News24

Denis Mukwege, who is the subject of an acclaimed 2015 film about his efforts to help women raped by the military and militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said that more than 600 people had been killed since October 2014. New York University's Congo Research Group also published a report claiming that soldiers from the regular army participated in the killings.

Egyptian officials say two Cairo courts have convicted and sentenced to five years in jail a total of 101 protesters for taking part in peaceful, anti-government demonstrations last month. The officials on Sunday said the 101 were convicted of breaking a disputed 2013 law that effectively bans street protests. Of the 101, 79 were also fined $10 000 each.

Nigeria needs to step up security to stem a rise in incidents of piracy and communal clashes, as well as the continued threat from Boko Haram insurgents, Defence Minister Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali said on Tuesday.

West Africa's armed forces, police and governments need to ramp up cross-border links to contain Islamist groups now increasingly staging spectacular attacks on civilian targets, US and local top brass said this week.