Africa Live this week: 14-20 February 2022

For the latest updates, please go to bbc.com/africalive

AFPCopyright: AFP

The US State Department has announced that it is freezing nearly $160m (£118m) in foreign aid to Burkina Faso.

The announcement follows a detailed assessment of the events leading to the overthrow of President Roch Kaboré in late January, which the US has now determined was indeed a military coup.

It comes weeks after both the African Union and West African regional bloc Ecowas suspended Burkina Faso as a member state.

Under US law, any release of funds to Burkina Faso will now be conditional on verified steps towards a return to civilian rule.

The armed forces had linked the seizure of power with former President Kaboré's inability to curb an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands and forced at least 1.5 million people to flee their homes.

Related stories:

• Who is Burkina Faso coup leader Lt-Col Damiba?
• Return of the military strongmen to West Africa
• Why France faces so much anger in the region
• Russian mercenary plan triggers alarm in West Africa

AFPCopyright: AFP

A court in Dar es Salaam has ruled that Freeman Mbowe, the leader of Tanzania's main opposition party, will have to stand trial on charges of terrorism, prolonging a case that some see as political.

Mr Mbowe was arrested last July along with a number of senior officials of the Chadema party, just hours before they were to hold a public meeting to demand constitutional reforms.

He was charged with financing terrorism and conspiracy.

The 60-year-old leader said he had been tortured in custody.

His party, Chadema, accused the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan of meddling - saying Mr Mbowe's incarceration reflected a deepening slide into "dictatorship."

You may be interested in:

• A quick guide to Tanzania
• Profile: Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan

That's all from the BBC Africa Live team for now. There will be an automated news feed here until we're back on Monday morning at bbc.com/africalive.

In the meantime you can find the latest updates on the BBC News website, or listen to our Africa Today podcast.

A reminder of our wise words of the day:

Quote Message: The sun waits for no king." from A Kikuyu proverb from Kenya sent by Alice Mwangi in the United Arab Emirates

The sun waits for no king."

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this photo of seven-year-old influencer Aria De Chicchis and her mum in New York City - one of our favourite shots of the past week:

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

AlamyCopyright: Alamy

Twenty-five years after winning gold for Nigeria at the Olympics, ex-footballer Kingsley Obiekwu has told the BBC he has had to become a commercial bus driver to support his family.

When the 47-year-old was spotted behind the wheel of a bus this week in the eastern city of Enugu, his story went viral - and prompted national football captain Ahmed Musa to send him $5,000 (£3,600) to help him out.

Obiekwu said that failing to complete his education as a young man had led to missed opportunities.

"After I retired from football in 2004 and finish my coaching course in UK , I return to Nigeria in 2008, but no Premier League Club accepted me, they said I was not widely known as a coach.

"A friend of mine offered me the opportunity to coach in his grassroots football academy and since then I have been in and out of jobs.

"I earn 50,000 naira [$120] in my current job as a coach with an amateur football club, [but] I have a family with four of my children in the university, the pay is not enough.

"Instead of folding my hands and complaining, I decided to become a commercial bus driver to get small money to support my family."

He said he was very grateful to Musa for his gift: "I am honoured that Super Eagles Captain Ahmed Musa and other Nigerians home and abroad came to support me this period they remembered their heroes."

Musa told the BBC he understood Obiekwu’s plight as he had struggled to eat while growing up.

He advised young footballers to invest while they are playing active football in preparation for retirement.

"Young footballers should learn from our old ex-players, the situation they are now is because they did not invest.

"Forget about big cars, lifestyle, designer wears, when you retire that is when life starts."

A tanker carrying petrol has exploded in the south-western Nigerian state of Ogun killing at least 14 people and wounding a number of others.

A spokesperson for the Nigeria Federal Road Safety Commission told the BBC that the blast happened when the tanker had a head-on collision with a bus, on the Lagos-Ibadan highway on Friday morning.

Most of the victims were reportedly burnt beyond recognition.

Nigeria experiences frequent deadly road accidents and fuel tanker explosions.

The latest incident happened as the authorities try to distribute petrol amid nationwide fuel scarcity – which has left millions of Nigerians frustrated.

Gaz MaweteCopyright: Gaz Mawete

Gaz Mawete is one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s brightest new music stars.

He’s a great dancer and more than capable of producing familiar Congolese dance numbers, but he’s also pushing the boundaries and dropping more Afrobeats-influenced love ballads.

His real name is Gael Kapia Mawete, but his family have called him Gaz from the age of five, and so it became his stage name.

His latest single is entitled Nani, which means Who? In it, a woman is crying because she doesn't want this man to leave. She wants him to listen to what she's got to say first.

"There are a lot of life experiences in what I sing. Music for me is like a jar. Every song I release is from a jar where I keep my feelings throughout my life.

