice to the tech giant on behalf of DR Congo, alleging that the minerals used by Apple come from mines where human rights are violated by rebels.
The notice warned of legal action if the alleged practice continues.
Apple has previously said there is no evidence any of its suppliers financed or benefited armed groups in DR Congo or any neighbouring country.
Mr Bourdon said: "This is the first move, we will continue. This is the first move of a new policy of the DRC. We want to moralise the way that raw materials are exploited in this country."
DR Congo's lawyers accuse Apple of buying minerals smuggled from eastern Congo into neighbouring Rwanda, where they are then laundered and integrated into the global supply chain.
A Kenyan official has now spoken on the matter, saying Kenya's mission in DR Congo capital, Kinshasa, was "engaging directly on the matter".
Korir Sing'Oei, Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, said on social media platform X: "Kenya takes great exception to the arrest and detention of its nationals lawfully carrying out commercial activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo by authorities in DRC."
The Congolese authorities have not yet responded to Kenya's accusations. However, on Friday afternoon Reuters news agency reported that Patrick Muyaya, spokesperson for the DR Congo government, said he would give a
response "later".
Kenya braces for more rain as flood death toll hits 60
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Slums and informal settlements in Nairobi have been particulary impacted by the floodsImage caption: Slums and informal settlements in Nairobi have been particulary impacted by the floods
Severe flooding has displaced hundreds of thousands of people across East Africa - and in Kenya rescue workers and authorities are "bracing" themselves for even more devastation.
"The situation continues to be very worrying. As of last night we were reporting over 60 people died across the country," Senator Edwin Sifuna, who represents the particularly hard-hit Nairobi County, told BBC Newsday.
The flooding has been caused by torrential rains linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon.
"Even just looking outside my window the clouds are already gathering. The weatherman tells us to expect even heavier rains over the next 72 hours," Mr Sifuna said, adding that rescue teams on the ground estimate that roughly 100,000 have been forced to flee their homes
Michael Aiyabei, head of disaster risk
management, is also concerned.
"We are bracing for an even harder moment," he said.
At least 155 people in neighbouring Tanzania have died in the floods. In Burundi, nearly 100,000 people have been displaced.
Two East Africans charged in UK migrant deaths investigation
Andre Rhoden-Paul
BBC News
Two men have been charged with immigration offences after an investigation into the deaths of five migrants, including a child, in the English Channel.
Three men, a woman and a seven-year-old girl died in a crush on board a boat carrying 112 people on Tuesday.
Tajdeen Abdulaziz Juma, from Sudan, and Yien Both, from South Sudan, have both been remanded in custody.
They are due to appear at Folkestone Magistrates' Court later.
The charged men are both aged 22 and accused of attempting to arrive in the UK without valid entry clearance.
Mr Both has also been charged with assisting unlawful immigration.
A third man, 18, from Sudan, was arrested earlier this week and has been bailed pending further inquiries.
The vessel got into trouble early on Tuesday morning after leaving Wimereux in northern France, and police witnessed people entering the water from the overcrowded boat.
It was one of several small boats which left France at about 03:00 local time (01:00GMT).
Some 49 people were rescued but 58 others opted to remain in the boat and continue towards the UK, the coastguard said in a statement.
S Sudan foreign minister sacked months after appointment
Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has sacked his foreign affairs minister who had been in office for less than a year.
James Pitia Morgan, who was appointed last August, was dismissed in a presidential decree read out on state television on Thursday night.
Before becoming foreign affairs minister, Mr Morgan was South Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia.
He has now been replaced by his former deputy, Ramadan Abdallah Goch.
President Kiir appointed Mr Morgan as his envoy for the Great Lakes region.
Mr Kiir also dismissed Mayen Wol Dut, the long-serving undersecretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and appointed him as South Sudan’s new ambassador to China.
There were no reasons given for the latest reshuffle.
Observers say it could be a political tactic for Mr Kiir ahead of elections, scheduled for December.
Mr Goch is the first Muslim to head the foreign ministry.
