The radical Islamist group al-Shabaab on Friday took two towns in central Somalia, officials and witnesses said. “Amara and Ba’adwayn are now under full control of al-Shabaab fighters,” said a regional senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

South Sudanese rebels said on Saturday government troops had attacked their positions over the last three days, casting further doubt on a fragile peace agreement in the world’s youngest country. No one was immediately available to comment from the government – but both sides have regularly accused the other of …

Mali’s government and a major Tuareg-led rebel alliance exchanged prisoners this week, the two sides and a UN source have said, in a move hailed as a step forward for the country’s fledgling peace process. A total of 47 prisoners were traded between the government and the Co-ordination of Movements …