Africa: All of Africa Today - June 4, 2026

Four Sentenced to Death for Deadly 2022 Nigeria Church Attack

A Nigerian court has sentenced four men to death for the 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. Forty-one worshippers were killed and more than 100 others injured when they opened fire at the St Francis Catholic church in the town of Owo during a Pentecost service. The court in Abuja also sentenced the men to 20 years in prison for belonging to a terrorist group. Judge Emeka Nwite said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt through witness testimony, including survivors who identified some of the attackers. The defence said it would appeal the ruling. A fifth accused person was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The case comes as Nigeria continues to face rising insecurity and repeated attacks linked to extremist groups.

WHO Says DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Improving but Challenges Remain

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is showing signs of improvement, but significant challenges remain in testing, surveillance, vaccine development and building community trust. After visiting the DRC, he said what he saw gave him hope. Tedros said cases have dropped. Tedros said 344 cases have been confirmed in the DR Congo, including 60 deaths. Meanwhile, the number of suspected cases has been reduced from over 1,000 last week to 116 as teams work through the backlog. Three Ebola treatment centres are now operating in Ituri's capital, Bunia, with a capacity of 80 beds. Treatment units also have been established in five other regional cities, and more are on the way. While no vaccines or therapeutics currently exist to treat the outbreak, WHO and partners are working to advance clinical trials as quickly as possible.

Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has appointed a new 30-member government amid political tensions with his party, Pastef, which initially threatened to boycott the process over disagreements on cabinet composition. Pastef, led by former prime minister Ousmane Sonko, said it would not participate, citing disagreements over the cabinet's composition, but five of its members ultimately appeared on the final list. The new lineup includes no senior allies of Sonko, deepening divisions between the president and his former close political partner, who has since taken a powerful role in parliament. The reshuffle comes as Senegal faces a financial crisis linked to misreported debt and ongoing negotiations with the IMF, adding further uncert