Burkina Faso suspends BBC over report on alleged massacre
BBC Monitoring
The world through its media
Burkina
Faso’s media regulator has suspended broadcasts from BBC Africa and Voice of America (VOA) over their coverage of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report accusing the Burkinabè army of abuses against civilians.
Access to the websites and digital platforms of the BBC, VOA and Human Rights Watch have also been suspended within Burkina Faso.
HRW published a report on Thursday accusing the Burkina Faso military of executing at least 223 civilians on 25 February in the north of the country.
“Accordingly, the BBC and VOA, through their correspondents in Burkina Faso, were instructed by telephone to immediately stop rebroadcasting the offending programme on all their platforms," state-owned news agency Agence d’Information du Burkina (AIB) reported
on Thursday.
The two outlets will be suspended for two weeks.
The Superior Council for Communication (CSC) further warned all local media outlets against covering the Human Rights Watch report,
threatening sanctions against those who do so.
VOA said in an article published on Friday that it "stands by its reporting about Burkina Faso and
intends to continue to fully and fairly cover activities in the country".
It also suspended three other international media outlets at varying times last year, including French-language magazine Jeune Afrique, French TV channel La Chaîne Info (LCI) and French state-owned media organisation France24.
Kenya Airways protests over staff held in DR Congo
Kenya Airways (KQ) has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo's military of holding two of its employees since last week, despite a court ruling to release them.
The two were arrested by the DR Congo's military intelligence unit last Friday over alleged missing custom documentation on "valuable" cargo, KQ said in a statement.
The airline said its staff were detained despite not having accepted the goods in question.
"The logistic handler was still completing documentation before handing it over to KQ," Allan Kilavuka, the airline's CEO wrote.
"All efforts to explain to the military officers that KQ had not accepted the cargo because of incomplete documentation proved futile."
On Tuesday, Kenyan embassy officials and a team from the airline were allowed to briefly visit the detainees.
KQ said that on Thursday a Congolose military court granted the airline's request to have the employees released as investigations continued.
The employees' phones were seized during the arrest and they have no means of communicating with the outside world, according to KQ.
"Despite the court orders, the military intelligence unit is still holding them incommunicado, yet these are civilians being held in a military intelligence facility," Mr Kilavuka said.
"We are perturbed by this action targeting innocent staff and consider it harassment targeting Kenya Airways' business."
It is unclear what the cargo in question comprised and authorities in DR Congo are yet to comment on the matter.
Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone roll out malaria vaccine
WHO Regional Office for Africa/XCopyright: WHO Regional Office for Africa/X
They are the latest African countries to roll out the RTS,S vaccineImage caption: They are the latest African countries to roll out the RTS,S vaccine
Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone have become the latest African countries to join the world's first routine vaccine programme against malaria.
The three nations will administer the RTS,S vaccine to children aged five months or older in four scheduled doses.
Benin received 215,900 doses of the vaccine, while Liberia received 112,000 and Sierra Leone 550,000.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), Unicef and the global vaccine alliance (Gavi) are coordinating the programme.
They said in a joint statement that the rollout was "a significant step forward for malaria prevention in Africa", which is the continent most impacted by the disease.
In 2022, 94% of all malaria cases and 95% of global malaria deaths happened in Africa, according to WHO.
The vaccine has already been successfully rolled out in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.
Pilots in three of those countries caused a 13% drop in the deaths of children eligible to receive the jab.
Several more African countries are expected to join the rollout of the RTS,S vaccine in the coming months, amid an anticipated rollout of R21, the second WHO-approved jab.
Ugandan dancehall star Fik Gaza freed from Saudi cell
Fik Gaza/XCopyright: Fik Gaza/X
The musician was reportedly arrested shortly after landing in the Gulf country on TuesdayImage caption: The musician was reportedly arrested shortly after landing in the Gulf country on Tuesday
Ugandan dancehall artist Shafic Dangote, known as Fik Gaza, has been released after spending three days in a Saudi Arabia cell.
Gaza was reportedly arrested on Tuesday by Saudi authorities shortly after landing in the Gulf country.
It is unclear why he was arrested but some reports said he was detained over alleged visa irregularities and dress code violations.
