Africa highlights: Buhari unveils record $24bn budget, Tanzania blogger's office 'raided'

The Gambia's Yahya Jammeh has indicated that he is going to remain president. 

The personalised headrest covers in his Rolls Royce, as spotted by two foreign journalists in the capital Banjul today, shows that he is a man who greatly values his high position: 

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, has called for a national dialogue to end three years of civil war. 

Addressing parliament, he said a panel of eminent people would guide the dialogue for all South Sudanese. 

There was no mention of his rival, former vice president Riek Machar, who fled the capital after the most recent attempt at reconciliation collapsed into bitter fighting. 

South Africa says Mr Machar is in its "care", denying reports that he is under house arrest.

See earlier post for more details  

AFPCopyright: AFP

Tanzanian police have illegally searched the offices of popular blogging site JamiiForums in the main city Dar es Salaam, a day after arresting its co-founder Maxence Melo, his lawyer has said. 

The police took Mr Melo with them to the offices, and made copies of several documents, Mike Mushi, who launched JamiiForums with Mr Melo, said. 

Police also searched Mr Melo's home, his lawyer said. 

Police did not have a search warrant, and carried out the raids without Mr Melo's consent, he added. 

Police were due to present to present Mr Melo in court this morning, but failed to do so. 

They are apparently trying to find out the names of anonymous contributors to the Swahili language site, which often publishes sensitive information about the government.   

See earlier posts for more details

AFPCopyright: AFP

Politicians in South Africa are often accused of spending government money lavishly, but a mayor in the mainly poor Limopopo province has proved to be different. 

 Florence Radzilani  has turned down an offer to buy her a luxury car for about $110,000 (£86,000), saying the money should instead be spent on tackling water shortages in poor villages, South Africa's News 24 reports. 

Ms Radzilani, a senior member of the governing African National Congress, made the disclosure during a media briefing on her first 100 days as mayor of Vhembe district.

Municipality officials told her she qualified for a new mayoral car, but Ms Radzilani decided to stick with the old one. 

 She is quoted by News 24 as saying: 

Quote Message: I know it's very risky because the vehicle I'm using was bought by the previous mayor and has reached the mileage limit of 170,000km (105,000 miles). We are not allowed to use a car that has exceeded that, but I'm willing to take that risk so that all the villages might receive water."

I know it's very risky because the vehicle I'm using was bought by the previous mayor and has reached the mileage limit of 170,000km (105,000 miles). We are not allowed to use a car that has exceeded that, but I'm willing to take that risk so that all the villages might receive water."

GhanaWebCopyright: GhanaWeb

A Ghanaian website has put together a list of what it calls the "10 most ridiculous church names in Africa".

The post also tries to decode the meaning behind the names. In the case of The Atomic Bomb Bible Brigade Ministry, the writer wonders if it denotes a church or a military base, only God knows, he concludes.

Among other names on the list are: 

•   Satan in Trouble Ministries
•   Guided Missile Church
•   The Ministry of Unclad Wire
•    High Tension Church

Do you know of a church name that you think should be on the list? Let us know on the BBC Africa Facebook page

The organisation which represents the business sector in The Gambia has backed calls for President Yahya Jammeh to hand over power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who beat him in the 1 December elections. 

The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the crisis caused by  Mr Jammeh's refusal to accept defeat was causing "great uncertainty" in the business community and was having a negative effect on the economy. 

It urged Mr Jammeh to reconsider his decision to reject the election result. 

The full statement has been shared by a tweeter: 

A Kenyan lawmaker has proposed a bill to allow individuals to defend themselves when they are threatened. 

Moses Kuria from the governing party says the  "Kenya Stand Your Ground Bill" would allow individuals to defend themselves without facing prosecution. 

The bill proposes that individuals should be allowed to apply what normally be regraded as unlawful force to protect themselves and their property from destruction. 

However, the law will not apply to individuals involved in illegal activities.    

Mr Kuria claims that the government’s methods of dealing with insecurity have failed. The bill is expected to be discussed by parliament in February.

He campaigned for the bill in a Facebook post: 

Quote Message: The bill will empower any Kenyan to use whatever force or weapon against anyone who tries to threaten their lives, businesses or property even under the cover of mass action.

The bill will empower any Kenyan to use whatever force or weapon against anyone who tries to threaten their lives, businesses or property even under the cover of mass action.

Quote Message: If you find your brains spread on the streets, don't say I didn't warn you. The Kenyan Stand Your Ground Bill will cushion Kenyans from prosecution if they use force to defend their lives, property or business."

If you find your brains spread on the streets, don't say I didn't warn you. The Kenyan Stand Your Ground Bill will cushion Kenyans from prosecution if they use force to defend their lives, property or business."

