Image source, Kahinda Otafiire/Facebook

Uganda's New Vision newspaper quotes a senior politician as saying "poor people will not go to heaven because they insult God through lamentations and accusations every day".

Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire reportedly made those comments at a school event, external in Kyenjojo, western Uganda, while telling students that hard work was the antidote to poverty.

"If you do not use the tools God gave you, do not blame him when you remain poor. Strive to overcome poverty because being rich is glorious," he is reported as saying.

Youth unemployment and underemployment is high in Uganda, which has one of the world's youngest populations with 75% of citizens under the age of 30.

BBC News Pidgin

Image source, Princess Ezeani

Nigerian medical student Princess Ezeani has opened up about her remarkable recovery from first degree burns caused by a cooking gas explosion.

She told the BBC how the accident that happened six months ago had made her stop attending classes at university.

The medical student had dreams of modelling and feared that the burns would make it impossible to get contracts.

The accident happened at her family house in Abuja while she was cooking.

Her mother has been applying herbal remedies including honey and aloe vera on the burns for six months.

Ms Ezeani's photo on social media elicited mixed reactions with some people happy for her recovery while others accused her of undergoing plastic surgery.

She says other people have accused her of applying makeup to cover her burns.

Ms Ezeani has spoken of suffering constant nightmares after the accident, and has thanked her family and friends for supporting her to fully recover physically and mentally.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News, Addis Ababa

Image source, AFP

Authorities in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region say they have arrested more than 4,500 individuals including a former army commander.

The arrests are said to be part of "an operation to enforce law and order," announced last week.

The region’s security office head Desalegn Tassew has told state-run media outlets on Monday that those arrested were suspected of spreading lawlessness.

Among them is Brigadier General Teferra Mamo, a former commander of the Amhara Special Forces, allied with the army in the fight against Tigrayan forces. He has been critical of the government after he was removed from his position in February.

At least five journalists were also arrested in the region, with two other television commentators critical of the government detained in the capital Addis Ababa. Critics have said the arrests are attempts to silence dissenting voices.

The government-affiliated Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) says many of the arrests were carried out without proper court warrants and that many of the detainees have not been visited by family members.

The arrests have coincided with efforts by the Amhara region to register private firearms, something opponents say is an attempt to disarm the Fano, a collection of loosely organized youth groups.

The Fano groups have also fought alongside the army against the Tigrayans in the civil war, in which they were implicated in gross rights abuses particularly in western Tigray.

Clashes were reported between government security forces and the youth groups last week in multiple places.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

An advocacy group in Kenya has urged institutions vetting electoral candidates to disqualify 25 politicians from running for office over integrity concerns.

The National Integrity Alliance (NIA) said that failure to disqualify the 25 aspirants would mean that Kenyans risk electing corrupt people to public office.

Of the 25 politicians, eight are allied to Deputy President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition, while 10 are from Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja coalition.

Mr Ruto’s presidential running mate Rigathi Gachagua is among those listed.

Mr Gachagua is facing corruption charges in court though he has previously denied culpability.

NIA said it relied on authentic and verifiable investigative reports to come up with the list.

The politicians have not responded to the NIA's move.

Chapter Six of Kenya’s Constitution stipulates that people whose conduct is deemed as dishonourable or detrimental to public confidence and integrity should be barred from holding public office.

Most politicians, including sitting MPs and governors, are seeking re-election despite corruption cases or allegations against them.

Mr Odinga, one of the frontrunners in the presidential race, has pledged to fight corruption if elected.

Kenyans will cast ballots to elect the president, governors, senators, MPs and civic leaders on 9 August.

Samba Cyuzuzo
BBC Great Lakes

Image source, AFP

The United Nations force in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has condemned attacks against it by M23 rebels and urged them to “immediately cease hostilities”.

In a statement on Twitter, external, the UN acknowledged "the courage and determination” of its forces who responded to the attacks.

The M23 rebels accuse the UN forces of plotting with government forces and local militia groups to stage “simultaneous attacks” against them.