Fellow musicians in Uganda condemned the arrest and called for his immediate release.
Live Reporting
Wycliffe Muia, Gloria Aradi and Wedaeli Chibelushi
All times stated are UK
Get involved
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AFPCopyright: AFP The blackouts have interrupted daily life in a number of Sierra Leonean citiesImage caption: The blackouts have interrupted daily life in a number of Sierra Leonean cities 
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Latest Post'Burna Boy collab led to me buying a house for my mum'
DJ Edu
Presenter of This Is Africa on BBC World Service
When Mozambican DJ and super-producer Tarico came up with a particularly energetic beat one day, he couldn’t have predicted how it would change his life and that of his two friends.
One of those friends, songwriter and vocalist Nelson Tivane, came up with the lyric "Yaba Buluku", inspired by the sound of coins jangling in a pocket
The other friend, Preck, belted out that lyric with his gravelly, powerful voice. It was an instant hit.
"After we concluded the song we went to a rural zone and we put a car with a big sound there, and we connected the song on the car and we saw many people dancing and ask ‘who is the owner of this song?’ Then we knew this song was going to be big!"Tarico recalls, chuckling.
None other than the African Giant, Burna Boy, realised the strength of Yaba Buluku and jumped on the remix, a move which had a massive impact on Tarico, Tivane and Preck.
"We were travelling all over Africa. Too many big artists were asking us for features. People started to know our face outside of Mozambique. We became internationals," says Nelson.
"And money! I bought a car, land and a house for my mother," adds Preck.
Now calling themselves Yaba Buluku Boyz, the trio dropped their first album, Donsa, on Friday.
Like the original hit, it is high-energy, danceable amapiano, and features big African names including Ghana’s dancehall king Shatta Wale, Timaya from Nigeria and Harmonize from Tanzania.
"Music for us is coming out naturally, it’s an organic thing," says Tivane,
"When Tarico is done with the beat, he shows the boys and we start to exchange ideas. When we get to the studio, it is magical, we feel the energy. I love all the songs on the album."
To hear the Yaba Buluku Boyz in conversation listen to This is Africa on BBC World Service radio and partner stations across Africa, and online here.
Read more about music from across Africa:
Ex-apartheid era police officer: We were basically brainwashed
Mpho Lakaje
BBC Africa Daily
A former police officer who helped suppress dissent during South Africa's apartheid era told the BBC youngsters like him were "basically brainwashed".
Lourens Groenewald spoke to the BBC's Africa Daily podcast ahead of the 30th anniversary of the fall apartheid, which takes place this Saturday.
Racial segregation was formalised by the National Party when it took over in 1948, introducing a variety of laws that made the black population second-class citizens.
But over the years, there was fierce resistance to the regime. Thousands of dissenters died, while leading political activists like Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe were incarcerated.
Explaining why he joined the notorious police force, Mr Groenewald said: "We were young people, teenagers. We were basically brainwashed concerning racism, being a patriot for your nation and your people. That’s what we believed in,"
Sandile Swana, an activist operating in the township of Soweto, spoke about the views he himself held during those years: "My feeling towards white South Africans were that they were the principal obstacle that had to be removed on my path to self-realisation."
Apartheid officially came to an end when millions of people voted in the country’s very first democratic election on the 27 April 1994. While Mr Swana was initially excited about freedom, he is now disillusioned. "My children face terrible odds. There’s absolutely nothing [jobs-wise] for graduates."
Burkina Faso suspends BBC over HRW report coverage
By Hafsa Khalil
BBC News
BBC Africa is suspended for two weeks for covering a Human Rights Watch report on alleged mass killings.
Read moreAnger as unpaid bills leave Sierra Leone in dark
Chimezie Ucheagbo
BBC What in the World podcast
Residents of Sierra Leone have described their frustration at the blackouts which have plagued the country in recent weeks.
The power cuts, which have hit cities including the capital, Freetown, have disrupted hospitals and daily life for many.
Fatmata Gassim, a second-year engineering student in Freetown, told the What in the World podcast: “There are so many things wrong with [Sierra Leone], especially electricity. Like you wake up one morning and poof, there is no [electricity]."
