Focus on Africa

A teachers' union in Zimbabwe has gone to court to challenge the government's decision to suspend thousands of staff who have not been going to work, citing low pay.The UN is warning that South Sudan could spiral back into civil war because of delays in implementing the 2018 peace deal that brought nearly six years of conflict to an end.This week our resident presidents are talking about democracy.

Uganda’s Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi has told the BBC the government is investigating allegations that novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was tortured while he spent a month in custody. Parliament in Libya has unanimously approved a new interim prime minister in a move that threatens to spark a new power struggle in the country as there already is someone else who holds that position. Plus we hear about a documentary exploring the Ghanaian city of Bukom renowned for having produced the most world boxing champions from Africa.

Scientists in South Africa have made a copy of the Moderna Covid vaccine, a move which they say could help boost vaccination rates across Africa. West African regional bloc Ecowas will deploy troops to Guinea-Bissau to help stabilise the country after this week's attempted coup. The first AU summit since the pandemic began in 2020 kicks off in Addis Ababa this weekend. What's on the agenda?

The president of Ghana has warned that West Africa is in great danger as a result of recent coups in the region. A 20-year study on the use of treated mosquito bed nets in Tanzania has found that children who sleep under them at an early age are more likely to survive into adulthood.There are concerns over the possible environmental impact of an explosion on an oil production vessel off the coast of Nigeria.

The West African regional body Ecowas has suspended Burkina Faso's membership following this week's military coup. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is warning of extreme hunger in northern Ethiopia. Aid agencies face severe challenges delivering supplies to Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where government forces have been fighting rebels for more than a year. Rwanda will re-open its border with Uganda from next week, the government has announced.

Rescue teams in Ghana are searching for survivors following a huge explosion that killed at least 13 people.Scientists say the plant enset, an Ethiopian staple, could be a new superfood and a lifesaver in the face of climate change.Plus, our Resident Presidents offer their satirical take on the winter games due to start in China in two weeks.

Many people are feared dead after a huge explosion near a mining town in western Ghana. Police say a vehicle carrying mining explosives collided with a motorcycle near the town of Bogoso. Liberia's President George Weah has declared three days of mourning following the death of 29 people in a stampede during a church service held on a football field in the capital, Monrovia.

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa opens a brand new Covid vaccine plant in Cape Town, which could be a game-changer in the fight against the pandemic.Meanwhile, Cameroon's plan to get people vaccinated using their love of football isn't going too well.Also: an MP from Somaliland argues against  independence from Somalia.And the Ghanaian artist, activist and humanitarian, Rocky Dawuni and his latest album Voice Of Bunbon.

The leader of the Tigray People's Liberation Front has called for an immediate ceasefire in the year-long war with Ethiopian government forces. Also, Sudanese protestors are teargassed as they continue protests against the army and try to mark three years since Omar El Bashir was ousted.Plus, new measures are enforced around the continent as governments try to protect civilians as Omicron cases rise.

The opposition leader in Benin, Reckya Madougou, has appeared at the country's Economic Crime and Terrorism Court on charges of financing terrorism.The Ghanaian government has said that from midnight on Sunday all visitors to the country need to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus before being allowed to enter.