[New Zimbabwe] Kariba-based Pastor Patrick Mugadza (PM) travelled to Victoria Falls early December to stage a one man demonstration against President Robert Mugabe, who was in the resort town for a Zanu PF annual people's conference. He was arrested and detained for 16 days on "criminal nuisance" charges.
[Radio Dabanga] Jebel Marra -The joint attacks by the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on villages in Jebel Marra continued for the second day in a row today. The mainstream Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) claims to have defeated a group of government troops near Guldo.
[Thomson Reuters Foundation] New York -More than 3,770 migrants and refugees died in 2015 trying to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea, making the year the deadliest on record for those seeking sanctuary from conflict and poverty, an international migration group said on Thursday.
[UN News] The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has dispatched a preliminary fact-finding team to look into an allegation that two members of its military personnel were involved in a possible case of serious misconduct involving the beating of a teenage boy.
[RFI] The African Union has threatened to sanction Burundi's rival factions if they fail to attend peace talks scheduled to open on Wednesday in Arusha, Tanzania. Although the AU has yet to provide details, the possible sanctions are generating controversy - even among Burundian activists.
[Deutsche Welle] In a televised New Year message, Paul Kagame said he would seek to extend his presidency by seven years, from 2017. The widely expected confirmation follows a successful referendum last month on constitutional changes.
[African Arguments] In Baringo country, the impacts of climate change have been devastating. Droughts have exacerbated cattle raiding, while now heavy rains threaten to wash away makeshift homes.
[Vanguard] Nigeria said it was expecting telecoms giant MTN to meet a deadline for paying a record $3.9 billion fine which expires Thursday, despite the South African operator challenging the penalty in court. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country's telecoms regulator, had in October fined the firm for missing a deadline to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards, citing security concerns in a country plagued by frequent kidnappings and an extremist Islamist insurgency Boko Haram.