Sudan talks in Saudi Arabia - we hear the main objectives of the mediators. Also, news of aanother brazen  church abduction in the north of Nigeria - a good number escape. And a court victory for school children with dreadlocks in Malawi. Those stories and more in this podcast with Hassan Arouni.

War between Sudan's two military factions continues despite Saudi Arabia's mediation efforts - we hear the latest from Khartoum. Also, the aftermath of floods and landslides in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo - we speak to a civil society worker. And we have music by Cameroon's Blanche Bailly. Those stories and more in this podcast with Hassan Arouni.

A former deputy president of the Nigerian senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has been given a nine-year jail term and his wife four-and-a-half years for conspiring to bring a 21-year-old Lagos street trader to the UK as a potential kidney donor for their sick daughter. A doctor who was also part of the plot received 10 years. South Sudan’s foreign minister, Deng Dau Deng, says his country is continuing efforts to persuade the two sides fighting in Sudan to meet for peace talks. Heavy gunfire continues to tear through the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, despite multiple ceasefire declarations.

American president, Joe Biden has issued an executive order authorising sanctions against Sudan. He called the violence a tragedy and a betrayal of the Sudanese people. Liberia is scheduled to hold its presidential election in October this year but what are the prospects for the country's future and what impact will Liberians in the diaspora have on the poll? Plus a woman in Rwanda who is helping women open businesses and create jobs. She particularly helps students from rural parts of the country find work in the fashion industry. South Africa, known for having 11 official languages is on course to add a 12th - SIGN language. The National Assembly passed the Constitutional Eighteenth Amendment Bill, which will make the necessary changes to the Constitution to recognize a 12th official language.

Fighting is continuing in various parts of Sudan. The army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the rival Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, have agreed to a seven day ceasefire starting on Thursday. The two have also agreed to sit down for peace talks in neighbouring South Sudan. Today is World Press Freedom Day, we hear from a journalist from Somalia on the challenges of reporting in the country. An update on devastating floods in Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.

Warring leaders in Sudan have agreed to a seven day truce to start on Thursday. Another Kenyan pastor is due in court for aiding suicide. This comes hours after Pastor Paul Mackenzie's arraignment today after his deceased members were found in mass graves on his property. And Uganda's Parliament has passed an anti-homosexuality bill that prescribes the death penalty for some offences.

Fighting has continued in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, as the United Nations warns of a deepening humanitarian disaster. Thousands of people have fled the city, but the situation is getting worse for those left behind. We take a look at Liberia's unfolding political equation as the country heads towards the presidential election in October. One of the main contenders, Joseph Boakai, has already sparked controversy by naming a surprise running mate. And we go to Ethiopia and Morocco, where Labour Unions and workers have been prevented from staging protests on this day, International Workers’ Day.

Rival factions of Sudan's military agreed to renew a three-day ceasefire, following intensive diplomatic efforts by neighbouring countries, as well as the US, UK and UN. But there are reports that heavy fighting in the capital Khartoum is still going on. In the wake of the cult deaths in Kenya, we delve into the mindset of a cult leader. And one of the top football coaches in Sudan says he feels “torn” about fleeing the country to escape the civil war, leaving his players behind.

As Sudan’s 72-hour ceasefire deadline approaches, we speak to Deng Dau Deng, the foreign minister of neighbouring South Sudan which is leading mediation efforts. He told the BBC he hopes General Hamdan Dagalo will respond positively to an extension. Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio, dissolved parliament earlier this week ahead of elections in June. We hear from the United States ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy, on his recent statement accusing the Liberian government of corruption. Eleven female MPs in Uganda have been arrested whilst taking part in a protest march against police brutality.

Thousands of Sudanese and foreign nationals are trying to get out of the country, during a tenuous 72-hour ceasefire. Heavy clashes were reported in Khartoum, and across the Nile in Omdurman, and there are claims that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have seized an oil refinery 70 kilometres north of the capital. The Sudanese Army is saying several former government officials suspected of war crimes have been able to leave prison in Khartoum, including Ahmed Haroun. Zambian activist Chilekwa Mumba on why he won't give up on his fight for justice. And we hear from Recho Rey - an up and coming rap artist from Uganda.

We bring you the latest from Sudan, where gunfire has been heard in Khartoum despite a new 72-hour truce being agreed between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Police in Kenya have exhumed at least 89 bodies believed to be victims of a religious cult in Kenya’s southwest coastal region of Kilifi. And we say goodbye to the legendary Bola Mosuro on her last day at the BBC.

