Tuesday 18 July is Nelson Mandela Day, recognising the South African leader's life and legacy. Read our guide to find out about his life story.

Tunisians are voting on a new constitution that has been internationally criticised.

For the latest updates, go to bbc.com/africalive.

Richard Kagoe
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, Getty Images

Kenyan police in the capital Nairobi have raided offices believed to be linked to the country's deputy president, William Ruto, who is one of the main candidates in next month's elections.

A police official said detectives had seized two computers and two servers.

An official at the deputy president's campaign secretariat told the BBC they would not want to be drawn to what he described as "mere side shows and distractions".

The raid comes amid tension between the country's security forces and the country's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Over the weekend the head of the commission strongly criticised a decision to detain three foreign nationals who had been contracted to work on the country's electronic voting system.

The police dismissed allegations by the IEBC, saying there was no evidence showing that the electoral body had contracted the trio or that they were employees of the firm contracted by the commission.

The presidential race is seen as a close contest between Mr Ruto and a former prime minister, Raila Odinga.

Trafficking charity Unseen says some callers said Sir Mo's story had inspired them to reach out.

The lack of health cover in Kenya means Herima Mwakima used all her savings to keep her brother alive.

BBC Africa Eye has tracked down the ultra-violent bandit warlords who are raiding villages and abducting schoolchildren across north-western Nigeria.

Its foreign minister, who is in Egypt, says the West is distorting the truth as the Ukraine war rages.

Guday Tsegay claims Ethiopia's fourth gold medal of the World Athletics Championships when winning the women's 5000m.

The BBC's Anne Soy reports from the Horn of Africa, where US officials warn of a "hunger catastrophe".

The Tory leadership candidates' pledges include extending the Rwanda plan and capping refugee numbers.

The North African country is set to vote on a constitution that seeks to extend President Kais Saied's powers.

South Africa end decades of heartbreak as they beat host nation Morocco 2-1 to finally win the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

Rhoda Odhiambo
BBC West Africa correspondent, Lagos

Image source, Getty Images

Nigeria’s airline operators on Friday warned passengers against travelling due to a shortage of aviation fuel.

The spokesperson, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, says passengers should expect flight cancellations.

“There will be major disruption in scheduled flight operations, including cancellation and unnecessary delays across all airports in the country.” Okonkwo said in a statement.

The body says aviation fuel prices have risen by about 400% since December 2021.

Mr Okonkwo added that other than the fuel shortage, other problems facing the aviation sector are the closure of one runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the unavailability of US dollars to purchase spare parts for grounded aircraft.

Out of the 10 airlines that form the umbrella body, two have grounded their flights.

The country’s Civil Aviation Authority shut down Dana Air on 20 July because of financial reasons and recurrent flight problems, while Aero contractors temporarily stopped its services due to the high cost of running the airline and a shortage of aviation fuel.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

A group linked to al-Qaeda says it carried out Friday's attack on a military base outside the Malian capital Bamako.

Two car bombs were detonated in the attack which the authorities in Mali said had killed one soldier and seven assailants.

A branch of al-Qaeda's local affiliate, Katiba Macina, said the attack was justified because the Malian military was using mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group.

It said one of the bombers was from neighbouring Burkina Faso.

Correspondents say that the fact this happened just 9 miles (15 km) from Bamako is another worrying sign of the growing threat the Islamists pose in Mali and the wider Sahel region.

Rhoda Odhiambo
BBC West Africa correspondent, Lagos

Image source, Getty Images

Security forces in Niger State, in north-central Nigeria, have rescued 22 people who were kidnapped by a criminal gang on Friday.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Emmanuel Umar, says among those abducted were children.

“One person is currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital after he sustained a gunshot wound. The rest are reunited with their families,” Mr Ummah told the BBC.

Security officers who were part of the search and rescue mission managed to rescue the abductees when they overpowered the perpetrators, he added.

He called on citizens to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities or people within their communities, especially now because of the rising cases of insecurity in the north of the country.

BBC World Service

Three people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in fighting between rival rebel groups for control of a gold mine.

Residents in the eastern province of Ituri say militiamen from the Patriotic Resistance Force of Ituri built a camp to exploit the Tulabo gold mine.

The move led to clashes with the Integrationist Force of the Congo.

The two groups recently signed agreements to stop fighting.

Last year the Congolese government imposed a state of siege in both Ituri and North Kivu provinces granting additional powers to the military.

But dozens of armed groups are still carrying out frequent attacks against civilians.

BBC World Service

Several Chadian political and rebel groups have decided to take part in peace talks in Qatar, reversing their previous position.

Earlier this month they pulled out after accusing Chad's military government of harassment and threats.

Chad's interim president, Mohamad Idris Deby, recently announced that a national dialogue would take place in August as a first step towards elections.

The death last year of his father - the country's long-time leader Idris Deby - threw Chad into political turmoil.

Correspondents say further instability is likely if the rebel groups fail to reach an agreement with the government and then are not part of the national dialogue.

It is alleged Obinna Obeta was involved in a plot to exploit a Nigerian man and take his kidney.

BBC Sport Africa asks why a sports complex which the late Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe started to build has fallen into disrepair despite government pledges.