Heavy fighting on Sunday and Monday morning in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu pushed thousands of civilians to flee their homes, with others fleeing to Uganda.

M23 spokesman Major Willy Ngoma told the BBC that the UN forces were “seriously shelling at our position with helicopters”.

Mr Ngoma accuses Monusco, the UN mission in DR Congo, of helping a coalition of the army and other militia groups to attack them.

UN forces have the green light to use force to fight the rebel groups, but locals say they have done little in more than 20 years of their deployment there.

The recent clashes come while the government is negotiating disarmament and reintegration with several local rebel groups.

Last month, as talks were starting in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, M23 representatives were ejected from the negotiations after the group was accused of hostilities.

The first black Kenyan to conquer Mount Everest has arrived home to a warm welcome.

Well-wishers danced and sang as James Kagambi left Jomo Kenyatta airport in the capital, Nairobi:

Earlier this month, the 62-year-old retired school teacher was part of the first all-black team to climb the world's highest peak.

He told BBC Focus on Africa radio he was surprised that the summit was so crowded, but was very happy to have made it to the top at sunrise because "the photos came out right".

Read more on this topic:

• Kenyan climber joins first all-black team attempting Mount Everest

Shingai Nyoka
BBC News, Harare

Image source, Getty Images

An elephant summit opens on Monday in the resort town of Hwange, Zimbabwe, to look at the management of elephant populations.

Several countries are expected to push for the global ban on ivory trade to be lifted.

Zimbabwe, Botswana and several other countries are demanding the right to sell their ivory stockpiles to use for conservation of growing elephant populations.

In 1989, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) banned the sale of ivory, to feed a demand mainly in China, in order to fight poaching.

Africa is home to about 415,000 elephants, the largest population in the world.

Zimbabwe has 85,000 jumbos, double the carrying capacity, and conflicts with farmers are rising as elephants stray from parks to find food.

More than 70 people were killed by elephants last year.

Zimbabwe says their ivory stockpile worth about $600m would boost underfunded conservation efforts.

Previously, countries like Kenya have burned their stockpiles, linking the sales to increase in poaching.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, AFP

The Nigerian government has cancelled the resumption of train services between the capital Abuja and the northern city of Kaduna earlier scheduled for Monday.

The services were suspended in March after gunmen blew up the railway with an explosive device, forcing a train carrying hundreds of passengers to stop.

They then opened fire, killing at least nine people and kidnapping more than 60 others who are still in captivity.

It’s not yet clear why the resumption of the services has been postponed indefinitely.

Families of the hostages had been angered by the planned resumption saying the decision was a sign of insensitivity by the authorities.

The families also blamed the authorities for not doing enough to rescue their relatives from the kidnappers.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation, the agency in charge of rail services, has in a statement appealed to the families of the abducted people to be patient and co-operate with the authorities trying to ensure the safe release of their loved ones.

It has also apologised to train passengers for the further delay saying a new resumption date will be announced "soonest".

The authorities had said repairs on the damaged rail track were completed and was ready for train movement.

The road between Abuja and Kaduna is considered one of the most dangerous in Nigeria as armed gangs kidnapping people for ransom frequently target travellers.

Many people prefer to travel by train although it has also been targeted at least twice.

Image source, Senegalese Presidency

Senegalese President Macky Sall says he will travel to Russia and Ukraine soon in his capacity as the current chairman of the African Union.

Mr Sall said on Sunday that he had received the mandate of other AU heads of state to make the trips.

In a joint conference with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Sholz, he said Africa was keen to see peace through dialogue between Ukraine and Russia.

The Senegalese president said Russia had extended an invitation for a visit while Ukraine’s president had expressed the need to communicate with African heads of state.

The Russia-Ukraine crisis has cut off supplies of grain and cooking oil, worsening food insecurity particularly in poorer African countries due to rising prices.

Global fuel prices have also risen as a result, adding the cost burden to many countries.

Image source, AFP

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province amid a high alert over renewed flooding.