Mr Kuria, a controversial figure who is currently facing hate speech charges, told the BBC he is confident the bill will pass. 

He said similar laws already existed in other countries. 

But Kenyans are divided on the issue. Some fear it could lead to more violence, but others support the bill. 

AFPCopyright: AFP

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, has unveiled a record budget of more than 7 trillion naira ($24bn; £19bn) which is aimed at pulling the country out of its first recession in  25 years, Reuters news agency reports. 

Presenting the budget at a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate, Mr Buhari said It marks an increase of more than 20% on last year's spending plan. 

The budget seeks to boost spending to revive the economy, he added.   

The recession was largely caused by low global oil prices, as crude sales account for two-thirds of the Nigerian government's revenue.  

The president also said he wants to restore oil output to 2.2 million barrels per day. 

It had been severely disrupted following a series of attacks on energy facilities in the oil-rich Niger Delta by militants demanding a greater of the region's oil wealth. 

The budget unveiled to the National Assembly is now to be debated by the MPs. 

It must be agreed by the parliament before Mr Buhari can sign it into law. 

AFPCopyright: AFP

The international community can stop a "Rwanda-like" genocide in South Sudan if it immediately deploy a 4,000-strong protection force across the country and set up a court to prosecute those behind atrocities, the head of the UN Human Rights Council has said. 

Speaking at a special meeting of the council in Geneva, Yasmin Sooka said that South Sudan "stands on the brink of an all-out ethnic civil war, which could destabilise the entire region". 

South Sudan, the world's newest state, has been hit by conflict since December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his sacked deputy, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup - a charge Mr Machar denied. 

See earlier post for more details 

AFPCopyright: AFP

About 35% of 743 health facilities in Nigeria's north-eastern Borno state have been "completely destroyed", a report by World Health Organisation says. 

It says only one third of the facilities remaining are functioning at all.

WHO's representative in Nigeria Dr Wondi Alemu said several factors were behind the dire situation:

Quote Message: "High insecurity, difficult terrain and lack of health workers, medicines, equipment and basic amenities such as safe water are making access to essential, lifesaving health care extremely difficult for people in this conflict-affected area.

"High insecurity, difficult terrain and lack of health workers, medicines, equipment and basic amenities such as safe water are making access to essential, lifesaving health care extremely difficult for people in this conflict-affected area.

He added that an estimated 6m people were in need of health assistance and the organisation was working to reach them. 

Two Iranians who had terror-related charges dropped and an order for their deportation issued by a Kenyan court are lawyers, Iranian officials say.

Sayed Nasrollah Ebrahim and Abdolhosein Gholi Safaee were arrested early this month by the elite anti-terrorism police unit in the capital Nairobi where they were charged with collecting information to facilitate terror attack.

They were accused of filming and photographing the Israel embassy in the capital.  

Iranian authorities denied the accusations, saying the two were from the justice ministry and were in Kenya to follow up on cases involving two Iranian prisoners in Kenya. 

Kenyan prosecutors had told the court the men visited Iranian nationals Ahmad Mohammed and Sayed Mousavi in prison to pass information. 

Mohammed and Mousavi are currently serving 15-year jail terms following their arrest in 2013 after they were found guilty of possessing explosives.

AFPCopyright: AFP

The Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh will be "strongly sanctioned" if he refuses to give up power when his mandate ends on 19 January, the UN special envoy for West Africa has said. 

In an interview with Reuters news agency, Mohammed Ibn Chambas said:   

Quote Message: For Mr Jammeh, the end is here and under no circumstances can he continue to be president."

For Mr Jammeh, the end is here and under no circumstances can he continue to be president."

The electoral commission said that opposition candidate Adama Barrow obtained 222,708 votes (43.3%) compared with Mr Jammeh's 208,487 (39.6%) in the 1 December poll. 

A third candidate, Mama Kandeh, won 89,768 votes (17.1%). 

Mr Jammeh first took power in a 1994 coup and has been accused of leading one of the most repressive regimes in Africa.  

Read: The man in charge for 22 years

AFPCopyright: AFP

The UN special envoy for West Africa, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has condemned The Gambian military's decision to seize the headquarters of the electoral commission in the capital, Banjul, AFP reports.

Mr Chambas said they should immediately leave the building:

Quote Message: It is a violation of the independent character of the electoral commission as guaranteed by the constitution, with [these] soldiers now in possession of equipment which was used in the electoral process."

It is a violation of the independent character of the electoral commission as guaranteed by the constitution, with [these] soldiers now in possession of equipment which was used in the electoral process."

Soldiers took control of the building on Tuesday after President Yahya Jammeh changed his mind about accepting defeat at the hands of property developer Adama Barrow in the 1 December election. 

He is now challenging the result in court, and has called for a new election organised by a "God-fearing" commission. 

