14 Discovered dead in New Spate of Killings

Bujumbura, Burundi

14 bodies have been discovered in Northern Burundi over the past week in a new wave of killings that has led to growing tension in the central African state over resuming of civil war, following the just concluded three-month marathon local elections.

Earlier on Tuesday at least four bodies were found floating on River Rusizi near the capital, Bujumbura where it empties to Lake Tanganyika. The found corpses had machete wounds and some with their limbs bound.

Local police in the area have said that unidentified armed bandits who were trying to create unrest after the latest local elections were behind the killings, prompting the arrest of more than 40 armed men. The men are being interrogated as most of those arrested were members of opposition parties and former rebel group National Liberation Forces (NFL).

Opposition parties earlier withdrew from the May polls over alleged fraud by the ruling party, with FNL's Agathon Rwasa-a former rebel leader and main rival to President Pierre Nkurunziza abandoning government duties and is believed to have taken up arms again, a year after a ceasefire agreement.

Burundi is rated as one of the world's poorest countries due to civil strife, corruption and effects of HIV/AIDS. Over 300,000 lives have been claimed since strike of the civil war in 1993.

Mogadishu, Somalia

New Clashes In Mogadishu Leave 30 Dead and Scores Injured.

At least 21 people are believed to have died and several others injured on Thursday during a series of clashes between the African Union forces and Al-Shabaab fighters in the streets of the capital, Mogadishu.

Heavy mortar shells believed to have been fired by the AU forces hit Bakara market in the capital leaving at least 9 civilians dead and over 70 injured as the militants attacked back with rocket propelled grenades. Eyewitnesses reported of scattered bodies in the streets, some torn to pieces in a battle believed to have been the worst in the recent past.

The clashes are believed to have been sparked when Al-shaabab fighters launched an offensive attack on two government held neighborhoods prompting the AU forces to retaliate. An AU mission spokesperson said they lost one of their  soldiers and two others injured in the clashes in which they report to have killed 25 of the militia's forces.

Earlier on Monday an Al-shabaab suicide bomber blew himself up at the gates of the presidential palace in Mogadishu after a foiled attack on a AU peacekeepers' convoy.

The Al-Shabaab has been fighting the AU-backed transitional government in efforts to instil Islamic rule on the country. It controls many parts of the capital among its influence in the south and central of the country.

Somalia Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke resigned over prolonged dispute with country's President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed under circumstances which he claimed were unfavourable for them to work together.

The 6000-strong AU force in the lawless state has diverted its focus to shielding the president and guarding the sea and air ports from attacks from insurgent groups which are seeking their control as influential power organs.

Kinshasa, DRCongo

Malaria May Have Passed from Gorillas to Us- Scientists

Scientists have shown that human beings may have caught malaria from gorillas- the original source- which might have jumped across the species about 5000 years ago.

A team of international researchers from US, Africa and Europe have discovered that the cerebral malaria causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum probably made a single jump from Gorillas but not chimpanzees as earlier thought.

The researchers working in Cameroon, Central African Republic and DR Congo examined faeces samples from apes to study the DNA of infections where they discovered the human plasmodium being more related to the gorilla's as opposed to the chimpanzee's.

Further research is expected to be carried out to see how different the human and gorilla parasites are and see whether still the cross infections is going on by screening those living near gorillas. The breakthrough is expected to influence understanding of malaria as well as HIV with their equivalents in apes and understand proper approach for future eradication.

Malaria, a mosquito-borne infectious disease has claimed over 800,000 lives in Africa alone, with global cases of about 350-500 million cases being reported every year.