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NAIROBI/MOGADISHU (Reuters) - The leaders of Kenya, Uganda and Somalia agreed to intensify efforts to defeat Islamist fighters in Somalia on Wednesday, at their first meeting since Kenya sent in troops to crush the militants.

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BEIJING (Reuters) - China is set to loan Ethiopia $100 million and donate a fleet of 90 vehicles to help the African state complete its water supply projects, the Xinhua state news agency said.

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BEIJING (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe won praise on Wednesday as a great African figure and "old friend" of Beijing, underscoring China's commitment to boosting business ties to a leader shunned by Western governments.

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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A budget crunch in Swaziland, Africa's last absolute monarchy, has reached a "critical stage" with the government struggling to maintain spending on HIV/AIDS, education and the elderly, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday.

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CONAKRY (Reuters) - Guinea's president declared late on Tuesday that the date for landmark parliamentary elections should only be set once there is agreement among rival parties on the timing, defusing a row that has already sparked deadly clashes.

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TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's wartime rebel prime minister said his country faces a lengthy and dangerous power vacuum where foreign powers may exploit rival militias on the streets and he called for a dramatic acceleration in plans for full elections.

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CAIRO (Reuters) - Libya has told Egyptians they will need visas to enter the country, Egypt's state news agency said on Wednesday, after Egypt imposed travel restrictions on Libyans during the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.

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PARIS (Reuters) - The Paris Club of creditor nations said members agreed on Tuesday to reduce the Ivory Coast's foreign debt burden and said reforms underway should lead to further relief.

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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A lawyer for hundreds of former South African gold miners accused their ex-employers on Wednesday of failing to provide access to regular check-ups for silicosis, an incurable lung disease caused by inhaling dust.

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ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian literary icon Chinua Achebe said he rejected an award due to be given to him by President Goodluck Jonathan this week because the political problems in Africa's most populous nation had not been tackled since he snubbed the prize seven years ago.