"I'm also an actor now. At the moment we're filming a series, and movies are coming next. Since I was a child I've always been a fan of cinema. Thanks to God, acting doesn't stop me from making music - I'm able to do both without any issues."

In 2016 Gaz was beaten at The Voice of Africa Francophone, but in 2017 he triumphed at another major talent contest - Vodacom Best of the Best All Stars - so his determination was finally rewarded.

"The audience embraced me. People loved me and they voted for me and gave me the opportunity to win."

The top prize wasn't just money, there was also an opportunity to be signed by the record label Bomayé Music.

"It was a double victory," Gaz says.

He has collaborated with some of the biggest names in Congolese music including Dadju and his friend Fally Ipupa.

Gaz also revealed that he had no idea his big hit song Olingi Nini would become a viral sensation. But he thinks the key to its success, as with all his music, is the amount of emotion he puts into it.

Gaz Mawete's new album will be released on March 4.

You can hear the conversation with Gaz Mawete this weekend on This Is Africa on BBC World Service radio and partner stations across Africa.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Afro-fusion singer Daniel Benson has changed his stage name from Buju to BNXN, pronounced as "Benson".

The Nigerian star made the announcement on social media:

Nigerian media report that the 24-year-old changed his name to avoid confusion with Jamaican dancehall artist Buju Banton, 48.

Murder rates in South Africa were almost 9% higher in the final quarter of 2021 than in the same period of 2020, according to police.

They've also presented the latest statistics on sexual violence, noting a 9% reduction in the number of reported sexual offences and 7% in reported rapes over the same period.

But such data does not give a complete picture as many victims often do not feel safe to report abuse, and campaigners say it has been difficult to track whether gender-based violence in South Africa has gotten worse during the pandemic.

"The data sadly and problematically isn't really that clear - and that indicates more needs to be done to collect data," Human Rights Watch told Deutche Welle in November.

Police Minister Bheki Cele said on Friday that specialist "gender-based violence desks" will be up and running in all police stations around the country by the end of March.

MP Munzoor Shaik-Emam has described the rape statistics as "very frightening", and other members of parliament said that South Africa is becoming even more unsafe.

The latest crime data indicates that 38% of victims of assaults with intent to do grievous bodily harm were women and children.

A judge presiding over the biggest corruption trial in Mozambique's history has ordered the seizure of assets worth $2.2bn (£1.48bn), including houses and shares, from some of the defendants.

Former President Armando Guebuza - who is the first ex-head of state to take the witness stand in a court case in the country - has defended his government's decision to secretly borrow $2bn (£1.48) to finance a fishing fleet.

His son, Ndambi Guebuza, is one of 19 defendants on trial accused of diverting $500m from that loan, which was not declared to the Mozambican parliament.

On Friday his father told the court that his government had chosen not to request parliamentary debt approval at the time because it "would have put the plan in danger", adding that some MPs were from the ex-rebel main opposition party Renamo which was waging war.

An exclusive court session has been scheduled for Monday to discuss the requested seizure of assets.

AFPCopyright: AFP

President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger has said his country will welcome the Western forces pulling out of neighbouring Mali.

In tweets on Friday, the president said the decision had already been made ahead of the announcement of the withdrawal.

Niger's president said that the country's borders would likely be more vulnerable to jihadist militant activity following the withdrawal of French forces and their allies from Mali.

The departing forces will now be based across the border in Niger, not far from the areas they pulling out from.

West African leaders met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday ahead of the announcement of the withdrawal of forces from Mali.

It was during that meeting that it was agreed that the troops would relocate to countries in the region, including those to the south where new attacks have recently been reported.

The UN says that at least five Eritrean refugees were killed earlier this month when armed men attacked a camp in Ethiopia's north-eastern Afar region, where fighting has continued between the government and rebels from neighbouring Tigray.

Several women were also kidnapped during the raid on Berhale camp and many residents fled and family members lost each other in the chaos, the world body says.

More than 100,000 Eritrean refugees were living in Tigray and Afar regions when the civil war broke out 15 months ago - thousands are now unaccounted for.

For many years, Eritreans fleeing political persecution and forced conscription found safe havens in camps in neighbouring Ethiopia.

Since the conflict started in November 2020 in Ethiopia, they have often been attacked both by Eritrean soldiers, fighting alongside Ethiopian government troops, and Tigrayan rebels.

Fighting has significantly reduced in numerous areas of Ethiopia’s north but military confrontations continue to be reported in Afar, where the regional authorities accuse Tigrayan rebels of aggression and attacking civilian targets. Tigrayan forces deny targeting civilians.

BBCCopyright: BBC

AFPCopyright: AFP

The military junta in Mali has ordered France to withdraw its troops from the country "without delay".

