Sudan vows to end fighting with South Sudan

Sudan has promised to cease hostilities with South Sudan and comply with a UN Security Council resolution.

However the foreign ministry also said that Khartoum reserved the right to respond to "aggression" from the South.

The statement came hours after Juba alleged fresh bombing by the Khartoum government's forces.

A UN resolution on Wednesday backed an African Union plan demanding both sides cease hostilities, amid fears of an all-out war between the neighbours.

Africa's share of foreign direct investment largest ever

Africa received its largest ever share of global foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, an Ernst and Young survey has said.

FDI projects grew by 27% in 2011, pushing Africa's share of the world's investment to almost a quarter.

FDI inflows, now about $80bn (£50bn), should reach $150bn by 2015, according to the global consultants.

Zimbabwe 'male rape' charge dropped case

Zimbabwean prosecutors have dropped charges against three women arrested in connection with male rapes.

They were charged last year with 17 counts of aggravated indecent assault - as Zimbabwean law does not recognise the act of a woman raping a man.

At least two of them will face charges of prostitution instead, officials say.

EU imposes sanctions on Guinea-Bissau coup leaders

The European Union has imposed targeted sanctions on six coup leaders in the West African country of Guinea-Bissau.

They include a freeze on assets and a travel ban on the leaders who took power in a 12 April coup.

The move comes as the West African regional bloc Ecowas meets in Senegal to discuss what other actions to take against junta leaders in Guinea-Bissau and Mali.

Ecowas had already imposed sanctions on Guinea-Bissau earlier this week.

Sierra Leone trial: 80 years urged for Charles Taylor

Prosecutors in the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor have said he should be handed an 80-year sentence following his war crimes conviction in The Hague last week.

In a brief, the team told the Special Court for Sierra Leone the "extreme magnitude" of the crimes he committed warranted the long-term sentence.

The 64-year old was found guilty on 11 counts, including rape and murder, relating to the Sierra Leone civil war.

Bosco 'Terminator' Ntaganda wanted over DR Congo mutiny

Renegade general Bosco Ntaganda is to be arrested for leading a recent mutiny in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities have said.

"He is implicated in this case of indiscipline, and he is wanted for that," said North Kivu governor Julien Paluku.
Thousands of people have been displaced by recent fighting in North Kivu between mutinous troops and the army.
Gen Ntaganda is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
'Wanted man'

Nigeria: Azazi’s bold position and America’s evasive posturing

General Andrew Azazi’s speech at the just concluded South-South Economic summit was spot on. Albeit too many analysts and political masquerades have tried to deconstruct the speech into components that suit their selfish political objectives, the keynote of the NSA was clear – that political discontent engendered by the outcome of the 2011 presidential elections, created conducive nesting environment for the escalation of the Boko Haram Jihad.
The deeper meaning of his speech is the absolute response to United States’ posturing that economic alienation is the principal motor of Boko Haram. The NSA did not completely disagree with Ambassador Johnny Carson, but he delivered a didactic talk.

Tunisia fines TV channel owner over controversial film

The owner of a private Tunisian TV station has been fined for showing a controversial animated film.

The award-winning French-American film, Persepolis, has been denounced as blasphemous by radical Muslims.
The case of Nabib Karoui had been seen as an important test of free speech in Tunisia, where last year's popular uprising inspired the Arab Spring.
When the film was broadcast last October, Islamist militants attacked the offices of the TV station, Nessma.
Depicting Allah

Kenya's Raila Odinga warns of ethnic election violence

Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga has warned that the emergence of ethnically-based political groups could spell doom in elections due next year.

Mr Odinga joined a coalition government with his rival President Mwai Kibaki to help end violence after the 2007 poll when more than 1,200 people died.
"When the ethnic drums are being sounded, we know" what that means for the country, he told the BBC.
But he said the coalition had helped bring in reforms.

Burundi bans report on political assassinations

Burundi's government has banned Human Rights Watch from holding a press conference about its report into the escalation of political violence.

Barely a week went by in 2011 without an assassination, the New York-based rights group says.
A local rights group has recorded more than 160 killings this year, blaming the security services for many of them.
The authorities have said such claims are exaggerated and blamed most of the deaths on armed bandits.
The UN has also condemned the Burundian government's failure to tackle "targeted killings".

At least 20 killed as attackers target Cairo protest in Egypt

At least 20 people have been killed in Cairo in an attack on a protest near the Egyptian Ministry of Defence.

