Gunmen mounted on pick-up trucks and motorcycle killed at least eight gendarmes and wounded several in an attack on their base in western Niger, near the Mali border, on Saturday, two security sources according to Reuters. They crossed over the border from Mali and drove up to the village of Ayorou, about 40 km (25 miles) inside, before springing their attack, the security sources said.

Ugandan police have banned demonstrations over plans to remove presidential age limits, seen as paving the way for President Yoweri Museveni to serve a sixth term in office.  A bill removing the age limit for the president was introduced in parliament last month, and MPs are currently holding consultations with ordinary Ugandans to seek their views.

The chief executive of Kenya’s election board, who the opposition has demanded must be fired before a repeat presidential election scheduled for Oct. 26, said Friday he was taking three weeks of leave.

Ezra Chiloba said he had taken a personal decision to take leave in light of the opposition’s demands, without giving more details. He said all arrangements were in place for the election, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

The National Elections Commission (NEC) of Liberia has declared political campaigns open for the Nov. 7 run-off presidential election. In a statement on its website, NEC confirmed that the run-off would be between football icon, Mr George Weah, and the country’s incumbent Vice President, Mr Joseph Boakai. “The Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the Unity Party (UP) will contest the Nov. 7 presidential run-off election because the two parties obtained the highest number of votes cast on Oct. 10,” it said.

Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has tweeted that Egyptian authorities have released an Irish citizen arrested in 2013.
Ibrahim Halawa was 17 at the time of his arrest.

Four people were killed in Togo on Wednesday in clashes between security forces and demonstrators calling for an end to a half century of Gnassingbe family rule, the security minister said.

Opposition activists have been demonstrating since August against Gnassingbe’s administration and say a constitutional reform he has proposed would allow him to rule the West African country until 2030.