Got a TV Licence?

You need one to watch live TV on any channel or device, and BBC programmes on iPlayer. It’s the law.

Find out more
I don’t have a TV Licence.

Live Reporting

Flora Drury and Dickens Olewe

All times stated are UK

Get involved

  1. Scroll down for Wednesday's stories

    We'll be back tomorrow

    That's all from BBC Africa Live today. Keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or checking the BBC News website.

    A reminder of today's wise words:

    Quote Message: A goat won’t fare any better at crossing a stream than a drowned cow." from Sent by Ezra Vincent in Freetown, Sierra Leone
    Sent by Ezra Vincent in Freetown, Sierra Leone

    Click here and scroll to the bottom to send us your African proverbs.

    And we leave you with this picture from Alison Shelley, a US documentary photographer who caught this image in Goma, in the DR Congo.

    View more on instagram
  2. Zimbabwe orders land squatters to leave

    Sign post with the words black power
    Image caption: Some 4,000 white-farmers were evicted from their land in a controversial land reform policy

    Zimbabwe's new agriculture minister has ordered people who have illegally occupied farm lands to leave immediately, the state-owned Herald newspaper reports.

    Perrance Shiri said: "All those who were illegally settled or who just settled themselves on resettlement land should vacate immediately."

    The move could see a return of white farmers who were evicted in 2000 in a controversial and often violent land reform programme led by former President Robert Mugabe, Reuters news agency reports.

    Mr Shiri added that only those who were allocated land legitimately should remain on the farms.

    At least 4,000 white farmers - then the backbone of the country's agricultural economy - were forced from their land, which was handed over to about a million black Zimbabweans.

  3. Mozambique primary school teacher turns to crime

    Jose Tembe

    BBC Africa, Maputo

    A Mozambique primary school teacher has admitted printing off counterfeit notes - but said he did not use it as he feared he would be recognised.

    Adao Canivete, who lives in Manica state, used a printer to create 200 and 500 metical notes ($3-$8/£2.50-£6).

    He told police he was joined in the enterprise by two friends, who have also been detained.

    However, he did not dare use the money himself. He explained:

    Quote Message: I was conscious that as a teacher it was risky for me to go out and transact the notes. I relied on my friends. I could not possibly go out to use or change the money. It was risky.”

    Police commander Elizeu Mpila, who said they found $500 worth of fake notes, urged people to check the cash they were handed.

    She said:

    Quote Message: The counterfeiters used to defraud people in markets, entertainment places and people’s fairs. After being denounced, we went to crack down on them. We call on all the people to pay more attention and verify whether the notes are true or counterfeit.”
  4. African airlines: How can financial losses be reversed?

    High operating costs and a lack of flexibility are among the many reasons why African airlines are making financial losses, according to industry body IATA.

    It projected African airlines will post a collective loss of $100m (£80m) by the end of this year, with a similar predicted deficit in 2018.

    IATA's vice president for Africa, Raphael Kuuchi, spoke to the BBC's Focus on Africa programme:

    Video content

    Video caption: African airlines expected to post losses of $100m in 2017 and 2018
  5. Nigerian woman arrested for selling her twins

    Nigeria's police
    Image caption: The Nigerian police have made many arrests involving women trying to sell their babies

    A Nigerian woman has been arrested after allegedly trying to sell her one-month-old twin girls.

    She has been charged with child trafficking, although police say further charges may be added.

    The woman was arrested whilst allegedly attempting to sell her girls for 350,000 naira ($980; £730) to a buyer, who informed the police.

    Cases of baby selling for illegal adoptions and trafficking have been a problem in Nigeria for some time.

    The woman, aged 30, did not make any official plea at her court appearance in the northern city of Katsina, but local website Gistmania says she blamed it on the devil.

    Read full story

  6. Drogba: Salah texted me over scoring worries

    It's almost hard to believe but the newly-crowned BBC African Footballer of the Year, Mohamed Salah, was at one time worried about scoring goals, former Ivorian striker Didier Drogba has told the BBC.