Ms Gassim, 19, is particularly frustrated as she relies completely on internet connectivity to study.
Most of Freetown’s power comes from a Turkish ship floating off the country’s coast. It has massively reduced electricity supply to the city - from 60 megawatts to 6 megawatts - because of unpaid bills.
Karpowership is one of the world's biggest floating power plant operators, with several African states relying on it for electricity.
Ms Gassim said the blackouts were affecting countless aspects of her life.
"How do you iron your clothes, how do you make your food, how do you go to sleep? We pay our electricity bills so I don’t see why we should be forced to live like this,” she said.
Some other Freetown-dwellers told the BBC they were experiencing a power cut which had lasted for five days in a row.
They have had to rely on generators, go to neighbours’ houses for their electricity needs or just sit in the dark.
In other cities, like Bo and Kenema, residents are able to access some power, but still less than normal.
A filmmaker told the podcast he had been forced to use his laptop, with its relatively small screen, to edit his work, rather than use his usual desktop computer. The desktop keeps turning off or using up fuel from his generator.
Businesses like barbers, hotels and restaurants are also relying on generators, which heavily impacts their running costs.
Listen to What in the World - a podcast helping you make sense of what is happening around the globe - here.
Question Time: Did Philp confuse Rwanda and Congo?
By Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter
The policing minister appeared to ask an audience member if Rwanda and Congo were different countries.
Read moreUN criticises Burkina Faso's BBC ban
The UN Human Rights Office has said it is "concerned" about authorities in Burkina Faso suspending broadcasts from the BBC and Voice of America.
As we mentioned earlier, the Burkinabè media regulator banned the platforms for a fortnight after they both covered a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report that accused the Burkina Faso army of massacring civilians.
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Marta Hurtado said in a statement: "Restrictions on media freedom and civic space must stop immediately. Freedom of expression including the right of access to information is crucial in any society, and even more so in the context of the transition in Burkina Faso."
AU 'deeply concerned' about north Ethiopia tensions
The African Union (AU) has expressed "deep concern" about "escalating tensions between local communities" in a disputed area of northern Ethiopia.
More than 50,000 people have been displaced by this month's clashes in Alamata Town, Raya Alamata, Zata and Ofla - all part of a disputed area claimed by the Tigray region and neighbouring Amhara region.
The district had been under Tigrayan administration until war broke out between the federal government and Tigrayan forces in 2020. The Amhara forces, which fought alongside the federal army during the war, have since seized the areas.
According to a statement published on Friday, AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat "calls on both sides to urgently halt hostilities and ensure the safety of civilians to end the renewed displacement of the local population."
He also "calls for the commencement of the political dialogue, which is the most viable means to respond to the issues of contested areas".
The escalating violence threatens to disrupt the implementation of the peace agreement signed by the federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in Pretoria, South Africa, in November 2022 that ended the civil war.
Thabo Mbeki vows to rid South Africa's ANC of 'rotten apples'
South Africa's former president hits out at corruption within the governing party.
Read moreFormer ICJ head explains court’s ruling on Gaza genocide case
Video content
Joan Donoghue speaks to BBC Hardtalk about the case brought by South Africa to the ICJ over alleged violations of the Genocide Convention by Israel.
DR Congo legal warning to Apple is 'first move' - lawyer
The Democratic Republic of Congo issuing a formal notice to Apple is the country's "first move" in a drive against the "exploitation" of its raw minerals, a lawyer representing DR Congo's government has told the BBC.
French lawyer William Bourdon spoke to the Newsday programme after the Democratic Republic of Congo accused Apple of using "illegally exploited" minerals in its products.
He was among a team of lawyers who on Thursday sent a formal notice to the tech giant on behalf of DR Congo, alleging that the minerals used by Apple come from mines where human rights are violated by rebels.
The notice warned of legal action if the alleged practice continues.
Apple has previously said there is no evidence any of its suppliers financed or benefited armed groups in DR Congo or any neighbouring country.
