DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A record number of people - more than 1.1 million - have been uprooted in Central African Republic by spiralling violence between armed groups which threatens to plunge the country back into full-blown conflict, the United Nations said on Friday.

* ?Fitch says Ghana's ratings reflect country's medium-term growth potential and improving macroeconomic stability

(The following statement was released by the rating agency) HONG KONG, September 15 (Fitch) Fitch Ratings has affirmed Ghana's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'B' with a Stable Outlook. A full list of rating actions is at the end of this rating action commentary. KEY RATING DRIVERS Ghana's ratings reflect the country's medium-term growth potential and improving macroeconomic stability, which is supported by the authorities' commitment to putting public finances on a sus

LONDON (Reuters) - South Africa could restart a procurement process for its nuclear expansion project as soon as next month but the government still has to determine the exact timing, the chairman of South Africa's state nuclear agency Necsa said on Friday.

LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Friday called for unity among political groups ahead of talks between the government and the opposition aimed at reconciliation after a political crisis earlier this year.

CONAKRY (Reuters) - Riots in Guinea have blocked two of the three sites of bauxite miner Societe Miniere de Boke (SMB) and slowed operations at the third, general manager Frederic Bouzigues told Reuters on Friday.

ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Global hunger levels have risen for the first time in more than a decade, now affecting 11 percent of the world's population, as conflict, climate change and economic woes bite, U.N. agencies said on Friday.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Global auditor KPMG said on Friday its South African chief executive, chairman and six top partners had resigned over work done for the Guptas, businessmen friends of President Jacob Zuma accused of improperly influencing government contracts.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The head of South Africa's state-owned pension fund dismissed as spurious allegations made by a newspaper on Friday that he had misused funds and improperly raised salaries for some executives.

LONDON (Reuters) - British foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday he believed that Libya's plans to work towards elections in 2018 were probably "the right timescale".

DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The United Nations said on Thursday it was looking into allegations that complaints of sexual abuse and exploitation made against its peacekeepers in the conflict-torn Central African Republic were mishandled or unreported.

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian lawyer who is helping investigate the case of murdered Italian student Giulio Regeni was prevented from flying to a U.N. conference and detained by a special prosecutor, his supporters and a security source said.

The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday. - - - - - GLOBAL MARKETS U.S. stock futures and Asian shares dipped after North Korea fired another missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean on Friday, demonstrating Pyongyang's defiance in the face of intensifying sanctions. WORLD OIL PRICES Oil prices were lower on thin trading on Friday but on co