* African cocoa sector uses forced labor, children -study

* Qua Iboe loadings delayed 2-3 days * MRPL issues new tender, IOC awards for Jan. GENEVA, Nov 1(Reuters) - Differentials for Nigerian crudes were supported on Thursday as production problems on Qua Iboe helped to offset lower U.S. refinery demand after superstorm Sandy. Nigeria's loadings of Qua Iboe are delayed by between two to three days, trade sources said, while loadings of Forcados and Bonny Light are still delayed by several days. "The impact of Bonny and Forcados has a

ACCRA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Ghana's State Insurance Company (SIC.GH> said on Thursday that it swung to a net loss of 0.838 million cedis ($444,642) for the nine months to September compared with a net profit of 8.152 million cedis a year earlier on bad debts.

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The Zambian kwacha is expected to rally next week after hitting a four-month low on Monday, while the Kenyan shilling looks set to weaken in anticipation of further monetary policy easing.

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian police have arrested four people for allegedly plotting to kidnap local Jews for ransom, an official said on Thursday, stoking insecurity in the dwindling Jewish community after last year's "Arab Spring" revolt led to a resurgence of Islamists.

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Wanted: investors for small African nation with good oil and mineral potential - no seat at the United Nations but history of independence in rough neighborhood.

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania's economy is well placed to extend a run of strong growth, but the government should do more to ensure the extra wealth reaches its people, most of whom are mired in poverty, the World Bank said.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Pirates have released seven sailors - six Russians and an Estonian - seized after an attack on a ship operated by French firm Bourbon SA off the coast of Nigeria, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has reached an out-of-court settlement with a former lover to end a messy maintenance case that was damaging his reputation ahead of elections expected next year, a lawyer said on Thursday.

ABUJA (Reuters) - Human rights abuses committed by Nigeria's security forces in their fight against Islamist sect Boko Haram are fuelling the very insurgency they are meant to quell, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

HARARE (Reuters) - Easing of IMF restrictions on Zimbabwe should help it to clear its mountain of defaulted debt and pave the way for foreign investment, Finance Minister Tendai Biti said on Wednesday.

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese police fired teargas to disperse hundreds of protesters in a farming region south of the capital on Wednesday, witnesses said.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's national assembly approved new Prime Minister Ali Zeidan's proposed government on Wednesday after rejecting his predecessor's line-up, but members still queried the suitability of several nominations.

NAIROBI, Nov 1 - - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Thursday. - - - - - EVENTS: * Uganda to announce its key lending rate . Analysts expect a sixth straight cut from the current 13.0 percent. * Kenya to auction 91-day Treasury bills worth 4 billion shillings ($46.98 million). GLOBAL MARKETS Asian shares fell on Thursday as Chi

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday gave the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia a seven-day extension while its 15 members weigh an African Union request to review a two-decade old arms embargo to help the government defeat Islamist rebels.