The Ethiopian premier has his Attorney General Gedion Timotios out there telling the international media that his hand has been forced.

“Winning the Nobel Peace Prize doesn’t take away his responsibility as the Commander in Chief,” Timotios tells the BBC’s Hard Talk.

Ahmed is dealing with rebels bent on seizing weapons and taking military control of the north Ethiopia.

“No government anywhere in the world could accept that,” he says.

Pressed on the declaration from Ahmed’s military that there would be no mercy for the people of the Tigray capital Mek’ele, now facing its final onslaught, Timotios attributes this to a Colonel of the line who was actually referring to the leadership of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Forces.

The harsh reality is that there is a raft of frighteningly bellicose statements out there from Ahmed and his forces. 

There is also his admonition to the United Nations, the European Union and the African Union, who have expressed their fear of growing conflict in the Horn of Africa not to interfere.

Evidently Ahmed feels it is his personal responsibility to restore order in Ethiopia.

Anyone seeking peace and stability rather than retribution and revenge would surely appreciate the assistance of the paramount regional and international organisations.

It is not too late.

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The energy giant, according to the BBC, is paying a Romanian businessman who employed President Macky Sall’s brother to secure the exploration concession, more than $10 billion.

BP’s chief executive Bob Dudley will not answer questions from the media about his company’s dealings with Petro-Tim.

Romanian entrepreneur Frank Timis, who sold his oil concessions to BP for $250 million insists he’s done nothing wrong.

He secured the  two blocks off the Senegalese coast  by employing President Macky Sall’s brother Aliou who no experience in the petroleum industry. 

The big money he’s going to get from BP will be for royalties

Opposition political parties are in Senegal are demanding an explanation from Sall who was re-elected last February on an anti-corruption ticket.

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Rajoelina insists his only allegiance is to the Madagascar people.

A BBC investigation finds Russia offered money to six of the  candidates in last November’s presidential election on the Indian Ocean island state of Madagascar.

One of these, Pastotor Andre Mailholr Andre Mailhol, says the recipients who fell out on the first round were obliged to support Andry Rajoelina, who was the Russian-backed candidate in the run-off.

Russian funds paid for Rajoelina’s deposit as a candidate.

The investigation did not find hard evidence he had received money from the group of Russian spin doctors, businessmen and political players who were on the island for a year before the election.

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The United States is among countries saying they don’t expect the poll to produce a fair result.

President Pierre Nkurunziza’s hardly trying to convince his naysayers that the referendum will be above board.

He’s thrown out the BBC, Voice of America and other international media to prevent them from covering it.

Anyone calling for a  voter boycott is jailed and those who have not registered also face punishment.

Nkurunziza’s no stranger to applying heavy-handed measures to stay in power.

Hundreds of people have died protesting the unconstitutional  third term he took in 2015, and nearly half-a-million Burundians have fled the country to escape the violence.

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However he will continue campaign for the departure of individuals who have undermined public confidence in the ANC by looting the public purse.

Pravin Gordhan was grilled by Stephen Sackur on the BBC program Hardtalk.

He says individuals have corruptly used state resources for short term personal gain.

The new leadership of the ANC elected at the end of this year has to change this.

If it does this successfully, it will be able to get on with the task of transforming South Africa

He says as an an organization and a part of South Africa’s history the the ANC has massive support

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The attack on the Grand Mosque in the Nigerian city of Kano that killed 120 people was the single deadliest incident.

The BBC study with International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation – records a total of 664 attacks in 14 countries.

Four fifths of these were in Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Syria.

The investigation records nearly seven people died every hour in November as a result of violence attributed to al-Qaeda, its offshoots and groups that subscribe to a similar ideology.

Sixty per cent of jihadist deaths were caused by groups that have no formal association with al-Qaeda.

They are expected to be the ones who will eventually vie for leadership of the movement.

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