Although the appeal was delivered days ago to the 15 heads of state that sit on the West African regional bloc, it has not yet been made public in Mali.

Gambia's highest Islamic body has endorsed President Yahya Jammeh's recent decision to execute nine death row inmates.

Hardline Muslim clerics. Young people who feel marginalized. Suspicions that police are responsible for the killings of extremists. These elements created a combustible mixture that exploded into rioting last week.

Striking miners in South Africa threatened to kill workers and managers in a nearby mine Wednesday unless they joined the crippling work stoppage.

Nigeria's navy on Wednesday retook an oil tanker hijacked off the country's largest city, freeing 23 Indian sailors held hostage by pirates.

Mohamed Keita of the Committee to Protect Journalists late Tuesday condemned the killing of Daudi Mwangosi, of Tanzania's Channel Ten.

A military spokesman says the Kenyan Navy shelled Somalia's port town of Kismayo, the remaining significant stronghold of al-Qaida-linked militants.

World Bank President Jim Young Kim arrived in Ivory Coast on Tuesday to begin his first overseas visit since being appointed in April.

Guinea's Minister of Defense said the government has blocked a ship containing arms destined for neighboring Mali, whose northern half has fallen into the hands of al-Qaida-linked extremists.

Presidential spokesman Imed Daimi said the move was made despite an improvement in the country's security situation.