Sudan's war has not let up and no ceasefire is apparent and as fighting intensifies, people are desperately trying to flee... Foreign embassies are evacuating their citizens and those Sudanese who can afford it are crossing to neighbouring Egypt. Tens of thousands of foreign students remain stranded... We hear how Nigeria's government is planning to evacuate them. Elsewhere, at least 58 bodies have been found in Masindi in Kenya, the victims of a religious cult.. It's feared more corpses may be unearthed. Those stories and more in this podcast presented by Bola Mosuro.

Sporadic fighting has continued in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, despite the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) saying they were prepared to respect a three-day ceasefire with the army to coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid. Agency (UNHCR) estimates that as many as 20,000 people have fled the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region to seek refuge in neighbouring Chad. The conflict in Sudan is also having a big affect on its neighbours. First how Chad is dealing with the influx of refugees, meanwhile another neighbour - South Sudan - is concerned about its oil exports.

Nearly a week of fighting between rival military factions in Sudan is now thought to have killed at least 330 people, the World Health Organization estimates. Several African embassies have been concerned about the safety of their citizens in Sudan. We hear from a Kenya official on how they are trying to evacuate their nationals. Unicef says 67 million children missed out on vaccinations between 2019 and 2021, of whom 48 million did not receive a single routine vaccine. Nigeria is one of the countries with the largest numbers of ‘zero-dose’ children.

The ceasefire in Sudan appears to be in doubt as gunfire can still be heard across the capital, Khartoum. Smoke can be seen over the area of the army headquarters in the centre of the city, where much of the fighting between rival military factions is centred. The UN has now described Sudan's humanitarian situation as catastrophic with mass displacement of people. Muslims around the world will be ending the holy month of Ramadan this week but what is it like to fast when you are living in a multi-faith family? The South African Grannies International World Cup - where women 55 and older competed in front of cheering spectators.

Intense fighting has continued in Sudan, casting doubt over whether the rival military factions will commit to a 24-hour the humanitarian truce. We hear from the vice-president of the Doctors’ Union on the targeting of hospitals, and the inability to treat the injured. Plus, the leader of Tunisia's opposition Ennahda Party has been detained, and the authorities have banned meetings at all of its offices. And the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) celebrates sweeping the board in the recent senatorial elections, but what will that mean for democracy in the country? Presenter: Bola Mosuro Producer: Patricia Whitehorne

We focus on Sudan where fighting has rocked the capital and other cities since Saturday, in bloody clashes which have left nearly 100 dead. The forces of General Fatah Al Burhan, commander in chief of the army, and his rival, General Mohamed Hamndan Dagalo, head of the Rapid Support Forces are talking tough. Will either heed ceasefire calls coming from the UN and African and international bodies? We hear from activists on the ground who say they only have food for one more day, and foreign students forced out of their hostels by the fighting. Those stories in this podcast presented by Bola Mosuro.

The first three months of 2023 has been described as the ‘deadliest’ for migrants crossing the Mediterranean by the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Pietro Bartolo, Member of the European Parliament for Lampedusa, off the coast of southern Italy, says there needs to be a fundamental rethink on how migrants are received and processed. Plus, what is behind the deaths in Kenya linked to the Good News International Church? And relatives of dozens of school girls who are still missing after being abducted in north-east Nigeria in 2014, have once again urged the government to seek their release.

The Sudanese army has warned of a risk of confrontation as the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) redeploys across the country, including to the border city Merowe, without the military's approval. The rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, who faked his death in prison and fled to Tanzania, has arrived back in South Africa, after being deported along with his celebrity doctor girlfriend, Nandipha Magudumana. And Sierra Leonean TikTok influencer, ‘Juju Jeks’ tells us why she is a fan of the popular social media app.

Media reports Tidermene Commune in north-eastern Mali's Menaka region seized by fighters from Islamic State Sahel. The development would leave the town of Menaka effectively under siege by militants at a time when the population of the municipality has soared due to insecurity following the year-long offensive by the jihadist group in both Menaka and Gao regions. The Gambia's National Human Rights Commission released its fourth annual activity report for 2022. The Gambia is recovering from its terrible human rights record under the former dictator, Yahya Jammeh, who ruled for nearly a quarter of a century. South Africa's ‘Soweto Skeleton Movers’ on how they use dance to deal with trauma. Their performance is a mixture of two dance styles - Pantsula and Skeleton.