An army spokesman, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, said France had violated military accords between Paris and Bamako when it announced on Thursday it would redeploy its forces to Niger.

President Emmanuel Macron said the withdrawal would take four to six months, but Mali said that it should happen immediately, under the supervision of their forces.

Relations between France and Mali - a former French colony - deteriorated after the military junta in Bamako reneged on an agreement to hold elections this month.

About 5,000 French soldiers have been in Mali engaged in a multi-nation counter-insurgency operation against Islamist militants.

More about Mali:

• Why are French troops leaving Mali?
• Why France faces so much anger in the region
• Russian mercenary plan triggers alarm in West Africa

Ugandan Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has caused a stir online after addressing a virtual summit from the side of a road in the east of the country.

Ms Nabbanja shared a video of her speaking to the Global Disability Summit. It showed a member of staff holding up the country's flag behind her chair with her official vehicles in the background:

The clip attracted some cynical comments, from the state of the road to amusement about the person holding the flag - however tweeters generally applauded her.

"Show them that an office is not only that magnificent air-conditioned room," one person said.

EPACopyright: EPA

Liberia's main opposition Unity Party is now the second to withdraw from the four-party coalition that's planning to challenge President George Weah in next year's elections.

This latest move leaves the coalition in disarray.

The first party to pull out was the All Liberian Party, of millionaire Benoni Urey. The Unity Party itself had been in power from 2005 to 2017 and is led by ex-Vice President Joseph Boakai.

Of the two remaining parties in the opposition coalition, the Alternative National Congress (ANC) led by Alexander Cummings is almost the last one standing - because the Liberty Party has split into factions with some wanting to follow Mr Boakai's Unity Party.

Mr Boakai, 77, was defeated at the 2017 polls by George Weah and later said a "new and more formidable" coalition was being formed "to make President Weah a one-term president" come 2023.

Many see the opposition's crisis as an advantage for President Weah's attempt to win a second term in office.

But the alliance that backed the former footballer is struggling with internal frustrations over the alleged exclusion of some member parties.

AFPCopyright: AFP

Mozambique's defence minister says many people displaced from Cabo Delgado region by jihadist violence will be able to return by June this year.

Defence Minister Cristóvão Chume said the jihadists had been weakened, and there had been no attacks in recent days.

He said security was progressively improving in some districts plagued by violence in Cabo Delgado, and elsewhere in Niassa province where there were armed attacks

Mr Chume said the government was working on a strategy that will allow people to start returning to areas where there is effective security.

He noted that there were still challenges in ending all types of militant activities but credited the joint forces of Mozambique, the southern African regional bloc Sadc and Rwanda in helping improve the situation.

Uganda has warned that anyone who kills the endangered crested crane - the bird which is the country's national emblem - will face life in jail.

The government has also said a hefty fine of 20bn Ugandan shillings ($5.7m; £4.1m) will be imposed on those found guilty.

The crested crane is cherished in Uganda and is illustrated in their national flag.

Uganda's Commissioner for Wildlife George Owoyesigire says the bird is now endangered because of destruction to its habitat, among other factors.

There are about 8,000 crested cranes left in Uganda, down from 35,000 in 1989, according to the ministry.

Robera BeshirCopyright: Robera Beshir

A Ethiopian university lecturer who successfully assembled a drone using local materials has told the BBC that he has a bigger vision.

Amanuel Balcha is a mechanical engineer who worked for local company Dejen Aviation before joining Dembi Dolo University as a lecturer.

On Tuesday he conducted a successful flight of his locally assembled drone during the university's innovation day.

He told the BBC that he has assembled two other drones and an aircraft that are on trial stage.

He says this is not his final ambition as he can "make greater things than this... This is just paving my way for my vision".

He says his final goal "is to build my own aircraft with a capacity of carrying two passengers".

"I'll make my dream come true and make my university proud soon," he adds.

Mr Amanuel is planning to use the drones he is assembling locally for video recording, disaster aid and for environmental protection purposes.

For days, he has been trending on social media after he successfully did a test flight of his drone on Tuesday.

He is now being praised and appreciated by many people including top government officials.

Dembi Dolo University is located in western Oromia where anti-government armed groups are active.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

The World Health Organization has announced that six African countries will be given the revolutionary mRNA technology to set up their own vaccine production centres - helping the continent acquire self-reliance against the Covid pandemic.

Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia will get the technology used in the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna jabs developed in Europe.

The Senegalese president said the aim was to have 60% of vaccines administered in Africa produced in Africa as well.

In the future, the new African vaccine hub might also produce jabs for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.

A ceremony marking the mRNA technology transfer will be held later in Brussels at a summit between the European Union and the African Union.