UN: South Sudan rebels free 250 child soldiers

Geneva - A South Sudanese rebel group has freed 250 child soldiers - including a girl as young as nine, the UN children's agency said on Sunday, but warned that thousands were still being forced to fight.

The rebel Cobra Faction is also set to release another 400 child soldiers in the next two days under a deal with the government, out of total of 3 000 it holds, UNICEF said.

Somalia: Kenya to Build Separation Wall Along Porous Somali Border

Kenya will this week start construction of a separation wall along the border with Somalia as part of efforts to contain terror attacks, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery has told the media. Mr. Nkaissery said his government will start the wall from the Mandera down to Wajir to reduce border entries.

Ebola outbreak 'over by August', UN suggests

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa will be over by August, the head of the UN Ebola mission has told the BBC. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed admitted the UN had made mistakes in handling the crisis early on, sometimes acting "arrogantly". A year after the outbreak was officially declared, the virus has killed more than 10,000 people. The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres says a "global coalition of inaction" led to tragic consequences. Looking back over the year, the charity suggests its early calls for help were ignored by local governments and the World Health Organization

Ivory Coast's former first lady Simone Gbagbo jailed

Ivory Coast's former first lady, Simone Gbagbo, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for her role in the violence that followed the 2010 elections.

Gbagbo, 65, had been charged with undermining state security.Her husband, former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, is awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC). More than 3,000 people died in the violence that followed the presidential poll after the ex-leader refused to accept defeat to Alassane Ouattara. She and her husband were arrested in 2011 after troops stormed a bunker where the pair had taken refuge in the main city, Abidjan.

Inquiry into BP hostage crisis reveals security flaws

Serious security lapses may have contributed to deaths of 40 gas plant employees during 2013 attack in Algeria.

An inquest into the deaths of seven UK residents in a brazen attack on a major gas plant in Algeria partly operated by BP has exposed a litany of shortcomings in the provision of security at the site.

Deadly suicide bombing strikes Nigeria's Maiduguri

Attack in Borno state's capital leaves 17 dead as government dismisses Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance to ISIL.

A suspected female suicide bomber has killed at least 17 people in Maiduguri, capital of Nigeria's Borno state, military and hospital sources say. Tuesday's attack happened three days after a multiple bomb attack in the city killed more than 50 people.

Somali president survives mortar attack

Mogadisgu - At least three mortars landed inside Somalia's heavily fortified presidential palace compound on Thursday, a Somali police officer said. A number of people were wounded in the attack that was claimed by Somali Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab through the group's radio station, Andulus.

Liberia schools reopen after six-month Ebola closure

Teachers trained to implement and monitor safety measures, with soap and other hygiene materials distributed.

Many schools in Liberia have reopened after a six-month closure caused by the deadly Ebola outbreak.Monday's move comes a day after the leaders of Liberia and Sierra Leone vowed to eradicate the virus, which has killed more than 9,000 people, mainly in West Africa, by mid-April.

Devastation and disease after deadly Malawi floods

Tens of thousands stranded after southern Africa country's record floods face rising risk of disease outbreak.

Nsanje, Malawi - The most devastating floods in living memory have stranded at least 20,000 people in southern Malawi with disease now threatening to inflict further suffering. When the rains began in Nsanje province on January 11, a 20-kilometre-long vein of cropland on the east bank of the Shire River was overwhelmed, destroying resources needed to sustain the population for a year.

IMF Grants $100M for Debt Relief to Ebola-hit Countries

WASHINGTON—

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will get close to $100 million in total to pay off their debts to the International Monetary Fund, the first time a global institution provided debt relief to the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak.The IMF also called on other international creditors to offer further debt relief to the countries to help them deal with the economic fall-out from the devastating epidemic.

Former LRA child soldier on trial at The Hague

Lord's Resistance Army commander known for brutality is the first from feared rebel group to appear before the ICC.

The Hague, Netherlands - When Dominic Ongwen appeared before the International Criminal Court last week he seemed like a much different man from the fearsome rebel fighter that he was for more than 20 years.Ongwen, accompanied by two security guards, wore a dark-blue suit and a grey plaid tie. His movements were stiff and he spoke gently, using simplistic language.

Boko Haram massacre reported in Cameroon town

Sources in Fotokol say attackers killed more than 100 people as regional countries weigh offensive against group.

Boko Haram fighters have killed more than 100 people in the north Cameroon town of Fotokol, murdering residents inside their homes and a mosque, according to a local civic leader.The attack comes a day after Chad sent troops across the border to flush the armed group out of the Nigerian town of Gamboru, which lies about offensive from Fotokol on the other side of a bridge.