Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for October 2nd

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 violence in Sudan, elections in Cameroon, peace-building in Nigeria, Kenya-Somalia relations, Senegalese agricultural challenges, rhino poaching in South Africa, Ugandan politics, and terrorism in East Africa.

Sudan defends crackdown amid more protests
Sudanese government has pointed to "fake" victim photos and foreign interference in defence of a deadly crackdown on protesters, which drew fresh criticism from inside the ruling party as rallies continued. With reporters complaining of stepped-up censorship, numerous videos and photographs purporting to show bloodied victims have circulated on YouTube, Facebook and other social media since the demonstrations began eight days ago, sparked by a rise in fuel prices. – Al Jazeera
To read more, please visit the Al Jazeera site here

Cameroon ruling party expected to win election
Cameroon's 5.4 million voters head to the polls Monday for legislative and local polls set to shore up the strong parliamentary majority of President Paul Biya's ruling party. President Biya has been accused of failing to adhere to a regular timetable for elections in order to ensure victory for his own People's Democratic Movement (RDPC) party, which holds the majority of seats in the national assembly and municipal bodies. – France 24
To read more, please visit the France 24 site here

President pledges national dialogue to heal 'divided' Nigeria
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday promised a national dialogue to heal what he said was an ethnically and religiously divided nation, and urged his compatriots to unite against extremism to avoid the fate of Syria. Jonathan struck a somber tone in a televised speech to mark Nigeria's 53rd year of independence from Britain. – Reuters
To read more, please visit the Reuters site here

Kenyatta: Kenyan forces to stay in Somalia
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Tuesday the country will remain militarily engaged in Somalia following the assault on a Nairobi shopping mall by Somali militants.  As investigators continued piecing information together on the Westgate shopping mall siege that killed more than 60 people, Kenyatta addressed an inter-faith prayer service in the capital, joining the country's political and religious leadership to pray for unity and strength in the aftermath of the September 21 attack.  Those responsible for the attack, he said, have failed in their efforts to divide the nation. – VOA News
To read more, please visit the VOA News site here

Senegal struggles to safeguard seed quality
Senegal's 1994 legislation on seed certification has been hugely influential, inspiring West Africa's harmonized law on quality seed production - yet domestically, Dakar still struggles with staff and equipment shortages that impede quality control. – allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here

Rhino poaching hits new record in South Africa
The number of rhinos killed by poachers has hit a new annual record in South Africa, raising worries of a downward population spiral in a country that is home to almost all of Africa's rhinos.  By the end of September, 704 rhinos had been killed by poachers in South Africa, exceeding the annual record of 668 set in 2012, according to data provided by the environmental affairs ministry on Tuesday. – The Guardian
To read more, please visit the Guardian site here

Museveni: 'I'm not grooming my son for president'
Setting records straight. The President says Uganda is not a monarchy for him to transfer power to his son. President Museveni has made it clear that there are no plans to have his son, Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba, replace him as leader of the country in the near future.  The President told foreign television news outlet, Al-Jazeera, at the weekend that "that man is an army officer [who] is not interested in politics." He, however, never ruled out the possibility in the far-away future. In the interview aired on Sunday night on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Museveni said Brig Kainerugaba "will not be interested in politics in the short run." – Daily Monitor
To read more, please visit the Daily Monitor site here

What you need to know about terrorism in East Africa
Mentioning Somalia used to conjure up images of pirates off the coast and the distant but stark memories from 1993 of clan militias dragging the bodies of dead U.S. commandoes through the streets of Mogadishu, brought to life in the movie "Black Hawk Down."  Now, the troubled Horn of Africa nation returns to the headlines following news at the end of September that a regional gang of thugs has now ballooned into a transnational terrorist organization. Fully understanding the threats posed by al-Shabab, which continues attacks in the region and recruitment elsewhere, requires a better understanding of the area from which it was forged. – US News
To read more, please visit the US News site here