Africa: All of Africa Today - June 24, 2026

U.S. Cut to South Africa HIV Funding Could Cost Lives, Warns UNAIDS

UNAIDS chief Winnie Byanyima has warned that the United States' decision to withdraw HIV and Aids funding from South Africa could cost lives and reverse years of progress in the fight against the virus. The US, through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has been contributing about $400 million annually, accounting for roughly 17% of South Africa's HIV response funding. South Africa does not rely on US funding for HIV drugs, but the US made a significant contribution to the country's programmes to prevent the spread of the virus. The funding withdrawal comes amid deteriorating relations between Washington and Pretoria. Trump has also alleged that there is a "white genocide" taking place in South Africa. The claim has been widely discredited. Byanyima has urged the US to reconsider or implement a gradual transition. She warned that removing support could have serious consequences for the more than eight million people living with HIV in South Africa.

UN Condemns 'Unprecedented' Use of Sexual Violence as Weapon of War in Sudan

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A new UN report has warned that sexual violence is increasingly being used as a weapon of war in Sudan's ongoing conflict, describing the scale and brutality as unprecedented. Sudan has been hit by a devastating civil war since 2023, following a fallout between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UN has verified 546 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence involving at least 838 victims, mostly women and girls. The actual number is believed to be far higher due to underreporting. The report finds that sexual violence has spread alongside both the conflict and displacement routes and has been used consistently to terrorise and traumatise civilians. Meanwhile, the UK and six other European powers have added their voice to calls for an immediate halt to violence in el-Obeid city as fears grow that the RSF is preparing for a major assault to capture it. The fighting has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 11 million people forced from their homes and 28 million facing acute hunger, aid agencies say. UN human rights chief Volker Türk said that sexual violence was being used as a "weapon of war".

Family Wins Battle to Bury Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu in South Africa

South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that former Zambian President Edgar Lungu can be buried in South Africa,  where he died. This overturned an earlier court decision that allowed the Zambian government to repatriate his body for a state funeral. The ruling ends a prolonged legal dispute between Lungu's family and the Zambian government, which wanted him buried alongside former presidents in Lusaka. The family sought a private burial, citing Lungu's strained relationship with his successor, Hakainde Hichilema. In this latest ruling at the Supreme Court of Appeal, the judges said it was clear that the former president "viewed himself to be persona non grata in his own country" of Zambia and "felt that he would not be afforded a dignified send-off" if his successor was present. The Zambian government wished to see him laid to rest alongside his predecessors in the special presidential burial ground in the capital, Lusaka.

Kenya Halts U.S.-Backed Ebola Quarantine Facility After Public Backlash

Kenya has ordered an immediate halt to preparations for a controversial US-backed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base following a court challenge and public backlash. Health Minister Aden Duale told the High Court that all construction and related activities would cease pending the outcome of a legal petition brought by the Katiba Institute. The petition argues that the project was developed without public consultation and poses potential public health risks. The facility was intended to quarantine US citizens evacuated from the Democratic Republic of Congo during its Ebola outbreak. This has sparked widespread protests. Kenya has never recorded a case of Ebola, and many oppose bringing potential carriers of the highly contagious disease into the country. The Kenyan government continues to face scrutiny over its health cooperation agreements with the United States.

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U.S. Sanctions Nigerian Network Over Global ISIS Financing

The United States has imposed sanctions on Lagos-based ISIS financier Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad and three Nigerian bureaux de change accused of facilitating funds for ISIS operations across West Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Syria. The action taken under Executive Order 13224, the US Treasury said the network moved money that supported ISIS attacks, recruitment and operations, including through currency exchanges in Lagos and Kano. The sanctioned entities include Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited, and Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited. Washington alleges that funds were used to channel funds to ISIS-West Africa and other affiliates.  The Department said that they remain fully committed to protecting American lives, defending religious minorities, and working with international partners to eliminate the threat that ISIS poses to global peace and security.