Summary

  • Five UN peacekeepers killed in attack in northern Mali

  • Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto wins a ruling on his case at the International Criminal Court

  • South Sudan's reappointed Vice-President Riek Machar says he does not have to trust the president

  • Rwanda to relocate Burundian refugees to third country

  • Twelve Nigerian army officers to be investigated for corruption

  • Last day of campaigning for Sunday's CAR presidential election

  • Email stories and comments to africalive@bbc.co.uk - Friday 12 February 2016

  1. Scroll down for Friday's storiespublished at 18:07 GMT 12 February 2016

    We'll be back on Monday

    That's all from the BBC Africa Live page this week. Listen to the Africa Today podcast and keep up-to-date with the second day of the Pope's visit to Uganda on the BBC News website.

    Today's wise words: 

    Quote Message

    The cock belongs to one household, but when it crows it is heard in the whole village."

    Sent by Jacob Dior in Rumbek, South Sudan

    Click here to send your African proverbs

    We leave you with this picture of Ivorian boys learning how to repair a car at a garage that specialises in restoring old cars:

    Two boys work on a car in Babi Kouakou's car repair garage in Bouake, Ivory Coast February 9, 2016. Babi specialises in restoring old cars.Image source, Reuters
  2. Lily Mine rescuers film efforts to save trappedpublished at 18:05 GMT 12 February 2016

    The team in charge of the operation to rescue three mine workers trapped underground after last week's mine collapse has released some short videos of what they're doing.

    In this one, an unnamed rescuer explains how they get rid of the rubble blocking the way:

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    The three people have now been trapped at the Lily Mine for more than a week.

  3. Two more peacekeepers die after attack in Malipublished at 17:53 GMT 12 February 2016

    Earlier we reported three peacekeepers have been killed in an attack on a UN mission in northern Mali.

    That number has now gone up to five, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon has said, external.

    The statement adds that "the Secretary-General underscores that attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers constitute war crimes".

  4. Analysis: Implications of ICC decision on Ruto casepublished at 17:52 GMT 12 February 2016

    Anna Holligan
    Reporter BBC News, The Hague

    Whichever way you look at it, this is a blow to the prosecution. It means they have lost evidence from five key witnesses.

    However, the precise impact is hard to judge because so many of these hearings have been held in private session.

    It partly depends on what else the prosecution has. If the prosecution doesn't have sufficient evidence this could go the same way as the case against President Uhuru Kenyatta and the charges may be thrown out of court.

    The ICC is already considering a motion of no case to answer from Mr Ruto's lawyers.

    That argument was heard in January and today's decision could have bearing on that.

    William Ruto and Joshua arap Sang in courtImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    William Ruto (left) and Joshua arap Sang are on trial together at the International Criminal Court

  5. 'Halleluyaaaaaaaaaaaa' reaction from radio presenter after ICC decisionpublished at 17:26 GMT 12 February 2016

    The radio presenter who is accused of crimes against humanity alongside Kenya's deputy president has reacted jubilantly at the news that recanted witness testimony cannot be used at the International Criminal Court trial:

    Facebook postImage source, Facebook

    The Nation newspaper also tweeted this shot of him celebrating the news:

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    Deputy President William Ruto and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang deny charges of crimes against humanity made against them.

  6. South Sudan vice president 'won't return until soldiers are gone'published at 17:11 GMT 12 February 2016

    Riek MacharImage source, AFP

    South Sudan's newly re-appointed Vice President Riek Machar told Reuters news agency that he wants soldiers cleared out of the capital, Juba, before he returns to take up the post.

    He was speaking from Egypt's capital, Cairo.

    We reported earlier that the rebel leader Mr Machar had been made vice president, to his rival President Salvir Kiir as part of a peace deal agreed in August. 

  7. Amisom tweets to show it's in charge of key Somali townpublished at 17:08 GMT 12 February 2016

    The African Union's mission in Somalia, Amisom, has been tweeting pictures from the port town of Merca.

    Last week it was the scene of a battle for control between Amisom and al-Shabab militants - with the AU troops retaking control after it was briefly captured by the jihadists..

