A BBC analysis of the famine situation in seven southern African countries which includes a clickable map.

Namibia's leading human rights organisation on Wednesday slammed the armies of both Namibia and its neighbour Angola for ongoing extra judicial executions in the north of the country.

The interior minister of the Central African Republic (CAR), Joseph Mounzole, has issued a message of reassurance to Chadians living on CAR territory following clashes along the common border on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe has started preparing for a final withdrawal of all its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they have been fighting since 1998.

Rough diamonds will be allowed into the European Union only if they have a certificate stating they do not come from conflict zones, according to new rules from the European Commission. The planned requirement for a certificate of origin for each gemstone is part of a global effort to crack down on "blood diamonds", whose proceeds go to rebel forces in African conflicts.

Countries in East and Central Africa may move to ban the civilian ownership of small arms in a bid to fight insecurity in the region.

Amnesty International has called on the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/ Army (SPLM/A) and on all facilitators and participants to the peace process on Sudan to put human rights at the heart of any future agreement.

Zambia has stepped up military patrols on its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after several raids by rebel bandits over the past few weeks.

Journalist Tokunbo Ojo, once a resident of Nigeria, writes about his disgust at the treatment he experienced at the hands of US immigration officials at a Canadian border crossing.

Fifteen thousand refugees who have settled at Rackoko in Pader, will be relocated to Kiryandongo in Masindi district within a week. The group is part of about 25,000 refugees who had been living in Achol-pii refugee camp until Monday when Kony rebels burnt down the camp, killing at least 50.

The race to replace President Daniel arap Moi of Kenya has taken a new twist with the announcement of a new alliance within his ruling party to push for a democratic vote to choose the party's next presidential candidate.

For the first time since elections two years ago ended a military-led regime, Côte d’Ivoire’s main political parties are all represented in government as a result of a cabinet reshuffle announced on Monday.

The government of coup-prone Niger said its troops had foiled an attempted mutiny in Niamey early on Monday after heavy overnight gunfire in the capital of the West African country.

Mozambique should step up the reform of the public sector, and improve the management of foreign aid, in order gradually to reduce the level of corruption, advised Juan Marcelino, assistant director of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, in Maputo on Tuesday.

The World Food Programme (WFP) will on 16 August conclude a three-month emergency food distribution programme to an estimated 6,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) at two sites in northern Central African Republic (CAR), some 400 km north of the capital, Bangui.

The leaders of Liberia and Burkina Faso have been named at the UN as the main players in the Sierra Leonean war. Leaders of the two countries were allegedly serving as conduits for the export of diamonds and supply of weapons and arms to Sierra Leone's rebels.

Africans Unite Against Child Abuse has raised concern over the increase in the number of African children being trafficked to the UK for domestic work.

KwaZulu-Natal has the most complaints about human rights violations on farms out of all nine provinces, according to the Human Rights Commission. The commission heard harrowing stories of regular sjambokking, threats of eviction backed up with a rifle, verbal abuse using racial terminology, the destruction of property and illegal wage deductions.

Zimbabwe police have searched the home of Morgan Tsvangirai, the president of the country's main opposition party, looking for weapons, subversive documents and illegal immigrants, the leader said. Tsvangirai is due to stand trial in November on allegations that he plotted to assassinate President Robert Mugabe.

A descriptive and compelling account of the Liberian Civil War, one of Africa’s most brutal and devastating civil wars which spilled over into neighboring countries. Liberia: The Heart of Darkness explores how Liberia, founded by freed black American slaves as a land of liberty for people of the black race the world over, drifted from one of Africa’s most stable and prosperous countries to become a desolate land and a graveyard.