Hundreds of inmates have fled a prison in Matadi, a port city in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Two armed men arrived at the jail, subdued the guards and then broke open the main gate, local media reported.

Security officials said about 300 inmates rushed towards the police, who were firing into the air, grabbing their weapons and killing an officer.

The deputy director of the jail said the facility had 737 inmates, even though it only had a capacity for 150.

The arrest of two prominent professors in Ethiopia’s capital has given new focus to allegations that the authorities are engaged in a ruthless crackdown against ethnic Tigrayan civilians, as the country plunges deeper into a conflict that began over a year ago in the northern state of Tigray.

Professors Assefa Fissiha and Mehari Redeai both teach law at Addis Ababa University.

Although there is been no official confirmation of their arrests, foreign media allege they were detained by the security forces for breaching the terms of Ethiopia’s state of emergency, imposed as Tigrayan forces advanced towards the capital earlier this month.

Speaking by phone, family friends who confirmed the Tigrayan professors’ arrests sounded fearful, anxious to remain anonymous in case they too faced detention in a country where, according to local and international human rights groups, at least 1,000 Tigrayans, and possibly many more, have been arrested in recent days.

It’s not certain what role western actors have played in fueling the crisis in Ethiopia but analyts say golbalist agenda to cripple strong African nations by sponsoring conflict is at play. At the early stage of the conflict Ethipian government accused the WHO chief Jesus of sponsoring Tigrayan fighters.

Police in Kenya have launched an investigation after a BBC staff member was found dead in the capital Nairobi.

Kate Mitchell, a British national who worked for BBC Media Action in a number of African countries, died on Friday.

BBC Media Action is the corporation’s international charity, and its projects focus on using media and communication to address inequality around the world.

It is not thought Ms Mitchell’s death at a hotel in the city was connected to her work for the organisation.

And while the exact circumstances of her death remain unclear, police told local media they were investigating it as a murder and exploring possible motives.

Sudan’s ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has been reinstated following last month’s coup when he was put under house arrest.

He has appeared on TV to sign a new power-sharing agreement with coup leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan amid continuing mass protests.

But the civilian coalition that nominated Mr Hamdok as PM two years ago refused to acknowledge any new deal.

The pact had been struck with a gun to his head, a spokesperson told the BBC.

“The future of the country will be determined by the young people on the ground,” Siddiq Abu-Fawwaz, from the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition, told BBC’s Newshour programme.