    The Liverpool striker is currently the top scorer in the English Premier League, having scored 13 goals.

    Drogba revealed that Salah texted him about his goal drought but he says he assured the Egyptian that he just needed time and confidence for the goals to come.

    Watch Drogba's interview:

    Video content

    Video caption: Mohamed Salah texted me over goal-scoring worries, says Didier Drogba
  7. Ghana's 'dishonourable' MPs slammed

    Rebecca Tsotsoo Kwei

    BBC Africa

    Ghana's Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo scolded two lawmakers for placing their honorific titles before their names in court documents, privately-owned myjoyonline reports.

    Ernest Norgbey and Kwabena Mintah Akandoh had gone to court to seek an order to block a newly appointed minister from taking office.

    Their request was dismissed but the chief justice took the opportunity to educate the MPs on how they should write their names in future.

    She described their format as improper.

    The right thing to do, she said, was to write their names first before adding "honourable member of parliament and the name of the constituency".

    She added that the use of the title honorable before their names was “dishonourable".

  8. SA 'state capture' inquiry must start in 30 days

    : #ZUMAMUSTFALL supporters and campaigners hold banners reading slogans against South African president Jacob Zuma as they demonstrate and shout slogans on February 11, 2016 in Durban
    Image caption: There have been protests against the president's alleged corruption

    For the second time today, South Africa's Jacob Zuma has lost a legal battle.

    Pretoria's High Court has backed the country's former Public Prosecutor Thuli Madonsela and ordered the president to put together a judicial inquiry into accusations of possible corruption at the top level of government in the next 30 days.

    Mr Zuma had fought Ms Madonsela's recommendation that an inquiry be launched following the release of her report into so-called state capture, which investigated allegations that the Guptas, a wealthy Indian-born business family, had undue influence on his government.

    Both the Guptas and Mr Zuma deny all allegations of wrongdoing.

    The president's legal team argued that Ms Madonsela did not have the power to order such an inquiry.

    But Judge Dunstan Mlambo rejected the argument, saying the ANC leader had been "seriously reckless" in bringing the case at all, which had simply served to "further delay" any resolution to the allegations.

    He added:

    Quote Message: The president had no justifiable basis to simply ignore the impact of this corruption on the South African public."

    This is the second time a judgement has gone against Mr Zuma today: earlier, he was ordered to personally pay the court costs incurred following his attempt to block the initial report from being released.

    You can read about that here.

  9. Huge surge in Uganda's coffee exports

    Coffee exports in Uganda surged by 82% in October compared to the same time last year, a report by the country's industry regulator says.

    The Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) says 381,636 bags, each weighing 60kg, were exported in October, up from 209,478 bags in the same month in 2016.

    UCDA did not give any reasons for the increase.

    Reuters, however, reports that maturation of newly planted trees in different parts of the country has been driving coffee production and exports in recent months.

  10. Mozambique's plastic Christmas tree

    Jose Tembe

    BBC Africa, Maputo

    A tree made from bottles in Maputo, Mozambique
    Image caption: All is not as it seems with this picture

    Being December, Christmas trees are ten-a-penny across the globe.

    But this one in Mozambique's capital Maputo is a little special: it has been created by schoolchildren using 7,000 plastic bottles.

    In a country where recycling is still a rarity, the first steps are being taken by environmental clubs like the one at the Maxaquene Comprehensive Primary School in Maputo.

    Teacher Inacio Joaquim says his student initially only saw garbage when he asked them to create things out of household waste.

    But today they are separating their rubbish, giving rise to the seven-metre Christmas tree, which stands on the roundabout opposite the Museum of Natural History.

  11. US 'troubled' by Ethiopia killings

    The US embassy in Ethiopia has said it is "troubled and saddened" by Monday's killing of at least 15 protesters in the east of the country.

    They were protesting against the killing of Oromo citizen Ahimadin Ahmed Asasa by the Somali Regional special police, the Oromia regional government spokesperson, Addisu Arega, said on Facebook.

    An Oromia spokesperson blamed government soldiers for the killing of protesters.