    The tweets appear to be a sign from Amisom that there are in charge:

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  8. My experience using a dating apppublished at 16:57 GMT 12 February 2016

    mobile phone

    In an earlier post we wrote that dating apps haven't taken off in Africa as much as they have in the rest of the world.

    One person who does use a dating app shared his harrowing experience.

    John, whose name has been changed, is 32, and works in a beauty salon in Nairobi. He doesn't want to use his real name because he could lose his job and his home if his boss and his landlord found out he was gay.

    John uses PlanetRomeo and Facebook to meet men, despite a bad experience on one meeting.

    "He took my clothes off, then I took his clothes off. Then after five minutes, two men came into the house. They started shouting, ‘You people, are you gay?'

    "They wanted me to pay 50,000 Kenyan shillings [$491], or they would call Mungiki [a violent criminal gang in Kenya], who would put tyres on me and set me on fire."I thought, ‘Oh my God, oh my God. Today is my last day in the world.'"John managed to escape physically unharmed.

    Read more experiences of using dating apps from across the world.

  9. ICC ruling goes Ruto's waypublished at 16:50 GMT 12 February 2016

    The International Criminal Court has tweeted its decision that witness testimony that was later withdrawn cannot be used in the case against Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.

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    It's thought this decision has dealt a big blow to Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda's case.

  10. Ruto wins ICC appeal against use of recanted testimoniespublished at 16:23 GMT 12 February 2016
    Breaking

    Anna Holligan
    Reporter BBC News, The Hague

    Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) are not going to allow witness statements, which were withdrawn, to be used in the case against Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto.

    This could cause a major problem for the prosecution's case.

    Both William Ruto and his co-accused, the journalist Joshua arap Sang, deny charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

    Sixteen of the prosecution's key witnesses changed their original statements or simply refused to cooperate with the court. 

  11. Where would Burundian refugees in Rwanda go?published at 16:12 GMT 12 February 2016

    We reported earlier that Rwanda says it has began talks with its international partners to relocate Burundian refugees currently in Rwanda to other host countries.

    But the UN's refugee agency told Focus on Africa that this was news to them.

    The UNHCR's external relations officer Martina Pomeroy told the radio programme that, they are the key international partner but they had not heard anything from the ministry of foreign affairs on this.

    She added that the announcement "raised more questions than it answered".

    “We have no indication that anyone is willing to relocate refugees and who would receive them.”

  12. Campaigning winds up in CAR presidential electionpublished at 15:57 GMT 12 February 2016

    Abdourahmane Dia
    BBC Afrique

    A man with face paint cheers presidential candidate Anicet Georges DologueleImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Supporters of Anicet Georges Dologuele greet him on the campaign trail

    It's the last day of campaigning for the presidential run-off election in the Central African Republic.

    On Sunday, voters will have to choose between two former prime ministers, Faustin Touadera and Anicet Georges Dologuele.

    The winning candidate will have to steer the country towards peace after more than two years of instability which followed a coup in March 2013.

    Faustin Archange TouaderaImage source, AP
    Image caption,

    Faustin Archange Touadera was prime minister in the government of ex-President Francois Bozize, who was overthrown in 2013

  13. ICC to make crucial ruling on Ruto casepublished at 15:20 GMT 12 February 2016

    Anna Holligan
    Reporter BBC News, The Hague

    The International Criminal Court is preparing to issue what could be an important judgement in the case against Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto. 

    The appeals judges will announce whether testimonies given by witnesses who then changed their accounts can still be included as part of the prosecution's evidence. 

    More than 1,000 Kenyans were killed in the violence that followed the disputed presidential elections in 2007. 

    Both William Ruto and his co-accused, journalist Joshua arap Sang, deny charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

    Sixteen of the prosecution's key witnesses changed their original statements or simply refused to cooperate with the court. 

    The prosecutor argued that they changed their minds due to threats, intimidation, bribery or fear of reprisals.

