Madagascar’s president said on Monday he had appointed the country’s local representative of the International Labour Organisation, Christian Ntsay, as the new prime minister. Former Prime Minister Olivier Mahafaly resigned his post earlier on Monday to comply with the terms of a court ruling that ordered the formation of a new consensus government to end a political crisis on the Indian Ocean island nation.

Weeks of below-average rainfall in parts of Ivory Coast’s main cocoa regions are raising concerns about the April-to-September mid-crop, farmers said on Monday.

The world’s top cocoa producer is in the midst of the rainy season, and downpours this month are expected to be heavy and regular. But farmers have been concerned about a lack of rain over the past weeks.

In the center-western region of Daloa, which produces a quarter of Ivory Coast’s national output, farmers complained about the dry weather.

Global auditor KPMG said on Monday it will lay off up to 400 people in South Africa, in its latest shake-up following a corruption scandal that saw it lose several major clients. The auditor has taken a number of steps since last September to help restore its reputation, including changes to corporate governance and management and measures to improve risk management.

The United States is considering reducing by half its counter-terrorism troops based in Africa over the next three years. This followed a consideration for a sharp reduction in its Special Forces operations in Somalia and other African countries. About 6,000 American soldiers are currently assigned to several African countries, according to the US Africa Command (Africom).

Golar LNG said it had started commercial operations at a pioneering floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) production platform in Cameroon, $70 million under budget.

It is the first FLNG vessel of its kind and is likely to boost demand for Golar’s technology in Africa and beyond.

Reuter’s news agency reports that the Hilli Episeyo FLNG vessel, converted from an aging tanker for $1.2 billion, produced the first LNG on March 12 but only exported its first cargo in May, to China, after technical issues delayed a ramp up in production.

Tanzanian conjoined twins Maria and Consolata Mwakikuti have died after suffering heart failure aged 22. The women, who were joined from the navel downwards and shared organs like the liver and lungs, had two hearts and separate heads and arms. They were admitted to a local hospital in December due to issues relating to heart disease but died on Saturday.