Hundreds of mourners gathered on Thursday in the hometown of Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe for the funeral of the man regarded as the father of modern African literature and the author of the widely praised "Things Fall Apart." Heavy security was in place throughout the small southeastern town of Ogidi, with President Goodluck Jonathan along with foreign dignitaries attending the service at the local Anglican church.

By Jonny Hogg GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Rebels in eastern Congo announced a ceasefire on Thursday in fighting with government troops hours before a visit to the conflict-plagued zone by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

Since its creation 50 years ago in 1963, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which evolved into the more powerful African Union in 2002, has devoted a major part of its efforts to resolving the numerous conflicts that dotted the continent. The OAU's main objectives was to end colonialism from the African continent. However, the OAU was wound down in favour of the AU because it was widely considered by heads of state to have outlived its usefulness. Since its inception, Africa has been wracked by coups d'etat and civil war despite numerous mediation missions by the body.

Fifty years ago, veteran Ethiopian journalist Tsegaye Tadesse was a fresh-faced reporter, covering the historic signing of the charter that would bring African leaders together. "For the first time, Africa had come together," said 80-year-old Tsegaye, remembering the heady days in 1963 when he was working for the Ethiopian Herald newspaper, covering the historic inauguration of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the forerunner of today's African Union (AU).