    “They [soldiers] started shooting whoever they found on the street,” eyewitness Sufian Usman, who lives in the town, told the BBC yesterday.

    Another resident who was in the hospital said that he counted up to 20 bodies, including a 10-year-old and a father and son.

    The US embassy's statement called on Ethiopian authorities to respect the rights of all citizens and hold the killers to account.

    Read more: What is behind clashes in Ethiopia's Oromia and Somali regions?

  12. How one president changed the conversation - literally

    South African President Jacob Zuma talks to reporters inside Number 10 Downing Street on March 4, 2010
    Image caption: Jacob Zuma, pictured in 2010 - the year after he took power

    Being the leader of a country gives you the chance to influence and change many things - from the economy, to education and healthcare.

    But few leaders have managed to change the way we speak quite as successfully as South Africa's (often embattled) Jacob Zuma.

    The ANC leader, along with the various scandals he has found himself caught up in, has not only inspired numerous words but also catchphrases used by South Africans day in, day out.

    So, as Mr Zuma prepares to hand over control of the governing ANC party to his successor, our colleague Lebo Diseko looks at the top 10 words and phrases:

    Read all about them here.

  13. New electronic ID cards for Nigeria refugees

    Ishaq Khalid

    BBC Africa, Abuja

    Women displaced by Boko Haram violence residing at the IDP camp yola listen to instructions
    Image caption: It is hoped the card will help protect internally displaced people in Nigeria

    The UN refugee agency UNHCR will today start issuing electronic identity cards to people displaced by violence perpetrated by Islamic militants Boko Haram.

    UNHCR says it is working with Nigerian authorities to register 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDP) in camps in Maiduguri, in the north-east Borno state.

    However, it is not known how many people will receive the card in the end.

    The authorities say IDPs aged 16 and above are eligible to receive the card, which is expected to protect them from harassment and give them better access to education and health services.

    According to the UN, more than two million people have been displaced by Boko Haram's violence in the Lake Chad region.

  14. Somaliland swears in new president

    View more on twitter

    The self-declared republic of Somaliland has sworn in its fifth president, Muse Bihi Abdi.

    Mr Bihi wasted no time addressing the controversy surrounding his November election, which saw him triumph over opponents who later disputed the results.

    "I am ready and working on solving all the election-related disputes and to cool down all the brothers who have grievances," he said during the inauguration ceremony, which was broadcast live by privately-owned Horn Cable TV.

    "If you have grievances I urge you to come to the table."

    However, Mr Bihi, a retired air force pilot, will have other challenges to deal with, including high unemployment among the youth and restarting talks with Somalia as he seeks to get international recognition for Somaliland.

    But for now he can enjoy his inauguration, which was attended by hundreds of people.

  15. South Sudan denies backing Trump move on Jerusalem

    BBC Monitoring

    The world through its media

    South Sudan says media reports suggesting it supports the decision by US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel are "fabricated".

    It comes after the Paris-based Sudan Tribune website carried a report on 9 December saying South Sudan had "lauded" US' Trump's decision.

    But a statement issued by the South Sudan presidential press unit, published on its Facebook page in Arabic, says:

    Quote Message: We want to make clear to all the people of southern Sudan that the government of South Sudan will not make any specific statement or take any position on the decision of President Trump to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. On the contrary, we regard Sudan Tribune news as fabricated and absolutely false."

    On 29 August 2011, the Jerusalem Post reported that President Salva Kiir told a visiting Israeli delegation that South Sudan's future embassy in the Jewish state will be built in the disputed city of Jerusalem, rather than in the political capital of Tel Aviv.

  16. Zuma case 'abuse of judicial process'

    President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma speaks during the Energy Indaba conference in Midrand, South Africa, December 7, 2017
    Image caption: President Jacob Zuma denies all allegations of corruption

    South African President Jacob Zuma has been ordered to personally pay court costs following his failed attempt to block the so-called state capture report - a bid derided by a judge as "clear abuse of the judicial process".

    The ANC leader tried to stop the release of the report, which looked into allegations that wealthy Indian-born business family- the Guptas - had undue influence on his government.