The province experienced deadly floods last month.

Heavy rains have been pounding this weekend and the local administration is on high alert to prevent any loss of life.

Local mayor Mxolisi Kaunda says no comprehensive report has been shared on the impact of the latest heavy rains but residents have reported destruction of infrastructure, News24 website reports.

A level 10 warning - the highest and most severe level - issued by the weather service remains in place.

Most of those affected by the April flooding have never recovered, according to local media.

Houses were swept and roads destroyed during the April floods.

Read more:

• KwaZulu-Natal floods: The South African family who lost nine children

Patience Atuhaire
BBC News, Kampala

Image source, AFP

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni says his government will not intervene in the current economic situation amid a rising cost of living.

Prices of petroleum products, imported raw materials and food have been rising in recent months, a crisis being experienced globally following the war in Ukraine.

In a televised national address on Sunday night, Mr Museveni said that government subsidies or removal of import taxes would collapse the economy.

There would be a haemorrhage of dollars from the national reserves for the purchase of those expensive products, he added.

Mr Museveni said Uganda will need to frugally use the imported items it can afford.

He advised citizens to substitute expensive wheat with locally available food such as millet, maize, green bananas and cassava.

Most of Uganda is highly productive and many families depend on subsistence agriculture.

But even the prices of locally produced food have been rising especially in urban areas, driven up by transportation costs.

Ugandans are having to buy smaller quantities of basic items or park their cars to cope with the crisis.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, Okechukwu Okoye/Facebook

Police in Nigeria are investigating the beheading of a local MP in the south-eastern state of Anambra barely a week after gunmen kidnapped him along with an aide.

The discovery of Okechukwu Okoye's mutilated body over the weekend has sparked outrage.

Anambra's state governor Charles Soludo described the killing as gruesome, barbaric and shocking.

He announced a reward for information leading to the killers' capture.

It's not clear who was behind the attack.

Officials have blamed a banned separatist group for increasing violence in the region.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, which is campaigning for a breakaway state, has denied involvement in recent attacks.

Its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is standing trial for terrorism and treason-related charges which he has denied.

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Anne's village thought her disability made her worthless. She had other ideas. Now a graduate and a Paralympian who's represented Kenya and the UK, this is the story of how Anne Wafula Strike forgave the unforgiveable and made her return.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Louise Morris

Zeinab Badawi is in Nairobi to talk to one of Kenya’s most ground-breaking cultural figures, Dr Njoki Ngumi. She abandoned a promising career in medicine to help set up an arts collective, and believes that creative endeavours can help transform societies. One of the collective’s films exploring homosexuality was banned in Kenya, where gay sex is a crime. So how far is Njoki Ngumi shifting opinions?

Stephen Sackur speaks to comedian and writer Bassem Youssef. He made his name and won an audience of tens of millions with a satirical comedy show during Egypt’s popular uprising more than a decade ago. But the revolution quickly morphed into authoritarianism and Youssef fled to the US, taking his gift for comedy with him. Did he, and do we still, expect too much from political satire?

HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Sudanese diplomat Nureldin Satti. It’s surely hard for the people of Sudan to be optimistic about their country’s prospects in 2022. The new year began with the nominal head of the transitional government quitting his post, leaving Sudan, once again, in the grip of the military. Street protests in recent months have left more than fifty people dead. Nureldin Satti was fired from his post as Ambassador in the US after last October's military coup. Will Sudan’s generals ever give up political power?

With summer touring schedules on hold and festivals cancelled, musicians continue to look to their own four walls for inspiration. How are they coping without live audiences? And is this period of restricted movement, stifling or stirring creativity? From her garage studio in Wiltshire, Verity Sharp is dialling up musicians around the UK and beyond who are rooted in global traditions, exercising their home-recording skills, and asking them to share songs that reflect how they are feeling. In this episode, Fatoumata Diawara is inspired to share the first song she ever wrote and to talk about the early life experiences that shaped her music.

Presented and produced by Verity Sharp. A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3.