Vocal government critic Amina Mohamed is reported to have been killed in a bomb blast in the Somali city of Beledweyne. Hours earlier, security forces battled armed attackers near Mogadishu's airport.

Presidential elections happen all over the world, but France has its own, unique way of doing things. While there's always some suspense around who will end up in the Élysée Palace, there are some pretty clear rules about getting there: whether it's campaign financing, how much media access the candidates get and how the vote happens on election day. In this episode of French Connections Plus, Florence Villeminot and Genie Godula take a closer look at the protocol governing the French presidential election.

Dozens of people are killed in twin attacks in Somalia. Al Shabaab extremists claim responsibility, saying they were targeting politicians in a bid to disrupt already stalled elections. Also, Tunisian farmers take the law into their own hands in the midst of an ongoing water crisis. Poor planning, scarce water resources and the worsening impact of climate change have all hit the country's agricultural industry hard.

Two weeks from now, France will know who is into the second round of the presidential election. The candidates will then enter a crucial final two-week period when the gloves are expected to come off in the battle to win votes. This weekend saw a last-ditch attempt by far-right pundit Eric Zemmour to win back support after losing momentum. Meanwhile, the far left’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon is rising in the polls but incumbent Emmanuel Macron, the favourite to win, remains well ahead. Andrew Smith of Chichester University spoke to us about where the campaign stands.

Concerns are growing over rising insecurity in Somalia as the Horn of Africa nation edges closer to a much-delayed presidential election. Al-Shabab militants have warned they will target politicians.

Just over a week before the first round of voting, candidates for France's presidential election are campaigning on marketplaces across France. The so-called smaller candidates are trying to close the gap with the top contenders. FRANCE 24's Campaign Commentator Philip Turle tells us why Marine Le Pen has been eating into Emmanuel Macron's lead in the polls. Plus, our reporters dive into the world of French Trotskyists.

Just over a week before the first round of voting, candidates for France's presidential election are campaigning on marketplaces across France. The so-called smaller candidates are trying to close the gap with the top contenders. FRANCE 24's Campaign Commentator Philip Turle tells us why Marine Le Pen has been eating into Emmanuel Macron's lead in the polls. Plus, our reporters dive into the world of French Trotskyists.

With the first round of voting in France's presidential election now only six days away, we explore latest the twists and turns of the campaign trail with Andrew Smith, a professor of contemporary French history at the University of Chichester. He unpicks incumbent Emmanuel Macron's rock star-style rally at the La Défense arena over the weekend, which aimed at reassuring undecided voters on both the centre left and centre right. We also discuss the chances of Macron's historic far-right rival Marine Le Pen, who's led a low-key campaign and could benefit from high abstention.

Although Somalia now has a quota system for female lawmakers, women are frequently held back from pursuing leadership roles due to pervasive cultural and social barriers.

Officials say an ongoing drought in the East African country is the worst in a decade. Hundreds of thousands of children could starve if a famine sets in.

In a special edition, we look closely at the two presidential candidates, Emmanuel Macron and the far-right’s Marine Le Pen to see where they both stand when it comes to promoting equality. Annette Young talks to Megan Clement, the editor of the Impact newsletter on gender and politics on why women's rights have failed to make the radar so far in this election campaign. Also #MeToo in the world of French politics and the dire need to end a climate of sexism and sexual harassment.

With less than a week to go before France's presidential run-off, French papers explain why the "republican front" against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is looking increasingly fragile, especially in the overseas departments of Martinique and Guadeloupe. We also take an in-depth look at Le Pen's foreign policy proposals. We finish with an Easter special on why chocolate eggs seem to taste so much better than chocolate bars.