Video footage which appears to show ballot-rigging taking place in Zimbabwe's recent presidential run-off election has been posted on the website of a British newspaper. The footage had reportedly been smuggled out of the country by Shepherd Yuda, an officer at a prison in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital.

A senior member of a Darfur rebel group accused of taking part in an attack on a city near Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, has appeared in court.nAbdul Aziz Ashur, brother-in-law of Khalil Ibrahim, the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem), appeared in North Khartoum court on Thursday with seven other suspects .

The death toll from fighting between Somali anti-government fighters and Ethiopian and Ugandan forces, has risen to 53 people, according to a human rights organisation. The increased toll was reported on Wednesday by Ahmed Sudan, chairman of the Mogadishu-based Elman Peace and Human Rights organisation.

Mauritania's government has resigned, just seven months into its term, pre-empting a censure motion filed by dissident's within the ruling party. Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, the president, immediately reinstated Yahya Ahmed El Waghef, the prime minister, on Thursday, asking him to form a new cabinet.

Chad's security forces have claimed to have killed more than 60 people loyal to a Muslim spiritual leader in clashes in the town of Kouno, around 300km south east of the capital Ndjamena. Government soldiers fought with the followers of Ahmat Ismael Bichara, a "marabout" or holy man, who had allegedly threatened a "holy war" in the country.