Daily News on Issues Affecting Africa for November 4, 2014

Continue reading for a summary of recent news stories relating to some of the most pressing issues on the continent. We draw on a wide range of respected news sources, both from Africa itself and around the world. The themes of today's In the News post are: the African Union sets deadline for Burkina Faso military power transfer, Zambian political disputes, civil unrest in Burundi, the declining manpower of al-Shabab, suicide blast in Nigeria and Sudan-South Sudan dispute over air raids.

African Union sets deadline for Burkina Faso's army to hand over power
The African Union has given Burkina Faso's army two weeks to return power to a civilian government or face sanctions, the head of the organisation's peace and security council said on Monday.

The west African nation's military took power after the longtime president, Blaise Compaoré, stepped down on Friday following two days of mass protests over his attempt to extend his rule through a constitutional amendment.

The head of Burkina Faso's military regime promised a "consensus" leader on Monday in talks for a unity government. Having named Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida as interim head of state, the military said "power does not interest us".

To read more from the Guardian, click here.

Zambian President Guy Scott in row over Edgar Lungu sacking
Zambia's interim President Guy Scott has reinstated defence minister and presidential hopeful, Edgar Lungu, to a powerful governing party post.

Mr Lungu had said his sacking was illegal and highly provocative at a time of mourning for President Michael Sata, who died last week.

Correspondents say a power struggle has been unfolding in the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) over the succession.

Mr Scott became acting leader - Zambia's first white head of state - in accordance with the country's constitution, which requires the vice-president to assume presidential duties until elections take place within 90 days.

As the constitution stands, he is ineligible to run for president in the elections because it bars candidates whose parents were not born in Zambia.

To read more from BBC, click here.

Burundian Civil Society Fights Back But Will it be Enough?
The relative peace Burundi has enjoyed since the end of civil war may be under threat. Following the ceasefire that ended 12 years of brutal conflict in 2005, the country has experienced a degree of stability. But as the 2015 elections approach, many warn that President Pierre Nkurunziza and his ruling CNDD-FDD party are constricting political space through intimidation, violence and the repression of dissenting voices.

In doing so, however, the government has not had an easy ride. Instead, it has found itself face-to-face with resolute civil society and opposition groups who have refused to back down. How these contending dynamics play out could determine whether the 2015 elections, slated for the summer, represent a step towards greater democratic consolidation or a step back towards a politics of violence and fear.

To read more from Think Africa Press, click here.

As Power of Shabab Declines, Once Feared Fighters Leave Terror Group Behind
BAIDOA, Somalia — Bashir was a true believer, a foot soldier who recently quit after seeing too many innocents slaughtered.

Ahmed deserted the Shabab because he wanted a real family, not just a bunch of heavily armed, sociopathic militants who called themselves a "family," he said.

And young Nurta was a slender assassin, with a bright purple scarf and wide, seemingly innocent eyes.

"There is no life with them," said Nurta, who like other Shabab defectors requested that her last name not be used for fear of reprisals.

Even before its leader was cut down in an American airstrike in September, the Shabab militant group in Somalia, once one of Al Qaeda's most powerful franchises, began unraveling. In the past few months, the group has been shedding territory — and fighters.

To read more from the New York Times, click here.

Suicide blast kills 23 in Nigeria as prison attack frees 144
YOBE — A suicide bomber killed at least 23 people in a procession of Shiite Muslims marking the ritual of Ashoura in northeast Nigeria's Yobe state on Monday, witnesses said.

In a separate incident overnight in central Kogi state, gunmen using explosives blew their way into a prison in the city of Lokoja, killing one person and freeing 144 inmates, Adams Omale, prisons co-ordinator for the state, said.

In the suicide bombing in Potiskum in Yobe state, a territory at the heart of an insurgency by Sunni Muslim Boko Haram rebels, the attacker joined the line of Shiites before setting off his device as they marched through a market in the town, resident Yusuf Abdullahi said.

To read more from Business Day Live, click here.

S. Sudan accuses Sudanese army of killing 35 in air raids
November 3, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan claimed 35 of its civilian were killed and 17 others injured in an aerial bombing allegedly carried out by the Sudanese army (SAF) in Western Bahr el Ghazal state.

People displaced in Northern Bahr El Ghazal state by alleged SAF bombings in 2012 (Office of the Aweil North county commissioner/File)
The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday morning in a densely populated area of Raja county, damaging several properties and causing panic among citizens.

"The Sudanese jet fighters came yesterday (Sunday) morning and bombed the area. People are now terrified especially that it caused death," Raja county commissioner, Hassan Jallab said on Monday.

"Thirty-five people have been killed and 17 others also wounded when an Antonov bomb landed in the heavily populated area," he added.

The commissioner described the attack, which he largely blamed on the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), as "barbaric and unprovoked".

To read more from the Sudan Tribune, click here.