Mr Bourdon said: "This is the first move, we will continue. This is the first move of a new policy of the DRC. We want to moralise the way that raw materials are exploited in this country."
DR Congo's lawyers accuse Apple of buying minerals smuggled from eastern Congo into neighbouring Rwanda, where they are then laundered and integrated into the global supply chain.
Read more:
Kenya 'engaging directly' with DR Congo over detentions
Earlier, we reported that Kenya Airways had accused a military unit in the Democratic Republic of Congo of unfairly detaining its employees for a week.
A Kenyan official has now spoken on the matter, saying Kenya's mission in DR Congo capital, Kinshasa, was "engaging directly on the matter".
Korir Sing'Oei, Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, said on social media platform X: "Kenya takes great exception to the arrest and detention of its nationals lawfully carrying out commercial activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo by authorities in DRC."
The Congolese authorities have not yet responded to Kenya's accusations. However, on Friday afternoon Reuters news agency reported that Patrick Muyaya, spokesperson for the DR Congo government, said he would give a response "later".
Two hundred killed by Burkina Faso army - report
By Gloria Aradi
BBC News
Soldiers accused residents of aiding Islamist fighters before shooting at them, an investigation shows.
Read moreKenya braces for more rain as flood death toll hits 60
Severe flooding has displaced hundreds of thousands of people across East Africa - and in Kenya rescue workers and authorities are "bracing" themselves for even more devastation.
"The situation continues to be very worrying. As of last night we were reporting over 60 people died across the country," Senator Edwin Sifuna, who represents the particularly hard-hit Nairobi County, told BBC Newsday.
The flooding has been caused by torrential rains linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon.
"Even just looking outside my window the clouds are already gathering. The weatherman tells us to expect even heavier rains over the next 72 hours," Mr Sifuna said, adding that rescue teams on the ground estimate that roughly 100,000 have been forced to flee their homes
Michael Aiyabei, head of disaster risk management, is also concerned.
"We are bracing for an even harder moment," he said.
At least 155 people in neighbouring Tanzania have died in the floods. In Burundi, nearly 100,000 people have been displaced.
Read more:
Two East Africans charged in UK migrant deaths investigation
Andre Rhoden-Paul
BBC News
Two men have been charged with immigration offences after an investigation into the deaths of five migrants, including a child, in the English Channel.
Three men, a woman and a seven-year-old girl died in a crush on board a boat carrying 112 people on Tuesday.
Tajdeen Abdulaziz Juma, from Sudan, and Yien Both, from South Sudan, have both been remanded in custody.
They are due to appear at Folkestone Magistrates' Court later.
The charged men are both aged 22 and accused of attempting to arrive in the UK without valid entry clearance.
Mr Both has also been charged with assisting unlawful immigration.
A third man, 18, from Sudan, was arrested earlier this week and has been bailed pending further inquiries.
The vessel got into trouble early on Tuesday morning after leaving Wimereux in northern France, and police witnessed people entering the water from the overcrowded boat.
It was one of several small boats which left France at about 03:00 local time (01:00GMT).
Some 49 people were rescued but 58 others opted to remain in the boat and continue towards the UK, the coastguard said in a statement.
S Sudan foreign minister sacked months after appointment
Nichola Mandil
BBC News, Juba
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has sacked his foreign affairs minister who had been in office for less than a year.
James Pitia Morgan, who was appointed last August, was dismissed in a presidential decree read out on state television on Thursday night.
Before becoming foreign affairs minister, Mr Morgan was South Sudan’s ambassador to Ethiopia.
He has now been replaced by his former deputy, Ramadan Abdallah Goch.
President Kiir appointed Mr Morgan as his envoy for the Great Lakes region.
Mr Kiir also dismissed Mayen Wol Dut, the long-serving undersecretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and appointed him as South Sudan’s new ambassador to China.
There were no reasons given for the latest reshuffle.
Observers say it could be a political tactic for Mr Kiir ahead of elections, scheduled for December.
Mr Goch is the first Muslim to head the foreign ministry.
