Africa highlights: Defeat of al-Shabab 'in two years', Chibok girls' identification starts

South Africa's Stellenbosch University says it has identified three people linked to posters based on Nazi propaganda that were put up on the campus on Tuesday (see earlier post).

The pictures were modified versions used by Nazi youth organisations and advertised a meeting of what was called Anglo-Afrikaner students. 

The university removed the posters and issued a statement condemning racism but critics say the posters highlighted how apartheid-era attitudes are still alive at the institution.

Stellenbosch was an elite Afrikaner university during apartheid.

An uncut diamond weighing 709 carats which was discovered in March by a local pastor in Kono district in the west African nation of Sierra Leone will be auctioned tomorrow. 

It is one of the 20 largest diamonds ever found.

Ahead of the event, the BBC's Umaru Fofana, who was once an artisanal diamond miner in his own right, got exclusive access to where the diamond is being kept and was allowed to hold it: 

Africa's biggest diamonds: 

1. Cullinan Diamond, found in South Africa in 1905, weighed 3,107 carats

2. Lesedi La Rona, found in Botswana in 2015, weighed 1,111 carats

3. Excelsior Diamond, found in South Africa in 1893, weighed 995 carats

4. Star of Sierra Leone, found in Sierra Leone in 1972, weighed 969 carats

5. Incomparable Diamond, found in DR Congo in 1984, weighed 890 carats

Source: Mathew Nyaungwa, Rough and Polished

Read: Why have so many huge diamonds been found recently?

AFPCopyright: AFP

Zambian prosecutors have moved to end part of the case against opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema. But he is still facing a treason charge among others.

The trial of Mr Hichilema and several co-accused opened today at a magistrate's court in the capital, Lusaka. 

They were accused of disobeying lawful orders of a police officer over their alleged refusal to give way to the motorcade of President Edgar Lungu last month. 

The trial opened dramatically when the state decided to drop the case. 

But proceedings continued over another charge against Mr Hichilema concerning the alleged use of insulting language against police officers when they went to his residence to arrest him on 11 April.

The case concerning the treason charge against Mr Hichilema is due to start tomorrow.

Ugandan activist Stella Nyanzi was released today on bail after being detained for 30 days for charges of cyber harassment. This is over the description of President Yoweri Museveni as "a pair of buttocks". 

The court reportedly denied the state prosecutor's request to bar Ms Nyanzi from "engaging in adverse derogatory comments about the first family" as part of the bail conditions.

An activist shared a list of the bail conditions: 

The bail of 10m Ugandan shillings to be paid by each of her guarantors is equivalent to $2,700.

Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed has told the BBC that he thinks the Islamist militant group al-Shabab can be defeated within the next two years.

Speaking on the eve of a London conference on Somalia, the president said that this goal can be met as long as there is international support and the country's soldiers are properly trained and equipped.

He said that the army and the AU force that supports the government are preparing themselves to take on al-Shabab.

Mr Mohamed has been in power for three months.

The militants have controlled large parts of the country since it emerged over a decade ago, though it has been beaten back in some areas in recent years.

The BBC's Mary Harper, who spoke to the president, points out that previous Somali leaders have made similar pledges.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Uganda's President has been sharing some thoughts on his Twitter account following his meeting with European Union diplomats in the country who were celebrating 60 years of the EU. 

He thanked the EU for supporting the construction of roads, but urged it to do more to support Uganda's general economic development.  

"If economy grows, costs go down, private investors are attracted and the future becomes easy to handle. The EU can help on this front," he said. 

He added that economic growth took priority over human rights: 

Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi has said the the army will be deployed to protect the country’s natural resources.  

This announcement comes after weeks of protests and a general strike in parts of southern Tunisia, where people have been demanding jobs and an increased share in revenues for development projects in their areas.  

The government has been struggling to address rising anger over unemployment amongst its youth, and to impose austerity measures for its economic reform plans. 

The president described his action as a “serious decision" adding that the country’s “democratic path has been threatened and the law must be applied”.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

A Reuters journalist in South Sudan's capital, Juba has tweeted a picture of the new army chief James Ajongo at state house where he sworn into office. 

Mr Ajongo replaces Gen Paul Malong who was sacked last night.

Africans on Twitter have joined the #BowWowChallenge hashtag to share tongue-in-cheek pictures of exaggerated glitzy lifestyles as a way of mocking US rapper Bow Wow. 

Earlier this week, he put a photo of a private jet on Instagram claiming he was travelling in it.

It later transpired that he used a stock photo and was flying on a commercial airliner.

Here's a selection of what some are tweeting: 

General Paul Malong, who was last night sacked as the head of South Sudan’s army has withdrawn with his security guards to outside of the capital, Juba, but is not planning any fighting, a spokesman for the army, the SPLA, told Amsterdam based Radio Tamazuj. 

"Paul Malong has gone to Eastern Lakes to avoid further tensions, he is not planning to rebel... he is in contact with the army leadership," SPLA spokesman Santo Domic said, adding that the security situation in Juba is clam. 

“What we know is that he left Juba without any clashes in Juba.” 

The Nigerian authorities say they have started the long process of reuniting the recently released 82 Chibok girls with their families. 

