Wanyama - Guardians of Africa: Part 1: Eagle in the Dust by Christian Rau

Raja dreams of freedom, but her fantasies come to an end upon learning that the rebellious teenager is going to be wed to a boy she doesn't know. On the night before the engagement, while Raja's secretly visits her friends for a final night out, her mother is murdered by a stranger. Raja discovers a secret from her mother's past and learns about the Wanyamas, animal-like powers wielded only by a few chosen people. Possessing a Wanyama herself, Raja becomes the next target of her mother's murderer.
Meanwhile, the young Tuareg Ivoire pursues a militant group called the Claws, who murdered half of his tribe and kidnapped five of its girls. Ivoire struggles with his past as child soldier, as he learns that they are raising an army powered by Wanyamas. On top of that, Ivoire develops those mysterious powers himself, making him another target.
He and Raja must work together to escape the Claws and uncover the secrets of the Wanyamas, the Guardians of Africa before their enemies do...