    The report, which was published in November 2016 after Mr Zuma withdrew his case, found evidence of possible corruption at the top level of his government.

    The president and the Gupta family deny any wrongdoing.

    Opposition parties then launched a bid to make Mr Zuma pay the costs of the case, and on Wednesday Pretoria's High Court decided Mr Zuma had indeed overstepped the mark.

    High Court Judge President Dunstan Mlambo said the case was:

    Quote Message: clearly objectionable ... and amounts to clear abuse of the judicial process."

    The court will rule later on whether Mr Zuma can be legally forced by the recommendation of former Public Protector head, Thuli Madonsela, to hold an inquiry into the allegations.

  17. Kenya to fix traffic black spot

    The hashtag #Sachangwan is still trending in Kenya, a day after at least 30 people were killed in a road accident north-west of the capital Nairobi.

    At least a dozen were injured, some critically, the reports add.

    Local media report that the accident happened after a lorry driver, who was attempting to evade road safety officials, crashed into a bus.

    At least 13 vehicles were involved in the accident.

    View more on twitter

    This accident was one of many in the location. The Star newspaper reports that at least 70 people have been killed in three separate incidents since Monday.

    A government minister has said the road in Sachangwan will be redesigned by January, the newspaper added.

    Road accidents usually on the rise in December, a time when most Kenyans travel for the Christmas holidays.

  18. Chris Froome in 'adverse' drug test

    Chris Froome became the first British winner of the Vuelta a Espana this year
    Image caption: Chris Froome won the Vuelta a Espana this year

    Kenya-born British cyclist Chris Froome is facing questions after a drugs test found that he had high levels of Salbutamol in his urine.

    Froome had double the allowed level of legal asthma drug Salbutamol in his urine.

    He was tested at the Vuelta a Espana this year.

    Cycling's world governing body the UCI wants more details from the team but says Froome is not suspended.

    The Briton, 32, says he increased his dosage but it was within the legal limits and the UCI is "absolutely right" to ask questions.

    Froome says he took his team doctor's advice to up his inhaler use after his asthma symptoms got worse during the Vuelta.

    He became the first Briton to win the three-week race around Spain and it followed his Tour de France victory in July.

    He was notified of the "adverse analytical finding" on 20 September 2017.

    The urine test, taken on 7 September, showed levels of the drug, Salbutamol, which is commonly taken for asthma, were at 2,000 nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml).

    Froome began his career racing for Kenya, winning gold in the 2007 All Africa Games before switching to the UK a year later.

    However, he had moved to South Africa at the age of 14 to go to school and also attended university in Johannesburg

    Read full story.

  19. DR Congo: On Kasai's hunger road

    Last week, we reported on the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has left half a million children severely malnourished and at risk of starvation.

    Now, hear the stories of some of those caught up in the midst of this humanitarian crisis.

    Video content

    Video caption: The BBC's Fergal Keane visits Kasai
  20. Call to probe French role in Rwanda genocide

    ws French soldiers on patrol passing ethnic Hutu troops from the Rwandan government forces, near Gisenyie
    Image caption: A French patrol passes Hutu troops in July 1994

    A US report has recommended a full investigation into France's role in the Rwandan genocide should be carried out.

    The Muse Report, commissioned by the Rwandan government, concluded senior French officials "were aware of and aided the actions and goals of both the Habyarimana government and the génocidaires who seized power after at the inception of the genocide against the Tutsi".

    It also accused France of "interfering with efforts to achieve truth and justice for the victims".

    An estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly Tutsis, were killed between April and June 1994, in the space of 100 days.

    Relations between France and Rwanda have been strained since the mass killings.

    At the centre of the dispute is the role of France as a close ally of the Hutu nationalist government of Juvenal Habyarimana prior to the mass killings.

    Rwanda has previously accused France of ignoring or missing warning signs and of training those who carried out the killings.

    Following the release of the report, Rwanda's foreign minister Louise Mushikiwabo told the Financial Times some officials had “got away with murder, literally”.

    Read more: How the Rwandan genocide happened