Burkina Faso suspends BBC over report on alleged massacre
BBC Monitoring
The world through its media
Burkina Faso’s media regulator has suspended broadcasts from BBC Africa and Voice of America (VOA) over their coverage of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report accusing the Burkinabè army of abuses against civilians.
Access to the websites and digital platforms of the BBC, VOA and Human Rights Watch have also been suspended within Burkina Faso.
HRW published a report on Thursday accusing the Burkina Faso military of executing at least 223 civilians on 25 February in the north of the country.
“Accordingly, the BBC and VOA, through their correspondents in Burkina Faso, were instructed by telephone to immediately stop rebroadcasting the offending programme on all their platforms," state-owned news agency Agence d’Information du Burkina (AIB) reported on Thursday.
The two outlets will be suspended for two weeks.
The Superior Council for Communication (CSC) further warned all local media outlets against covering the Human Rights Watch report, threatening sanctions against those who do so.
VOA said in an article published on Friday that it "stands by its reporting about Burkina Faso and intends to continue to fully and fairly cover activities in the country".
In December 2023, the West African nation suspended French daily Le Monde, accusing it of biased reporting.
It also suspended three other international media outlets at varying times last year, including French-language magazine Jeune Afrique, French TV channel La Chaîne Info (LCI) and French state-owned media organisation France24.
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Read moreKenya Airways protests over staff held in DR Congo
Kenya Airways (KQ) has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo's military of holding two of its employees since last week, despite a court ruling to release them.
The two were arrested by the DR Congo's military intelligence unit last Friday over alleged missing custom documentation on "valuable" cargo, KQ said in a statement.
The airline said its staff were detained despite not having accepted the goods in question.
"The logistic handler was still completing documentation before handing it over to KQ," Allan Kilavuka, the airline's CEO wrote.
"All efforts to explain to the military officers that KQ had not accepted the cargo because of incomplete documentation proved futile."
On Tuesday, Kenyan embassy officials and a team from the airline were allowed to briefly visit the detainees.
KQ said that on Thursday a Congolose military court granted the airline's request to have the employees released as investigations continued.
The employees' phones were seized during the arrest and they have no means of communicating with the outside world, according to KQ.
"Despite the court orders, the military intelligence unit is still holding them incommunicado, yet these are civilians being held in a military intelligence facility," Mr Kilavuka said.
"We are perturbed by this action targeting innocent staff and consider it harassment targeting Kenya Airways' business."
It is unclear what the cargo in question comprised and authorities in DR Congo are yet to comment on the matter.
Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone roll out malaria vaccine
Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone have become the latest African countries to join the world's first routine vaccine programme against malaria.
The three nations will administer the RTS,S vaccine to children aged five months or older in four scheduled doses.
Benin received 215,900 doses of the vaccine, while Liberia received 112,000 and Sierra Leone 550,000.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), Unicef and the global vaccine alliance (Gavi) are coordinating the programme.
They said in a joint statement that the rollout was "a significant step forward for malaria prevention in Africa", which is the continent most impacted by the disease.
In 2022, 94% of all malaria cases and 95% of global malaria deaths happened in Africa, according to WHO.
The vaccine has already been successfully rolled out in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.
Pilots in three of those countries caused a 13% drop in the deaths of children eligible to receive the jab.
Several more African countries are expected to join the rollout of the RTS,S vaccine in the coming months, amid an anticipated rollout of R21, the second WHO-approved jab.
Ugandan dancehall star Fik Gaza freed from Saudi cell
Ugandan dancehall artist Shafic Dangote, known as Fik Gaza, has been released after spending three days in a Saudi Arabia cell.
Gaza was reportedly arrested on Tuesday by Saudi authorities shortly after landing in the Gulf country.
It is unclear why he was arrested but some reports said he was detained over alleged visa irregularities and dress code violations.
Fellow musicians in Uganda condemned the arrest and called for his immediate release.
"Am Free. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to get me out of jail," Gaza posted on social media platform X.
Authorities in both Saudi Arabia and Uganda have not commented on the matter.
Gaza, who started his music career in 2018, gained popularity with hits like Digida, Wanika Ebango and Omwana Oyo.