The Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka is leading a rally in Nigeria today to demand the government end uncertainty over who is running the country. Up until today, Nigeria’s President Umaru Yar’Adua had not been seen or heard in public since he left for Saudi Arabia for medical reasons seven weeks ago. Yar’Adua broke his silence earlier today by calling the BBC for a three-minute phone interview, but he gave no indication as to when he might return to Nigeria.

Umaru Yar’Adua: “At the moment, I am undergoing treatment, and I’m getting better from the treatment. I hope that very soon there will be tremendous progress, which will allow me to get back home.”