    William Ruto in The HagueImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    William Ruto is facing charges relating to the violence which followed the 2007 elections in Kenya

  14. 'Zupta Must Fall' gets remixpublished at 15:09 GMT 12 February 2016

    There were the red carpet arrivals, the rows, the walkout and of course, the state of the nation speech - and now it has its own hip hop remix.

    As they were leaving parliament, EFF MPs chanted "Zupta must fall", after being told to go for their continuous interruptions of the president.

    South African duo The Kiffness, external have put the chant to music and have drawn our attention to the sign language interpreter.

    Click here to enjoy the video, external

    Sign language interpreterImage source, SA Parliament

    Zupta is a combination of the president's name and the wealthy Gupta family, who the EFF accuse of being too close to the government.

  15. 'Outrage' over attack on UN peacekeepers in Malipublished at 14:45 GMT 12 February 2016

    The head of the UN in Mali has said he is "outraged", external by today's attack in the northern town of Kidal, in which three UN peacekeepers were killed.

    Mahamat Saleh Annadif called it a "hateful and irresponsible act". 

    It is not clear who carried out this morning's attack in which 30 others were injured.

    A representative of a Tuareg separatist group, quoted by the Reuters news agency, blamed it on Islamists militants in the area.

  16. UN assured that Rwanda won't 'forcibly expel' Burundianspublished at 14:27 GMT 12 February 2016

    The United Nations says it has assurance from the Rwandan government that it will not "forcibly expel Burundian refugees".

    This came at an urgent meeting between the representative for the UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, in Rwanda and the government minister in charge of refugee affairs.

    The meeting followed the announcement that Rwanda was seeking the "orderly and safe relocation of Burundian refugees to third countries".

    The UNHCR said it was concerned about the statement.

    Burundian refugeeImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    There are more than 70,000 Burundian refugees in Rwanda

  17. Dating app Badoo ahead of Tinder in Africapublished at 14:22 GMT 12 February 2016

    Africa map

    Badoo is the most downloaded dating app in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, BBC analysis has found.

    While Egyptians download Frimm.

    The dating app market in Africa is behind that of other continents because of the relatively poor internet connection.

    It also looks like many people use Facebook and WhatsApp to meet people. 

    Read more:

    The Dating Game

  18. Guinea police arrest opposition leader's bodyguardspublished at 14:01 GMT 12 February 2016

    Alhassan Sillah
    BBC Africa, Conakry

    Cellou Dalien DialloImage source, Getty images
    Image caption,

    Cellou Dalien Diallo once served as prime minister

    Guinea’s main opposition leader Cellou Dalien Diallo has accused investigators of bias after 17 of his bodyguards were arrested as part of investigations into the death of a journalist last week.

    Mohamed Koula Diallo was shot dead at the headquarters of Mr Diallo's UFDG party amid clashes between rival factions.

    They followed the expulsion of Mamadou Oury Ba - a founding member of the party. 

    Mr Diallo accused the military police of politicising the issue and said he did not understand why only his own men were being singled out and arrested.

  19. Who's that with Mandla Mandela?published at 13:59 GMT 12 February 2016

    There was a lot to take in at Thursday's state of the nation address by South Africa's President Jacob Zuma.

    Notwithstanding the contents of the speech, there were also the interruptions and the opposition walk-outs.

    And, of course, the stylish red carpet arrivals.

    Nelson Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, attracted attention over his fashion choice.

    And there were also questions over who he turned up with. 

    His conversion to Islam and marriage last week to Rabia Clarke was the subject of a lot of comment - but he wasn't with his new wife.

    Mandla Mandela arriving for the state of the nation speechImage source, EPA

    Well, in case you needed help South Africa's Daily Vox has provided a helpful guide to his relationships:

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    So, he was with his third wife Mbali Makhatini.

  20. Police to remove effigies of Ugandan candidatespublished at 13:18 GMT 12 February 2016

    Ugandan police are removing effigies of all presidential candidates from the streets, reports the Daily Monitor, external.

    The paper says the effigies were banned in 2010 as they could be used by militants to launch attacks.

    Effigies like this one have been seen around the capital, Kampala, ahead of the presidential election later this month:

    Effigies