Nearly 300 young students were kidnapped by Islamist militants Boko Haram in 2014 from a school in Chibok, north-east Nigeria. Their abduction provoked a global social media campaign.

The 82 were freed on Saturday in exchange for five Boko Haram prisoners, following negotiations brokered by the ICRC.

But their identity needs to be confirmed.

Representatives of parents from Chibok are now travelling to the area with pictures of those who have been released.

Presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu told the BBC that at the end of the careful identification process, the families will then be taken to the capital Abuja to be reunited with their daughters.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Read more: Chibok girls, what fate awaits the ones set free?

As we've reported South’s Sudan’s president Salva Kiir has sacked his powerful army chief Paul Malong.  

No explanation has been given but the capital, Juba, is rife with speculation about what led to his sacking and what he will do next. 

Reports from the city say that people are leaving work early in case there is any trouble.

It has only been 10 months since fighting broke out in the city, involving rival military factions. 

UN experts have blamed Gen Malong and President Salva Kiir for the violence, in which hundreds died last July. 

The president’s spokesman said the decision to replace Mr Malong was normal and that army chiefs could serve anywhere between two and four years. 

AFPCopyright: AFP

We have posted a couple of times already about African perspectives on US President Donald Trump sacking the head of the FBI, the man leading an investigation into alleged ties between Russia and the Trump campaign (see here and here).

South African comedian Trevor Noah, who hosts the Daily Show, a late-night satirical programme, in the US, has also added his take.

He said:

Quote Message: I know we said that Trump was an African dictator, but right now even Africans are watching this going 'yo, yo, yo, yo, yo'"

I know we said that Trump was an African dictator, but right now even Africans are watching this going 'yo, yo, yo, yo, yo'"

Comedy CentralCopyright: Comedy Central

Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has sent best wishes to victims and families affected by Tuesday's gas explosion near Takoradi, the oil hub of Ghana. 

Over 100 people including six firefighters were injured following an explosion that occurred when a gas tanker was dispensing gas into containers. 

  Those injured included students from a nearby school and employees of a bus depot.   

STAR TVCopyright: STAR TV

Mr Akufo-Addo also tweeted that an investigation into what happened is on its way:

The body that regulates broadcast content in Kenya, KFCB, has said that it has written to Facebook and Twitter and other social media platforms to remove a game which is reportedly behind the suicide of a 16-year-old boy in the capital, Nairobi. 

The boy, who has been named as James Njenga, had reportedly been playing a game called the Blue Whale challenge, which according to some reports, goads players to commit suicide. 

KFCB boss Ezekiel Mutua said that he had also asked internet service providers in the country to block access to the game. 

“We have also ordered for the withdrawal of the game from all social media sites in Kenya and asked all Internet Service Providers to ensure it is not accessible in Kenya,” he said.

Mr Mutua said that KFCB had received lots of complaints from parents and schools about the dangers video games were posing to children. 

Read:Blue Whale: Should you be worried about online pressure groups?

AFPCopyright: AFP

An audit by Tanzania's main referral hospital, Muhimbili, and the national examination council has found that 134 workers at the medical institution hold fake secondary school certificates. 

A list released by the hospital shows 70 nurses have been found with fake school certificates. Other departments affected are surgery, IT and human resource.

The hospital has given the workers an ultimatum of five days to leave their jobs voluntarily or risk facing legal actions.

According to the education ministry, the investigation team came to its conclusion after realising that the national council of examination did not have records of the workers' secondary school qualifications. 

It also determined that some of the civil servants had used their relatives’ certificates. 

In April, President John Magufuli sacked nearly 10,000 civil servants after a taskforce he commissioned found that the officials held dubious secondary school qualifications.

Nkosozana Dlamini-Zuma has tweeted a link to an article quoting her as saying that people should stop thinking about her one-time marriage with President Jacob Zuma.

"We must not allow people to say uwumuntu kasibanibani (you're so and so's lover). A comrade is a comrade," News24 quotes her as saying.

The website suggests that her comments are to do with her ambitions to become the next leader of the ANC after party elections at the end of the year.

But Ms Dlamini-Zuma has not said she was campaigning.

Some factions within the ANC think that she could be unsuitable for leader because of her connection with the president.

The couple divorced in 1998.

AFPCopyright: AFP

The governor of Angola's northern province of Lunda Norte says the continuous stream of refugees from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo is straining resources in villages in the region, Reuters news agency reports. 

Ernesto Muangala said officials had counted 20,000 refugees in the province, double the number recorded a month ago. 

They are reportedly fleeing clashes between Congolese government soldiers and militia forces that erupted in Congo's Kasai-Central province last July, then spread to four other provinces.   

Mr Muangala said the refugees would be moved from overcrowded villages to a refugee camp in Lovua, about 1,000 km (600 miles) east of Angola's capital, Luanda. 

"Angola is supporting the refugees to ensure safety until the situation is at normal and go back to their family in the country," he told national radio station RNA.   

DR Congo unrest: What is behind the fighting in Kasai?

Consolata and Maria are conjoined twins from Tanzania.

The sisters are about to leave secondary school and go to university. 

They reveal their ambitions in this short film: