NAIROBI (Reuters) - Hours after Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe was forced out after 37 years in power, Uganda's president, another former guerrilla in office for more than three decades, was tweeting about pay rises for civil servants and bright prospects for his army tank crews.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken a lead in party nominations for the next leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), securing the support of 65 percent of branches tallied so far, a poll showed.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa appointed General Khehla Sitole as national police commissioner, the presidency said on Wednesday, following nearly three years of the post being filled on acting basis.

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa arrived back in the country on Wednesday, two days before he is due to be sworn in as president to replace Robert Mugabe, ruling party ZANU-PF official Larry Mavhima said.

ROME (Reuters) - A deal with Libya that has slashed the number of migrants reaching Italy could scupper the ruling centre-left Democratic Party's (PD) already dwindling hopes of staying in power next year as it is opposed by the PD's potential coalition partners.

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Ugandan police raided the office of a local newspaper, detaining staff and confiscating equipment on allegations it had published an inaccurate story, the paper's lawyer and police said on Wednesday.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Donning leather and helmets (sometimes), they roar along Libya's hair-raising, potholed roads on carefully polished Harley Davidsons and Kawasakis.

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's government said on Wednesday it had requested the U.S. air strike which killed more than 100 suspected militants on the previous day to help pave the way for an upcoming ground offensive against Islamist militant group al Shabaab.

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in as president on Friday marking a new era for a country dominated by Robert Mugabe whose swift downfall this week ended nearly four decades in power.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African President Jacob Zuma met Zimbabwe's former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa in Pretoria on Wednesday, the eNCA television channel said.

----------------------------------------------------------- This Diary is filed daily. ** Indicates new events ----------------------------------------------------------- WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 ** PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron meets Guinea President Alpha Conde at the Elysee Palace in Paris. ** HARARE - Angolan President Joao Lourenco and South African President Jacob Zuma visits Zimbabwe. NEW DELHI - Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visits India (to Nov. 24). MADRID - P

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in as president on Friday following the resignation of Robert Mugabe, the parliament speaker said on Wednesday.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday that it respects Robert Mugabe's decision to resign as Zimbabwe's president, a week after the African country's army and Mugabe's former political allies moved to end his four decades of rule.

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's former vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is expected to be sworn in as president following the resignation of Robert Mugabe, will return home on Wednesday, a ruling party ZANU-PF official said.

NAIROBI, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Wednesday. - - - - - EVENTS: *SOUTH AFRICA - Second day of Reserve Bank's three-day monetary policy committee meeting. GLOBAL MARKETS Asian shares joined a global rally and scaled a fresh decade peak on Wednesday as strong world growth and rising corporate profits lured hordes of investors into equities,