In Mbour, Senegal, ( 14deg.,25 min. N , 17 deg. W ) looking at the sky out over the Atlantic Ocean ( i.e. on the W coast of Africa looking W). I observed what I "knew" to be a satellite which of course appears as a point of light, moving slowly and steadily from N to S almost overhead ( maybe 10-20 degrees from the vertical, to the W). After about 30 seconds of this, it suddenly STOPPED for about 1 second, moved quickly and erratically in a small area near where it had stopped, and then took off at a much higher rate of speed to the SW.Note - seeing conditions were clear with very little cloud cover nor light pollution. As for the observer, I am a casual amateur astronomer who has spent many hours observing through a telescope, binoculars, and w/ the naked eye. I'm familiar with astronomical and atmospheric phenomena, NONE of which can explain this sighting. Oh, and one more thing - until it happened, I didn't believe in UFO's.((NUFORC Note: Witness indicates that the date of the incident is approximate. PD))