African news : breaking news, features, analysis

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius "will have to live with his conscience" over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, her father has said.

Egypt's President, Mohammed Morsi, has brought forward the start of the country's parliamentary elections, just days after announcing it.

The brother of South African athlete Oscar Pistorius - accused of murdering his girlfriend - is also facing trial over the death of a woman.

French President Francois Hollande has said his country's forces are engaged in the "final phase" of the fight against militants in northern Mali.

Rwanda is holding more than 280 troops accused of desertion on an island in Lake Kivu, the army has revealed.

Malian army spokesman Diaran Kone told the BBC that between 20 and 40 militants had entered the city on Wednesday night between 23:00 and midnight.

EgyptiaMr Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement hope the election will put an end to increasingly vocal opposition and street protests, analysts say.

The Islamist-dominated parliament was dissolved last June after judges ruled election laws were unconstitutional.

In the last elections, in January 2012, the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party won roughly 40% of the vote.

Egypt is deeply divided between Mr Morsi's Islamist supporters and a liberal-led opposition, and has been wracked by unrest, insecurity and an economic crisis.

Tensions have intensified since an Islamist-backed constitution - criticised for failing to protect key rights - was adopted in December.

Thursday's decree states voting will take place in:

1. Cairo and four other provinces on 27-28 April, with a run-off scheduled for 4-5 May
2. Giza, Alexandria and six other provinces on 15-16 May, with a run-off scheduled for 22-23

A Ghanaian start-up planning to popularise crowdfunding in Africa has been selected as one of the winners of this year's Apps4Africa competition.

The Zambian government has taken over the running of a Chinese-owned coal mine after revoking its licence because of safety lapses.

All airports in Malawi have been forced to shut down following a wage strike by civil servants.

Kenya's Chief Justice Willy Mutunga says he has been threatened with "dire consequences" if the courts barred presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta from contesting next month's election.

Mr Mutunga said he had received a "poison-pen letter" from an outlawed group "extolling" violence.

Mr Kenyatta's Jubilee Coalition said it condemned any threats to the judiciary.

Lawyers for South African athlete Oscar Pistorius have challenged the testimony of a senior police detective on the second day of a bail hearing.

Fifteen Russian sailors have been charged in a court in Nigeria's main city, Lagos, with illegally bringing weapons into the country.

Seven foreign workers have been seized and a security guard shot dead by gunmen who attacked a construction company site in northern Nigeria, officials say.

Kenya's deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta - accused of crimes against humanity - can stand in next month's election, after a court declined to bar him.

A man who says he is the son of former DR Congo President Laurent Kabila has been charged in South Africa with plotting to overthrow the government of Joseph Kabila.

Two French charity workers have been sentenced to two years in prison for illegally trying to fly 103 African children from Chad to France in 2007.

Two Nigerian journalists have been arrested over the killing of nine female polio vaccinators in northern Kano state on Friday, police have said.