The unknown attackers used rocks, clubs, firebombs and shotguns. The protesters retaliated, beating some assailants.
Soldiers and police have now intervened to stop the clashes, but as long as six hours after the violence started.
Two leading presidential candidates have suspended campaigning in protest at the way authorities handled it.
Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh, an independent Islamist, and Mohammed Mursi, head of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), criticised the authorities' response.

UN passes resolution threatening sanctions on Sudans

The UN Security Council has threatened to impose sanctions on Sudan and South Sudan if the two nations fail to halt the recent violence.

The unanimously backed resolution calls on Khartoum and Juba to resume negotiations on disputed issues within two weeks.
Fighting in recent weeks has raised fears of a return to all-out war.
South Sudan became independent last year, but disputes with the north over territorial issues remained unresolved.

Mali junta forces hunt down counter-coup soldiers

Gunfire has been heard in Mali's capital Bamako for a third day as junta patrols hunt down soldiers who had tried to stage an counter-coup.

Panicking residents fled the city centre - but there has been no fresh fighting, a junta spokesperson said.
The shots were fired into the air to break up a student protest, according to Bakary Mariko.
Fighting broke out on Monday after reports that leaders of the anti-junta presidential guard would be arrested.
'Footballers stranded'

Nigeria's Potiskum cattle market raid '34 killed in Yobe'

Witnesses say they saw several bodies being removed after the market in Potiskum, Yobe state, was set on fire by gunmen armed with explosives.
A hospital source told the AFP news agency that up to 34 people had died.
Police say the attack may be in revenge for the killing by traders of a man who had earlier tried to steal cattle.
'Threw explosives' "A group of gunmen armed with around 20 explosives and assault rifles attacked the Potiskum cattle market," police spokesman Toyin Gbadegesin told AFP.

Ghana private universities 'cause unemployment to graduate'

Ghana's minister for employment has blamed private universities for high levels of graduate joblessness.

These institutions take mediocre students who graduate with sub-standard qualifications, Moses Asaga said.
He was responding to complaints by the Ghana's Trades Union Congress about the government's failure to create jobs.
Stephen Adei, a private lecturer, told the BBC these views were "totally wrong" as private universities were affiliated to mainstream institutions.

Libya raise ban on religious parties as voters register

Libya's National Transitional Council has lifted a ban on religious parties taking part in June's election.

At the same time the NTC announced a clampdown on Libyans loyal to the country's former leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Public praise of Gaddafi or his regime will now be an offence.
The election will choose members of a new General National Congress.
Registration centres opened throughout the country on 1 May, and voters have two weeks in which to register.

Africa's first ever online university begins operation

Upset by disparities in Africa’s education system, Gossy Ukanwoke, a Nigerian entrepreneur, has come up with Africa’s first fully-fledged online distance-learning platform called Beni American University.

Ukanwoke, 23, says he hopes the online university will fill the gap in the continent’s educational systems by bringing quality education to African learners looking to gain post-secondary diploma or degree.

Nigeria: One Person Killed In Fresh Gunfight Between Boko Haram And The JTF In Kano

The Joint Task Force and islamist militants of the Boko Haram sect have been engaging is sustained gun battle since 3AM Nigerian time in the town of Sherada and Sabo Wuar-Gwandu in Kumbotso local government area in Kano State according to police sources.
Saharareporters learns that the security forces rsaided the neighborhood in search of militants suspected to have participated in las Sunday's  attacks on christian fellowships at the Bayero university in Kano .
Police said they recovered unexploded IEDs, guns and ammunitions from the militants. Some of the militants and theirs wives were arrested, A few others were injured during that raid by security forces.

Nigeria First lady to launch female drivers training scheme

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan will on Friday flag of a new job scheme for women known as the Lady Chauffeur Training Scheme (LCTS) designed to train young female Nigerians to become professional drivers.

The scheme, which is collaboration between the office of the First Lady and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) will have 200 beneficiaries in the first phase in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Prepare For Mass Protest Over Subsidy Scam, Soyinka Tells Nigerians

Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, says the Farouk-Lawan report shows that Nigerians have been dehumanized.
Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, on Monday urged Nigerians to get ready for another determined protest over the fuel subsidy scam.
Mr. Soyinka said in a press conference organized by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) in Lagos that revelations from the subsidy probe dehumanizes Nigerians.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that controversies continue to trail the report of the fuel subsidy probe which was submitted to the House of Representatives by the Farouk Lawan-led Committee last week.