Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for December 10th

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 updates on Nelson Mandela's memorial service, violence in the Central African Republic, as well as international action in the country, aid to Somalia's Al-Shabaab, the French president's call for elections in the CAR, rampant poverty and drug use in Nigeria, and the use of elephants to push political agendas.

South Africans, world leaders gather to mourn former president Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was memorialized in a boisterous stadium ceremony here Tuesday as a teacher and a racial healer, a transcendent figure who changed history and touched hearts in his native country and around the world. Scores of thousands of South Africans braved a pouring rain to join dozens of world leaders, including President Obama and many other heads of state, for a four-hour service filled with emotional tributes and joyous song.   – Washington Post
To read more, please visit the Washington Post site here.

French soldiers killed in Central African Republic
Two French soldiers have been killed in combat in the Central African Republic, the French presidency says. A statement said President Francois Hollande "learned with deep sadness" that the two had been killed overnight in the capital Bangui. They are the first French deaths since France deployed 1,600 soldiers to the CAR last week in a UN-backed operation. – BBC
To read more, please visit the BBC site here.

Hagel orders US military to fly Burundi troops to Central African Republic to quell violence
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the U.S. military to transport troops from Burundi into the Central African Republic to help quell the latest upsurge in violence there. – Star Tribune
To read more, please visit the Star Tribune site here.

Somalia: Aid agencies 'paid Somalia's Al-Shabaab' during famine
Aid agencies paid Somalia's al-Shabab militants for access to areas under their control in the 2011 famine, according to a joint report by two think tanks. In many cases al-Shabab insisted on distributing the aid and kept much of it for itself, the report says. Some of the groups are still paying al-Shabab to operate in the large parts of Somalia it still holds, it adds. – allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here.

Hollande calls for swift elections in CAR
In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24 on Saturday, French President François Hollande said that the Central African Republic should hold democratic elections by 2015, after Seleka rebels seized control of the country earlier this year.  – France 24
To read more, please visit the France 24 site here.

Drugs and poverty blight northern Nigeria
Thirty-seven percent of the population in Kano State, an area in northwest Nigeria, are drug abusers according to official figures from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). This is the highest figure nationwide. Nigeria's second largest city also has the highest number of people arrested for illicit drug trafficking or drug use. – Al Jazeera
To read more, please visit the Al Jazeera site here.

Africa: Elephants are the latest conflict resource
An average of about 45 elephants per day were illegally killed in 2011 in every two of five protected sites holding elephant populations in Africa, thanks to the growing illegal trade in ivory, which continues to threaten the survival of elephants on the continent. A joint report by four international conservation organizations says that 17,000 elephants were killed in 2011 alone and the amount of ivory seized has tripled over the last decade. – allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here.