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Civil society groups in Kenya have rejected claims by President Uhuru Kenyatta that they are planning "regime change" through their activities. 

Mr Kenyatta made the remarks during Independence Day celebrations on 12 December. 

He accused some NGOs of trying to influence elections through their civic education programmes. 

The Civil Society Reference Group, a consortium of Kenyan NGOs, says the claims are "baseless" and that they are being unfairly targeted. 

The NGOs say their projects are aimed at empowering women and young people, and encouraging their participation in governance issues.  

The United States, which finances many of these programmes, says it will continue to do so and that it is not involved in funding political activities. 

Mr Kenyatta also referred to alleged foreign interference in the US elections in his speech. 

He warned that Kenyans would not take kindly to any such interference in their elections.  

Earlier this week, the office in charge of  NGOs was moved from the planning ministry to the internal security ministry.

Gambians voted and a winner was declared; the loser conceded but later rejected the results. 

The loser, incumbent strongman President Yahya Jammeh, is now seeking to have the election overturned in court. Will this dispute create a constitutional crisis in the tiny West African nation? 

The BBC's Umaru Fofana explains the latest developments. Read his report here

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A court in Kenya has ordered the deportation of two Iranian men who were facing charges of taking pictures of Israel's embassy in the capital, Nairobi, a leading Kenyan broadcaster has tweeted:  

The AFP news agency reported on 2 December that the men, along with their Kenyan driver, were charged with being "in facilitation of a terrorist act" after "taking video clips of the Israeli embassy using mobile phones". 

They denied the charges. 

The three men were allegedly driving in an Iranian embassy car at the time of the arrest, the report said.  

 Prosecutor Duncan Ondimu told the court at the time that the men had also been to Kamiti Maximum Security Prison outside Nairobi where they had visited two other Iranians, Ahmad Mohammed and Sayed Mousavi, who were serving a 15-year sentence for possessing explosives after being convicted in 2013. 

With South African football team Mamelodi Sundowns given a 4-1 thrashing by South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai in their Fifa Club World Cup fifth-place playoff match, our football correspondent has tweeted:   

AFPCopyright: AFP

Guinea's former Minister of Mines, Mahmoud Thiam, has been arrested in the United States for allegedly accepting kickbacks from two Chinese companies in exchange for mining contracts, AFP reports.

Mr Thiam is a dual national, who also holds US citizenship.

His arrest was announced by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

His lawyer have not yet commented on his arrest.  

According to AFP, the 50-year-old Mr Thiam is accused of taking about $8.5m (£6.7m) in bribes when he was Minister of Mines in exchange for giving lucrative investment rights to two Chinese firms.

He is alleged to have deposited the cash from the companies in a Hong Kong bank account under a disguised identity.

It became an issue for the US when he allegedly transferred the money to New York and used it to buy a property.

DOJ official Leslie Caldwell is quoted by AFP as saying:

Quote Message: "We cannot tolerate the US becoming a money laundering paradise for foreign corrupt government officials."

"We cannot tolerate the US becoming a money laundering paradise for foreign corrupt government officials."

Opinion is heavily divided on the BBC Africa Facebook page over Amnesty International's report on what it calls the "systematic and illegal" blocking of social media and news sites in Ethiopia. 

Leroi Nanthambwe  in Malawi writes: 

Quote Message: In 1993, we had no cellphones, no sms's, no facebook, no whatsapp but change came in Malawi. We moved from one party autocratic rule to multiparty (thou I don't see any difference today as we are sliding back to one-party system).

In 1993, we had no cellphones, no sms's, no facebook, no whatsapp but change came in Malawi. We moved from one party autocratic rule to multiparty (thou I don't see any difference today as we are sliding back to one-party system).

Quote Message: I think there is something wrong with African leadership. But surely, change will come in Ethiopia.

I think there is something wrong with African leadership. But surely, change will come in Ethiopia.

Henok Yared in Ethiopia is very critical of Amnesty:  

Quote Message: What is your definition of illegal? Which law did the Ethiopia government break? As far as I concerned the government is still under the constitutional frame work. And please stop judging us before having all the facts. Ethiopia’s social media reality is very different from the rest of Africa."

What is your definition of illegal? Which law did the Ethiopia government break? As far as I concerned the government is still under the constitutional frame work. And please stop judging us before having all the facts. Ethiopia’s social media reality is very different from the rest of Africa."

Quote Message: Ethiopia’s social media reality is very different from the rest of Africa. We have a mass extremist diaspora who live in the west and use the social media to cause havoc and disturbance. Social media is not serving us any good. I am for total banning of every social media site!"

Ethiopia’s social media reality is very different from the rest of Africa. We have a mass extremist diaspora who live in the west and use the social media to cause havoc and disturbance. Social media is not serving us any good. I am for total banning of every social media site!"